All-Ireland dream ends for Kilmaley

Rower Inistioge 2-9   Kilmaley 1-5

Kilmaley’s dream of being the first Clare club to contest an All-Ireland intermediate camogie club final ended at the hands of Kilkenny and Leinster champions Rower Inistioge on Sunday in Nowlan Park.

Rower Inistioge, having won the toss, played with the aid of a strong breeze and that wind advantage, coupled with a brace of first half-goals from Aoife Lyng within a few minutes, ensured Kilmaley had their work cut out.

The visitors had the opening attack of the game and Shonagh Enright sent a crossfield ball to the home side’s square, only for Kilmaley to be penalised and play move to the other end.

Centre-back Kelly Hamilton had three points on the board for the home side from frees inside the opening 10 minutes. Claire McMahon opened Kilmaley’s tally with a converted free in the 15th minute and this was Kilmaley’s only score of the opening half.

Kilkenny senior goalie Catriona Ryan, who plays in attack for her club,  pointed from play in the 17th minute. Rower-Inistioge were dominating all over the field as they harried Kilmaley for possession. Kellie Hamilton’s shot down the field to Lizzie Lyng was well controlled by Lyng, whose effort was stopped by Edel Griffey. However, the clearance wasn’t quick enough and Lyng followed up and scored her team’s opening goal.

Catriona Ryan was to the fore in setting up the winner’s second goal just two minutes later, when she sent a shot to Aoife Lyng from out on the left wing. Lyng’s shot deceived the Kilmaley defence and went under the bar, leaving Kilmaley trailing 2-4 to 0-1 with 24 minutes played. Rower added a further three points before the break, leaving the Clare senior champions with an uphill battle.

Kilmaley needed a strong second-half performance and their captain, Claire McMahon, converted a 45 in the opening minutes. However, Hamilton cancelled it with a 45 for her side two minutes later. Kilamley’s goal came in the 40th minute when McMahon, from out on the wing, landed a free in the square and Emma O’Driscoll finished to the net.

Two more points from McMahon and Denise Lynch saw Kilmaley trail by 2-8 to 1-4 with six minutes of normal time remaining. Hamilton, the winner’s chief scorer on the day, added another point in the 58th minute to seal the Leinster champions’ victory, leaving the final score to Lynch, whose goal-bound free was blocked and sent over the bar.

Rower-Inistioge: Emma Kavanagh; Jane Cullen, Eimear Lyng, Becky Dempsey; Emma Hynes, Kelly Hamilton (0-7, 6f 1 45, Ciara Lyng; Áine Gannon, Briona Langton; Sarah O’Mahoney. Lizzie Lyng (captain, 0-1), Bridin White; Christine Lyng, Catriona Ryan (0-1, Aoife Lyng 2-0).
Sub: Tara Kennedy for O’Mahoney 41 minutes,
Kilmaley: Edel Griffey; Lisa Kennedy, Denise Lynch (0-2, 1f, 1 45), Sinead O’Halloran; Niamh Cahill, Katie Cahill, Eimear Considine; Aida Griffey, Niamh O’Dea; Shonagh Enright, Emma O’Driscoll 1-0, Claire McMahon(captain) (0-3, 2f, 1 45); Helen McMahon, Aishling O’Halloran, Ailish Considine.
Subs: Lorna Higgins for O’Halloran and Sinéad O’Keeffe for Helen McMahon.
Referee: Mike O’Kelly (Cork).