Clare girls pick up second league win

Clare      3-11
Cavan    1-8
AGAIN showing a commendable ability to rack up a decent tally, the Clare ladies picked up three important points in beating Cavan in Clarecastle last Sunday. Clare scored 5-11 just a week before against Galway but conceded 3-20. Although Cavan were not as slick as Galway, the Clare defence was markedly tighter.

Clare totally dominated the opening half and were full value for their 12-point interval lead. The defence as a unit played very well in that first half as Cavan failed to score. Clare led 1-9 to 0-0 at half-time.
Up front Áine Kelly was impressive as she returned to inter-county action after almost a two-year absence. She kicked three fine points from play, which included the game’s opener and also gave the assist to Ailish Considine for their side’s first-half goal.
Niamh O’Dea was also back in the fold for her first game since Clare were defeated by Cork last June in the championship at the same venue. Once more the Considine sisters were prominent, Eimear with a three-point return in the first half and Ailish scoring 1-2, which included a pointed free. Midfielder Marie Considine had a fine hour and registered a point in each half.
Cavan full-forward Geraldine Sheridan got them off the mark with a point and by the sixth minute of the second half, Daena Clerkin shot to the roof of the Clare net to see Clare’s lead reduced, Clare 1-9 Cavan 1-1. However, Cavan’s hope of a comeback was short lived when a shot along the ground from Fiona Lafferty just made it inside the post for Clare’s second goal. Within two minutes, Eimear Considine was dragged to the ground as she headed for goal and from the resultant penalty, centre half-back Louise Henchy made no mistake to put Clare 3-9 to 1-1 ahead. Now comfortably ahead, the Clare management used the unlimited sub rule for group games to good effect when seven players were introduced at various stages in the final 20 minutes. As Clare experimented, Cavan outscored the home side by seven points to two but the three league points were well secured.
Next Sunday, Clare travel to Bansha to play Tipperary in Round 5 and a week later, will head north to Fermanagh. The final game in the group is at home to Kerry on April 1.

Clare: Emma O’Driscoll (Banner Ladies); Clare Hester (Fergus Rovers), Lorraine Kelly (Fergus Rovers), Susan McNamara (Banner Ladies); Eimear O’Connor (Coolmeen), Louise Henchy (Banner Ladies) (1-0 pen), Shauna Harvey (West Clare Gaels); Marie Considine (Liscannor) (0-2), Fiona Lafferty (Donaghmoyne) (1-0); Róísín O’Looney (Cooraclare), Eimear Considine (Kilmihil) (0-3), Niamh Keane (Banner Ladies); Ailish Considine (Kilmihil) (1-3), Niamh O’Dea (Banner Ladies), Áine Kelly (Fergus Rovers) (0-3).
Subs: Deirdre Troy (West Clare Gaels) for A Kelly, Maria Kelly (West Clare Gaels) for R O’Looney, Aoife Murphy (Doora Barefield) for F Lafferty (inj), Anne Marie Callinan (Cooraclare) for A Considine, Sinéad Moloney (Coolmeen) for E O’Connor, Edel McMahon (Kilmihil) for C Hester and Liz. Murphy (Kilrush) for E Considine.
Cavan: Jennifer Keane; Laura Fitzpatrick, Gráinne McGlade, Paula Fitzpatrick; Sinéad Greene, Ciara Gray, Patricia Lynch; Rosie Crowe, Ailish Cornyn; Mona Sheridan, Róisín O’Keeffe (0-1), Fiona Skelly; Daena Clerkin (1-1), Geraldine Sheridan (0-2), Aisling Doonan (0-3, 1f).
Sub: Paula Fitzpatrick (0-1).
Referee: Keith Delahunty (Tipperary).

Other Division 4 results:
Mayo 2-12 Tipperary 2-8
Galway 1-11 Kerry 2-6
Waterford 2-9 Fermanagh 2-7.