All square in Miltown

Kilmihil 4-7 Miltown Malbay 4-7

Kilmihil began the defence of their senior league title in Miltown Malbay last Saturday when they took on the home side.  Lining out without some key players, Kilmihil will be happy to have taken a point from the game.
Miltown had the better start to the game. Playing with the aid of a slight breeze, they were first to raise a green flag when Niamh Pender found the net. However, Miltown, who played with the aid of the breeze in the first half, missed a number of early goal chances. 
Kilmihil’s Eimear Considine then weaved her way through the Miltown defence, laying off for Denise O’Halloran to finish to the net to level things up.  Sinéad Sexton of Miltown pointed before Ailish Considine pointed twice, once from a placed ball.
Niamh Pender had the first of two goals for Miltown while Ailish Considine scored Kilmihil’s second goal followed by a point from Eimear Considine. 
Miltown finished the half strongly with another goal and a point from a free, leaving the half-time score 4-4 to 3-2 in the home team’s favour.
Eimear Considine pointed for Kilmihil on the restart and Sinéad Sexton converted a free for Miltown. 
Ailish Considine pointed from a free and Dympna Walsh pointed again for Kilmihil.  Denise O’Halloran scored her second goal for Kilmihil after a great run by Eimear Considine.  Miltown’s Sinéad Sexton pointed before Eimear Considine had two long-distance points to level the scores. 
While this was a gutsy team performance from Kilmihil, their stand-out players were Ailish Considine, Eimear Considine, Denise O’Halloran, Edel McMahon, Marie Darcy and Dympna Walsh.

Miltown: Siobhán Talty; Claire Curtin, Sinéad Griffin, Jennifer Barker; Tara Glynn, Niamh Coyne, Laoise O’Malley; Fiona Lafferty, Bernie McGuire; Edel Hynes, Michelle McCaw, Ciara Burke; Sineád Sexton, Katie Curtin, Niamh Pender.
Subs: Helen Burke, Aisling McCaw, Marian Curtin.
Kilmihil: Martina Jarzyna; Elaine O’Halloran, Edel McMahon, Marie Darcy; Eleanor O’Gorman, Rosie Currane, Sharon O’Gorman; Dympna Walsh (0-1), Una Downes; Paula O’Shea, Ailish Considine (1-3), Ciara Dennehy; Denise O’Halloran (2-0), Eimear Considine (1-3), Aideen Lineen.
Subs: Una Kelly, Carol Finucane.
Referee: Michael Bohannon (Shannon Gaels).

Banner win opening game

Banner Ladies 2-10 Fergus Rovers 1-6

Banner Ladies got their first outing of 2011 off to a good start by winning their senior league round one meeting with Fergus Rovers. A very young Fergus Rovers team had their hands full in the first half but improved their workrate after the break to make it a competitive encounter. The Banner Ladies line-up also included some youthful but seasoned campaigners, who performed very well.
Orlaith Lynch rattled the net with a fine goal when she was set up by Niamh O’Dea, who also fired an early point for the winners. Fergus Rovers’ Claire Hester and Aoife Clohessy did their best to push their team up field but the Banner defence, overseen by Laurie Ryan and Louise Woods, were impassable in the first 30 minutes. Soon after, Aoife Kavanagh shot low along the ground past Rovers custodian Jackie Lynch and points from Suzie McNamara and Niamh O’Dea gave the Banner a first-quarter advantage of 2-3 to 0-0. 
O’Dea’s workrate saw her put three more points over before the break, one from a free, while Ciara O’Malley kicked her first of three points to register Fergus Rovers’ only score of the half. A rasper from The Banner’s McNamara came off the upright to go wide when referee Michael Fitzgerald blew up on 30 minutes with the Banner 2-6 to 0-1 up.
When Fergus Rovers’ came out of their half-time huddle, the team shout signalled their determination and this was reflected in their second half tally, which was 1-5 to the Banner’s four points.
On 33 minutes Louise Henchy rattled the Rovers’ net but referee Fitzgerald deemed her to have been fouled previously and she took the point from the 21m line.
Suzie McNamara tacked on her second point for the Banner shortly after but when Aoife Clohessy effected an excellent block on her, preventing a sure score, it signalled the Rovers’ return with Teresa Meaney stringing some lovely attacks together and kicking a point of her own.
Some urgent passing between Claire Hester and Meaney freed up Clodagh McNeillis for Fergus Rovers’ third point. However, the tenacious Henchy got herself into all kinds of dangerous situations and drew two fouls in quick succession, which Niamh O’Dea duly converted for the townies.
The last passage of play was a Fergus Rovers’ rally that yielded points from Cliona Cleary and a third point from Ciara O’Malley. Laura Meaney then rocketed home a goal for the last score of the day, spoiling Orla Hennessy’s clean sheet.  
What was encouraging was the amount of young talent in both line-ups and the very good standard of football on display. Banner minors Orla Hennessy, Sinéad O’Keeffe, Eadhaoin Fitzgerald, Lorna Higgins and Helen Hehir in defence and Mary Allan, Orlaith Lynch and Eva O’Dea in attack are exciting new prospects at senior level for the Banner Ladies and played very well.
Best for Fergus Rovers in defence were the two Killeens, Claire Hester, Aoife Clohessy and Carmel McGuane. Up front Teresa Meaney, Clodagh McNeillis, Cliona Cleary and Ciara O’Malley were the most impressive.

Banner Ladies: Orla Hennessy; Helen Hehir, Laurie Ryan, Sinéad O’Keeffe; Eadhaoin Fitzgerald, Louise Woods, Lorna Higgins; Niamh Walsh, Louise Henchy; Mary Allan, Aoife Kavanagh, Eva O’Dea; Suzie McNamara, Niamh O’Dea, Orlaith Lynch.
Fergus Rovers: Jackie Lynch; Rita Donnelly, Róisín Killeen, Aoibhinn Killeen; Clare Hester, Aoife Clohessy, Carmel McGuane; Eimear O’Shea, Teresa Meaney; Zara Hill, Clodagh McNeilis, Cliona Cleary; Laura Meaney, Ciara O’Malley, Gráinne McCarthy.

Gaels up it in second half

Shannon Gaels 2-11 Coolmeen 3-4

Shannon Gaels Ladies took on Coolmeen in round one of the senior league in Coolmeen on Sunday morning. Coolmeen, playing with the wind in the first half, got off to a good start and the score at half-time was 2-3 to 0-5 in favour of the home side. An early Charlotte O’Shea goal in the second half helped to start a Shannon Gaels fightback.
The Gaels took advantage of the breeze with scores from Croidhe Glynn (0-3), Michelle Madigan (0-1) and Helena Flanagan (0-1).
A 30-yard free, taken by Sarah Bohannon (1-6), resulted in a goal for the Gaels’ girls, securing victory. 

Cooraclare pick up points

Cooraclare 4-7 Crusheen 1-9

Goals from Niamh Chambers and Anne Marie Callinan helped Cooraclare to an opening Clare ladies first division league win over Crusheen last weekend.
Chambers scored 2-1 in total, while Callinan notched 1-3. Trish Callinan scored 1-1 of the winners tally, for whom Rachel Looney, Louise Murrihy and Bernie Kelly all played well.
Jacinta O’Grady top scored for Crusheen with 1-4, while Elaine O’Mahony and Ann Fitzgibbon also got on the score sheet. Edel McGuane and Tina Meaney also played well for Crusheen.