Controversy as late goal is disallowed

Clare 0-11   Kilkenny 1-10

This All-Ireland Senior Championship round 2 game at Nowlan Park in Kilkenny on Saturday ended in controversy.

Referee Mike O’Kelly from Cork disallowed a last-minute Clare goal claiming there was a square infringement. It was a decision that few in the stadium agreed with.

A long-range free from Chloe Morey was added to by Claire McMahon and, as the ball flew to the net, Clare players and supporters jumped for joy. The celebrations were shortlived, however, as the referee, without consulting with his umpires, signalled for a free out.

Kilkenny opened the scoring with a point from play by their wing-forward Katie Power in the second minute. Clare opened their account two minutes later when Claire McMahon fired over a free from about 35’ out after Lisa Loughnane was fouled. Shelly Farrell (Kilkenny) and Naomi Carroll (Clare) exchanged points from play to leave the sides level after eight minutes. Kilkenny added two points, one free from Ann Dalton and a lovely point from Claire Phelan when she intercepted a hand pass that missed it’s intended target.

The home side then struck for a goal when, after a very good passage of play, gave Denise Lynch no chance from close range to go 1-4 to 0-2 in front at the end of the first quarter.

Clare didn’t buckle and from then to half-time, they held the opposition scoreless while adding four points to leave the minimum between the sides at half-time. Claire McMahon got the first of these with a free in the 16th minute. Chloe Morey added a long-range effort two minutes later. In the 25th minute, McMahon was again on target from a placed ball from near the sideline. Clare got the final score of the half when Naomi Carroll collected a beautifully weighted hand pass from Susan Vaughan and split the posts to leave the half-time score at 1-4 to 0-6 in Kilkenny’s favour.

Kilkenny made a double substitution at half-time bringing on Leanne Fennelly and Michelle Quilty for Aoife Neary and Colette Dormer respectively. Clare were on level terms after only 55 seconds when Chloe Morey scored a long-range free. Kilkenny replied with a free by Quilty before Clare brought on Fiona Lafferty for Lisa Loughnane.

In the 39th minute, Deirdre Murphy levelled matters again when she finished a fine move that started with a free from her own back line by Naomi Carroll. Clare then went one up with McMahon again on target from placed ball. Katie Power levelled with a fine point from play despite the close attentions of a couple of Clare backs. Kilkenny got their noses in front again when Quilty threw over a free. Murphy levelled again after getting an inch-perfect pass from Róisín McMahon. Clare were pressing very hard and were rewarded with a free, which Claire McMahon converted to go one up. Kilkenny, however, were not giving up and were awarded a free that Power converted to level matters for the fifth time. Laura McMahon was introduced for Sinéad Tuohy to add freshness as Kilkenny were attacking for all their worth. Quilty converted another free to put the home side back in front.

In the 57th minute, Kilkenny launched another onslaught on the Clare goal area only for Clare’s keeper Denise Lynch cleared her lines when it looked like the ball was destined to slip under the crossbar. Ann Dalton put Kilkenny two points up with just one minute left on the clock. With time running out, Clare won a free deep in their own half. Chloe Morey sent a monstrous shot into the Kilkenny square where Clare McMahon flicked it into the Kilkenny net for what everyone in Nowlan Park thought was the winning score but referee O’Kelly awarded a free out to the home side. Neither umpire appeared to signal anything wrong with the score, indeed the goal umpire looked to be reaching for the green flag as O’Kelly blew for what he perceived to be an infringement.

Kilkenny’s Claire Phelan was awarded player of the game.

For Clare, it’s back to the training field as they try to put this disappointment behind them and gear up for Galway in two weeks’ time, where hopefully a large home following will help them get the win they so nearly had today.

Kilkenny: Emma Kavanagh; Mairéad Power, Kate McDonald, Jacqui Frisby; Grace Walsh, Edwina Keane, Elaine Aylward; Collette Dormer, Ann Dalton (0-2); Katie Power (0-3), Aisling Dunphy, Claire Phelan (0-1); Aoife Neary, Denise Gaule (1-1), Shelly Farrell (0-1).
Subs: Laenne Fennelly for Collette Dormer; Michelle Quilty for Aoife Neary, Kelly Hamilton for Aisling Dunphy.
Clare: Denise Lynch (C); Sinead O’Loughlin, Maire McGrath, Carol O’Leary; Kate Lynch, Chloe Morey (0-2f), Lisa Loughnane; Eimear Considine, Naomi Carroll (0-2); Deirdre Murphy (0-2), Susan Vaughan, Niamh O’Dea; Sinead Tuohy, Claire McMahon (0-5f), Ailish Considine.
Subs: Vera Loughnane for Ailish Considine, Fiona Lafferty for Lisa Loughnane, Róisín McMahon for Vera Loughnane, Laura McMahon for Sinead Tuohy.