Clare lose out to Offaly

Offaly 3-12   Clare 1-14

Clare went down to Offaly by four points in their final game of the Senior Camogie Championship on Saturday in St Brendan’s Park, Birr on a scoreline of 3-12 to 1-14.
When the sides met in the first game of the league in February, the result was a draw. Clare went into this game having secured wins over Tipperary and Dublin, whilst Offaly had also seen off Dublin.
Offaly had a blistering start and had four points registered in the opening 10 minutes without reply from Clare. It took the Banner girls till the 15th minute to register their opening score when Naomi Carroll pointed from play.
Clare made up for their slow start scoring the next four points, Kate Lynch and Sharon McMahon pointing from play and Claire McMahon converted two frees to put the visitors in front by the 24th minute.
Both sides traded points over the next five minutes, Carroll and Fiona Lafferty contributing the Clare scores. Offaly captain, Elaine Dermody pointed on the stroke of half-time to give Offaly a one-point lead going in at the break.
At the restart Carroll pointed to level matters and both sides converted frees in the next few minutes to keep matters level. However three Offaly goals in quick succession put Clare on the back foot and left them with a mountain to climb.
Chloe Morey converted a point from her own 21-yard line in the 43rd minute to keep the Clare scoreboard ticking over. Offaly’s Arlene Watkins won possession on the wing and pointed to put nine points between the sides mid-way through the second half.
Clare had the next two scores, Carroll took a point from play while Morey converted another long range free. Clare broke through the Offaly defence in the 51st minute and though Michelle Gleeson blocked the first Clare shot, her clearance was poor and Sinead O’Loughlin sent the rebound to the net to bring it back to a four-point game.
Both sides traded points in the remainder of the half with Clare unlucky to see goal opportunities by Deirdre Murphy and Fiona Lafferty go just wide of the mark, leaving Offaly to run out winners 3-12 to 1-14.
Despite losing this last game, Clare finish in fifth place on the leaderboard, a position that not many would have predicted earlier in the season.

Clare: Susan Vaughan; Helen McMahon, Siobhán Lafferty, Maire McGrath; Ruth Kaiser, Chloe Morey (0-5; 0-4f, 1 45), Roisin McMahon; Kate Lynch (0-1), Sinead O’Loughlin (1-0); Sharon McMahon 0-1, Deirdre Murphy, Fiona Lafferty (0-1); Claire McMahon (0-2f), Naomi Carroll (0-4), Shonagh Enright.
Subs: Aimee McInerney for Helen McMahon 49mins, Aisling Hannon for Sharon McMahon 52mins, Mairead Scanlon for Shonagh Enright 56mins.
Offaly: Michelle Gleeson; Fiona Stephens, Lorraine Keena, Karen Nugent (1-1); Sheila Sullivan, Michela Morkan, Linda Sullivan; Tina Hannon 0-2, Marion Crean (1-0); Arlene Watkins (0-1), Elaine Dermody 0-5 (0-3f 1 45’), Aoife Kelly (0-1); Roisin Coughlan, Siobhán Flannery (1-2), Jean Brady.
Subs: Ailsa Hughes for Jean Brady 53mins.
Ref: John O’Leary, Cork.