All-Ireland glory for Clare minors

Clare 4-16
Roscommon 3-12

To use the terminology of the moment, it was another gold for Clare as the U-18s won the county’s second ladies’ football All-Ireland title of the season. The Clare minors bridged a 22-year gap when they produced another last-quarter killer performance to defeat Roscommon in Birr.
A hesitant start by the Banner County, who played in the blue of Munster, led to cat-and-mouse football up to the 20th minute as the lead changed sides five times. Roscommon scored from the throw-in through Orla O’Neill but Róisín Howley scored the first of her four points a minute later.
However, continued pressure yielded five first-half frees, which Caoilionn Beirne converted for Roscommon. Points from Aisling Torpey and a 30-yarder from Róisín Howley for Clare were cancelled out by another Beirne free and a Gillian Dufficy point as they exploited a loose Banner midfield. Signs of the Clare potential came in the shape of an Ellie O’Gorman run from half-back as she pointed, to level at four points apiece. The hard-working Howley put her third over on 17 minutes to push Clare ahead for the second time.
When the Rossies came back for two more points from Dufficy and a third Beirne converted free, it seemed the pattern was set to continue as Niki Kaiser stepped up to draw for the fifth time at six points each.
A goal and two points from the Roscommon girls rattled the Banner and it seemed like a major turning point had been reached, especially when a penalty opportunity on 32 minutes went a begging after another Torpey pointed free. Nevertheless, there was only four points between the teams at half-time, 0-7 to 1-8, when Des McEnery of Westmeath called for the ball, not least owing to an outstanding display of one-on-one goalkeeping by Aoife O’Neill.
Roscommon were in control on the resumption when they pointed and goaled, separated by another penetrating run from Clare’s Munster skills champion, Ellie O’Gorman on the 30-yard line. A seven-point gulf had somehow opened up and Clare had to find that same belief that brought them back from the nine-point precipice of the Munster semi-final.
The resurgence started with a stunning goal from Orla Devitt, player of the match in the Munster final. Captain Róisín Looney and four-time all-Ireland boxing champion Kayleigh McCormack regained composure in midfield and a few shrewd changes from the sideline started to pin in the Rossies in their own half.
The depth of talent that has brought Clare to this final stage started to contribute one by one and improved performances from Róisín Rouine, Edel McMahon, Rebecca Culligan and Emer Hillery absorbed a lot of pressure in defence.
Looney’s 40-yard solo efforts released a lot of attacking play and poachers Nikki Kaiser, Aoife O’Gorman and Kayleigh McCormack were over in a flurry of points. Now Clare were playing and Hillery, O’Gorman and Alanna O’Brien were launching wave after wave into the opponents end and they had nothing to hold back the re-vitalised Banner. Some marvellous play from the tireless Róisín Howley and Aoife O’Gorman produced more points before Aisling Hanley pointed for Roscommon. Player of the match Nikki Kaiser lifted the stand when she netted for Clare’s second goal to go two points ahead and was denied another goal by the upright a minute later.
Shaunagh O’Brien was sprang from the bench and made an immediate impact as she was picked out time and again, pointing. Defender Laura Egan was moved up and goaled on 29 minutes, sending Clare seven points ahead 3-14 to 2-10 but there was six minutes of injury time that was just was filled with action.
A third Aoife O’Gorman point was answered with a Rossie goal on 34 minutes but O’Gorman would not be outdone and promptly goaled herself in response, the result of some beautiful flowing football that arrived to her via Edel McMahon, Emer Hillery and Róisín Looney. An obstinate Roscommon side were back for their last point but Nikki Kaiser pointed Clare’s last score of the game to seal another great win for the Clare minor team.  
When Clare finally got the measure of Roscommon’s midfield and half-forward section, it forced positional changes on them that Roscommon would rue. A remarkable Banner County team took another difficult opponent and in the face of daunting pressure dismantled their ability to attack and turned the tables on them by putting eight different Clare players on the board in the second half alone.
Credit goes to Róisín Howley, Aisling Torpey, Rebecca Culligan, Edel McMahon and the outstanding Aoife O’Neill in the opening half. An inspirational second-half performance saw improved contributions across the board, with captain Looney leading the charge. Player of the match was Niki Kaiser.

Clare panel: Aoife O’Neill (Éire Óg), Róisín Rouine (Liscannor,) Edel McMahon (Kilmihil) (vice-capt), Rebecca Culligan (Banner), Emer Hillery (Liscannor), Shauna Harvey (West Clare Gaels), Eille O’Gorman (Kilmihil) (0-2), Róisín Looney (Cooraclare) (captain), Laura Egan (Kilmihil) (1-0), Kayleigh McCormack (Burren Gaels) (0-1), Róisín Howley (Burren Gaels) (0-4), Niki Kaiser (Newmarket) (1-3), Aisling Torpey (Liscannor) (0-2), Aoife O’Gorman (Cooraclare) (1-3), Orla Devitt (Éire Óg) (1-0).
Subs used: Alana O’Brien (Éire Óg), Shaunagh O’Brien (Éire Óg) (0-1).
Panellists: Molly Brannock (Doora Barefield), Sinéad O’Keefe (Banner), Orlaith Lynch (Banner), Shauna Crowley (Miltown), Siobhán Behan (Doonbeg), Niamh Reidy (Doora Barefield), Gráinne Harvey (West Clare Gaels), Mary Kate Moloney (Clooney Quinn), Lauren McMahon (Newmarket), Mary Williams (Kilrush), Aoife Sheehan (Éire Óg), Sophie Hanna (Éire Óg), Marie Foran (West Clare Gaels), Nicole Burke (Kilrush Ladies), Róisín Considine (Liscannor).
Management: Kieran Harvey (West Clare Gaels), Edel Conway (Doonbeg), Linda Russell (Doonbeg), Johnny Hayes (Fergus Rovers), Marie Louise Kaiser (Newmarket).