Champions hold on in semi-final thriller

West Clare Gaels 3-17   Miltown 6-5

THIS semi-final, at the end of which reigning champions West Clare Gaels secured their place in the county final, had it all, with nine goals, some fine points and a crucial penalty save. Supporters would have needed a calculator at times to keep track of the scoreline.
With only six minutes played, the scoreboard read West Clare Gaels 2-0 Miltown 1-0. It turned out to be an indication of what was to follow, as spectators were treated to a game of high drama.
Maria Kelly, who recently returned from Australia to line out for her club for the first time since that famous day last November when the All-Ireland Intermediate Club title was captured, was first to raise a green flag when she slotted the ball past Siobhán Talty with only three minutes played. A minute later, dual star Fiona Lafferty scored Miltown’s first goal and by the sixth, Niamh Lardner, who played a crucial part in this win, put her side ahead with the third goal of the game.
The Westerners stretched that lead to five by the 10th minute when impressive centre-forward Denise Geaney pointed twice from play inside 60 seconds.
The middle third of the opening half was dominated by Miltown. A point from Bernie McGuire was quickly followed by a Karen Galvin goal, when West Clare Gaels’ centre-back, Deirdre Troy, failed to hold onto the ball from Megan McGrath’s kick-out after McGuire’s point.
Miltown drove forward again and this time, corner-forward Sineád Sexton was fouled and awarded a penalty, which she took. Keeper McGrath held her footing and saved well and soon after, Sexton pointed to level matters at 2-2 each.
West Clare Gaels were then dealt a blow when Maria Kelly was forced to leave the field of play with a leg injury. She was replaced by Ailish Brew with 12 minutes of the half remaining.
Gaels’ full-forward, Bríd Troy, kicked the first of her five points, while moments later at the other end of the pitch, Miltown captain, Michelle McCaw’s kick from 35m sailed to the top of West Clare Gaels’ net. With just 20 minutes played, Miltown led 3-2 to 2-3.
Bríd Troy reduced the deficit to one with a pointed free but Miltown’s full-forward and top scorer, Karen Galvin shot one over for her side. Next it was the turn of Leanne Lynch and Laura Rynne to exchange points, with Miltown maintaining their two-point advantage five minutes from half-time.
Galvin then finished another Miltown move to the net to put her side 4-4 to 2-5 ahead. Ciara Harvey joined her sisters, Gráinne and Shauna, on West Clare Gaels’ side when she was introduced for Becky O’Farrell in the 29th minute.
McCaw and Lardner exchanged points and so it was the underdogs, Miltown, who led by five, 4-5 to 2-6, when Michael Talty blew the half-time whistle.
However, champions, they say, are made of stern stuff and so West Clare Gaels proved in the second half. Eight points without reply in a 20-minute spell, when they were dominant in most sectors, saw them turn a five-point half-time deficit into a three-point lead.
Five of these had come from frees as Miltown found it difficult to cope with a determined West Clare Gaels side, with midfielders Shauna Harvey and Michelle Downes really to the fore and Niamh Larnder excelling up front. Lardner (0-4), Bríd Troy (0-3) and 16-year-old Shauna Harvey had raised those white flags.
Next it was a repeat of the opening six minutes when three more goals were scored. Fiona Lafferty’s piercing run rattled McGrath’s net to tie the game at 5-5 to 2-14 and inside a minute, Miltown centre-back Niamh Coyne, who had a fine hour, also goaled to put her side ahead by three. The hard-working Gaels centre-forward, Denise Geaney, scored the ninth goal of the game and with just over five minutes of normal time remaining, the sides were level, West Clare Gaels 3-14 Miltown 6-5.
The champions dominated the closing stages in terms of possession and excellent points from play from Niamh Lardner, Leanne Lynch and Shauna Harvey ensured a deserved three-point win against a spirited Miltown side.
Miltown failed to field a team in the championship last year and have made amazing progress this year, with James Murrihy, Jim Marrinan and Thomas Garrihy at the helm. In a few weeks’ time, they will contest the senior B final.
For West Clare Gaels, it is back to the county final and, for the second year in-a-row, a meeting with Banner Ladies. The management of Eoin Troy, Michael O’Shea and Michael Liddane will be pleased with the win but are bound to be concerned at conceding six goals.

West Clare Gaels: Megan McGrath; Suzi O’Gorman, Kathleen Foley, Gráinne Harvey; Rita Boland, Deirdre Troy, Marie Foran; Michelle Downes (captain), Shauna Harvey (0-2); Maria Kelly (1-0), Denise Geaney (1-2), Leanne Lynch (0-2); Niamh Lardner (1-6, 3f), Bríd Troy (0-5, 4f), Becky O’Farrell.
Subs: Ailish Brew for Maria Kelly (injured, 18) and Ciara Harvey for Becky O’Farrell (29).
Miltown: Siobhán Talty; Claire Curtin, Siobhán Lafferty, Sinéad Griffin; Tara Rynne, Niamh Coyne (1-0), Aisling Coyne; Katie Curtin, Bernie McGuire (0-1); Niamh Pender, Michelle McCaw (captain, 1-1), Fiona Lafferty (2-0); Laura Rynne (0-1), Karen Galvin (2-1), Sinéad Sexton (0-1).
Subs: Helen Burke for Aisling Coyne (39), Aisling McCaw for Laura Rynne (55) and Jean Talty for Niamh Pender (56).
Referee: Michael Bohannon (Shannon Gaels).