Clare survive frenetic finish

Clare 1-10   Tipperary 1-9

CLARE held off a second-half attack from Tipperary to clinch their second win of the National League (Division 1) on Sunday afternoon in The Ragg, bagging the points on a 1-10 to 1-9 final score.
A solid defence held firm through those tense last minutes as Tipperary sought frantically to level the game. This was the first time that a Clare senior team beat Tipperary in their own backyard, which further suggests this team is making progress up the camogie ladder.
Tipperary had the opening score from All-Star Jill Horan after three minutes but this was cancelled out by Claire McMahon two minutes later. Chloe Morey converted a free to edge the visitors in front before Clare breached the Tipperary defence only for their effort on goal to go wide of the target.
However, they didn’t have long to wait for the goal, which came following a long-range delivery from Siobhán Lafferty, which was controlled by Shónagh Enright who passed to Fiona Lafferty who, in turn, handpassed to the net.
Lafferty then turned, provided and passed to Enright who pointed before Deirdre Murphy did likewise to leave Clare 1-4 to 0-2 in front.
Tipperary pulled two points back from Horan to leave the home side trailing by a goal at the halfway mark. Clare attacked right from the restart and Claire McMahon stretched the Banner side’s lead with a converted free.
Tipperary were awarded a penalty in the third minute but Cáit Devane put her shot over the bar before Enright and Lafferty combined again for Enright to point. Chloe Morey converted another free and Clare now led by five points.
With Tipperary clearly aware of what a loss to Clare would mean for their league aspirations, they stepped up a gear. Devane pointed from a free but Orlaith Duggan had two points in quick succession to extend the Clare lead to six points with 41 minutes played.
Devane converted a free and a 45’ to keep Tipperary in contention. Susan Fahy knocked over Clare’s next score in the 46th minute, which was to be their last score of the tie. Devane struck for a goal two minutes later only to be denied by Denise Lynch. Nicole Walsh stepped up for a Tipperary free in the 50th minute and saw her shot sail in to the corner of the net to reduce the deficit to two points. Tipperary added a point, which had the home support in full voice as they now trailed by just a point.
In the remaining time, the Clare defence in which Máire McGrath and Carol O’Leary made timely interceptions, held firm and the visitors held on for a vital victory.

Clare: Denise Lynch (Kilmaley); Máire McGrath (Sixmilebridge), Siobháin Lafferty (Inagh-Kilnamona), Carol O’Leary (Newmarket-on-Fergus); Kate Lynch (Kilkishen), Susan Vaughan (Scariff-Ogonnelloe), Chloe Morey (Sixmilebridge, 0-2); Katie Cahill (Kilmaley), Róisín McMahon (Newmarket-on-Fergus); Orlaith Duggan (Clooney-Quin, 0-2), Shónagh Enright (Kilmaley, 0-2), Deirdre Murphy (Clooney-Quin, 0-1); Claire McMahon (Kilmaley, 0-2), Fiona Lafferty (Inagh-Kilnamona, 1-0), Susan Fahy (Whitegate, 0-1).
Subs: Laura Linnane for Murphy 50 mins, Louise Woods for Kate Lynch, Sinead Tuohy for McMahon.
Tipperary: Rita Bourke; Lisa Cahill, Julie Kirwan, Sabrina Larkin; Julie McGrath, Mary Ryan, Dee Dunne; Ereena Fryday, Jill Horan, 0-3; Siobhán McGrath, Nicole Walsh, 1-1, Cáit Devane, 0-5; Alice Fogarty, Aoife Shinnors, Aoife McGrath;
Subs: Caoimhe Kennedy for Aoife McGrath, Aisling Carroll for Fryday Andrea Loughnane for Shinnors, Ereena Fryday for Fogarty.
Referee: Mike Sheehan.