Banner eventually pull away from Liscannor

Banner Ladies 4-10 Liscannor 2-8

COMFORTABLE winners in the end, the outcome did not look good for most of the opening half for the Banner, who trailed at one stage by six points and played half the match with 14 players in Round 3 of the Senior Ladies Football Championship at Kilfenora last Friday evening.
Full-forward Áine Burke was first of the mark for the North Clare side with a nice point from play. Niamh O’Dea, whose younger sister Eva also lined out, kicked two points for Banner Ladies. Further points from Burke (two), as well as Aisling Torpey and the lively Marie Considine had Liscannor three ahead.
Then midfielder Carmel Considine soloed through the Banner defence and banged home a fine goal to put her side 1-5 to 0-2 in front. It took the Ennis side a while to get into their stride but when they did, they were not long whittling down the lead. A goal and a point from full-forward Niamh O’Dea reduced the gap to two before Marie Considine and Mary Tierney traded points. As half-time approached, Banner Ladies were awarded a penalty when Eva O’Dea was fouled in the small square.
Inter-county star and All-Star nominee for the past two years, Louise Henchy made no mistake from the placed ball and so at the interval, her team retired two points to the good, 2-4 to 1-5.
Banner Ladies resumed the second half with a full contingent. The 15th player, Katie Cahill, made an immediate impact and went on to play an excellent 30 minutes. Marie Considine cut the deficit to a single score when she pointed quickly after the restart but then came a crucial score for the winners when Susan McNamara goaled.
There seemed to be a mix-up between the Liscannor goalkeeper and some of her defenders and McNamara had the simple task of kicking the ball to an empty net.
When the lively Mary Tierney tacked on a point, last year’s championship runners-up went three points clear. The excellent Naomi Carroll pointed and her colleague, Niamh O’Dea had her second goal when she finished a flick on from Sonya Maher.
Laurie Ryan, Clare Walsh and Emma O’Driscoll all played intelligently in the Banner’s defence, while Mary Tierney, Susan McNamara and Niamh O’Dea were very prominent in attack. Naomi Carroll gave a player-of-the-match display at midfield, while Louise Henchy also performed well.
Best for Liscannor were Áine Burke, Aisling Torpey, Áine Greene and, as usual, the Considine sisters, Carmel and Marie.

Banner Ladies: Louise Woods; Laurie Ryan (captain), Clare Walsh, Helen Hehir; Rebecca Culligan, Emma O’Driscoll, Sinéad O’Keeffe; Louise Henchy (1-2, 1-1f), Naomi Carroll (0-1); Mary Tierney (0-2), Sonya Maher, Eva O’Dea; Niamh O’Dea (2-5, 0-2f), Susan McNamara (1-0). Katie Cahill was introduced at half-time.
Liscannor: Emma Slattery; Róisín Considine, Yvonne Flaherty (captain), Róisín Rouine; Cliona Falvey, Sinéad Considine, Fiona Considine; Carmel Considine (1-0), Áine Greene; Marie Considine (0-3), Olivia Lucas (0-1), Marian Considine; Clionadh Considine, Áine Burke (0-2, 1f), Aisling Torpey (1-2, 1f, 1-0 pen).
Subs: Emer Hillery for Marion Considine (half-time), Theresa Shannon for Yvonne Flaherty (inj) and Catherine Hayes for Cliona Falvey.
Referee: Michael Talty (Kilmurry Ibrickane).

Kilmihil get the better of Cooraclare

THREE points from play inside the opening five minutes for Kilmihil from Eimear Considine (two) and Orla Keane set the tone in their high-scoring senior championship Round 3 encounter at Labasheeda last Saturday evening. In a match that produced nine goals, Kilmihil were deserving winners over the hour.
After Cooraclare’s Róisín O’Looney equalised with a fine goal in the seventh minute, they really impressed in the opening half against their more experienced opponents. At half-time Cooraclare, who were forced to line out without the injured Monica Lillis and Anne Marie Callinan, trailed 3-6 to 2-4, while Kilmihil’s third goal from the impressive Ailish Considine came late in the half.
Senior championship debutante, Laura Egan was Kilmihil’s first goal scorer and by the quarter stage, her side led by four points, 1-5 to 1-1. Cooraclare then hit a purple patch with points from Patricia Callinan, Niamh Chambers and Aoife O’Gorman before corner-forward Ciara Golden put the Blues ahead when she rattled the net. Their lead was short lived, as Kilmihil responded with a goal from Ellie O’Gorman.
Early second-half goals from Becky Mahon, who lined out at wing-back but was moved to attack, and Eimear Considine stretched Kilmihil’s lead to 11 points and while Niamh Chambers added a goal and three points for Cooraclare, as well as points from team captain Noreen McGuane and substitute Lourda Lillis, it wasn’t to be their day. Another Kilmihil goal from Ellie O’Gorman, as well as points from Ailish Considine, O’Gorman and Orla Keane sealed a fine win.
In addition to the scorers, Rosie Currane, Una Downes and Dympna Walsh were very impressive for the winners, while Bernie Kelly, Róisín O’Looney, Noreen McGuane, Patricia Callinan, Niamh Chambers and Aoife O’Gorman performed well for Cooraclare.  A feature of the game was a number of long-range points, two from Kilmihil’s Ailish Considine and the score of the match from Patricia Callinan from 45m.

Kilmihil: Sharon O’Gorman; Elaine O’Halloran, Edel McMahon, Niamh Keane; Becky Mahon (1-1), Rosie Currane (captain), Una Downes; Dympna Walsh, Maria Keane (0-1); Laura Egan (1-0), Ellie O’Gorman (2-2), Orla Keane (0-3); Ailish Considine (1-5), Eimear Considine (1-2), Denise O’Halloran.
Sub: Moriah Lineen for Maria Keane.
Cooraclare: Mairéad Griffin; Fiona McMahon, Louise Murrihy, Orla Reidy; Danielle Dillon, Bernie Kelly, Sherena Clarke; Dympna O’Dwyer, Róisín O’Looney (1-0); Noreen McGuane (captain) (0-2), Patricia Callinan (0-1), Rachel Garry; Ciara Golden (1-0), Niamh Chambers (1-4), Aoife O’Gorman (0-1).
Sub: Lourda Lillis (0-1) for Danielle Dillon.
Referee: Michael Bohannon (Shannon Gaels).

Division 4 title for Banner U-12s

THE final of the Clare ladies football U-12 Division 4 championship reached its conclusion recently in Kilmihil, when the Banner Ladies narrowly overcame Doora-Barefield.
The Banner won 2-3 to 2-1 thanks to a goal with the last kick of the ball to claim the title. The parish were quick off the mark and had netted a long-range shot in the first minute and followed it up with a point shortly afterwards.
The Banner backs, Alma Conway, Olivia Touhy, Sophie Casey and captain Alanna O’Connor, were under huge pressure as ball after ball came in on a strong wind. Forwards Aoibheann Ryan and Grace Copley applied some great pressure at the far end.
Some great work by Karen McNamara, Albina Aliu and Caoimhe Duggan yielded a goal by Duggan but this was negated by Doora-Barefield. Just before the break, Ryan pointed for the Banner, leaving them trailing by 2-1 to 1-1.
Karen McNamara and centre-back Sophie Casey were very impressive in their defence in the second half and despite several missed scoring opportunities, the Banner’s Ryan pointed again to keep them in the game. Keeper Kayleighanne Haugh made some great blocks to deny the parish on the counter-attack.
In a great spell from Ciara Corbett, she pointed with three minutes to go, bringing the gap to the minimum and when she goaled in the last seconds of the game, she captured the title for the Banner Ladies for the second year running.

League title for Joseph’s

THE St Joseph’s junior ladies football team travelled to the lions den on Sunday evening last to play neighbours Clarecastle in the final of the Division 3 League.
It was an ideal evening for football with the pitch and the weather coming up trumps on both accounts. The teams had met earlier and although St Joseph’s came out on top at the last meeting, they were leaving nothing to chance for the final showdown.
Clarecastle were first to raise the white flag and settled better than St Joseph’s from the throw-in. It took St Joseph’s into the first quarter to take a grip of the game and it was a grip they never lost, as they led well to the final whistle.
It was a team effort with superb football being played by both sides throughout the game.
The winners had outstanding performances from Sorcha McCormack between the posts, along with the backs, while Kelly Ann Hassett with Molly Brannock dominated at the centre of the field and all the forwards scored.
The treasurer of the ladies football board, James Lafferty presented the cup to the captain Niamh O’Loughlin. The team is coached by Jim Willis, Peter O’Keeffe and Joe Queally.

St Joseph’s: Sorcha McCormack, Michelle Hennesy, Ann Marie McGann, Michelle McMahon, Karen O’Brien, Sarah O’Brien, Amanda Hassett, Kelly Ann Hassett, Molly Brannock, Sarah O’Keeffe, Niamh O’Loughlin, Rebecca Devine, Ciara Willis, Mary Sweeney, Niamh Willis, Mary O’Connor, Rachel Lyons, Allyson Courtney, Eleanor Barron, Lauren O’Shea, Aoife Guilfoyle, Dervella Rice, Sarah Nugent, Aoife Murphy, and Eimear Casey.