Banner Ladies retain U-16A title

Banner Ladies 2-10   West Clare Gaels 3-4

THE U-16A ladies football final served up a very exciting game last Sunday in Cooraclare, where Banner Ladies overcame a strong West Clare Gaels resurgence, in the last 10 minutes, to retain the cup.

 

 

Becky Madigan spearheaded the Gaels’ blistering start as she contested every ball in the full-forward position and kicked a point in the first minute. Madigan followed this with a goal for the Gaels.

A nervous Banner side kicked several wides in the same period, always under pressure from the three outstanding Foran sisters, Gráinne Harvey, Lauren Keane and Ciara McQuaid.

An inspiring performance from captain Karen Roche started an eight-point unanswered sequence for the Ennis side. Roche’s point was followed by points from Gráinne Nolan and Aoife Keane. A flash of brilliance from captain Marie Foran’s full-field solo effort was unlucky not to yield a score for the Gaels but Roche was relentless as she pushed the Townies into the lead with two points.

She was backed up by solid midfield performances from Eva O’Dea and Aoibheann Malone. Some great work from Caoimhe Harvey and Shauna Melican, aided by the tenacious Marrinan sisters, led to several West Clare Gaels attacks before the break but these were overturned. A lovely Niamh O’Brien point was followed by another from Nolan. When the half-time whistle blew, it was 0-7 to 1-1, which is not a massive gap but it was all the Banner at this stage.

Roche pointed for the Banner on the restart but the Gaels put massive pressure on Emma Kavanagh, Emma Neylon and Ashling Maher. Melican and Harvey pushed hard with Siobhán Marrinan and Becky Madigan to force a full-stretch save by the Banner custodian Eimear Rutherford, which came back in to come off the post. Thirty seconds later, the ball hit off the crossbar and eventually pointed.

It was all go for Elaine Greene as she took a point and buried a goal immediately after that to put the Gaels in front by a point at the end of the third quarter.

The Banner defence was in disarray during this period but Elaine Casey took control and a sterling last-quarter display from her set up several Banner attacks. Karen Roche goaled and pointed and Aoibheann Malone extended the gap to four points. Patricia Foran played a very solid game in defence alongside sisters Bríd and Marie, Áine Murphy, Gráinne Harvey and Lauren Keane. After Aoife Keane netted the Banner’s second goal, one final push from Gráinne to sister Caoimhe Harvey released the three Marrinans in the attack. Eventually, Amy Keane lobbed the Townies’ Rutherford to net and captain Marie Foran, full-back, pointed to bring it back to a kick of a ball and a three-point deficit. When Michael Bohannon called for the ball, the Banner had weathered the Gael storm by a three-point margin 2-10 to 3-4.

A youthful West Clare Gaels side didn’t have the experience to take the game in the required time. Sinéad Quinn was outstanding for the Ennis side in the half-forward line and in the backs Shauna O’Connor, Emma Kavanagh, Aisling Maher, Niamh Donnellan and Emma Neylon played very well. The player of the match was captain Karen Roche.

For the Gaels, the three Forans were instrumental, as was Áine Murphy, Shauna Melican, Gráinne and Caoimhe Harvey and Becky Madigan.

Banner: Eimear Rutherford; Shauna O’Connor, Elaine Casey, Niamh Donnellan; Emma Kavanagh, Emma Neylon, Aisling Maher; Eva O’Dea, Aoibheann Malone; Gráinne Nolan, Karen Roche (captain), Sinéad Quinn; Lauren Keane, Aoife Keane, Niamh O’Brien.
Subs: Laura Chesser, Eilish Counihan, Orlaith Martin, Nicole Talty and Róisín Martin.

West Clare Gaels: Naoise Murray; Ciara McQuaid, Patricia Foran, Marie Foran (captain); Bríd Foran, Áine Murphy, Lauren Keane; Gráinne Harvey, Caoimhe Harvey; Shauna Melican, Rosie Marrinan, Siobhán Marrinan; Fidelma Marrinan, Rachel Clancy, Becky Madigan.
Subs: Michaela Lynch, Megan Downes, Amy Keane, Deirdre McGuire, Rachel Muldoon, Elaine Greene, Heather Daly, Saoirse Maher, Aoife McMahon, Noleen Gibson, Áine Moloney, Clara Sequin and Ellie O’Reagan.