Cooraclare tear away from Miltown

Cooraclare 4-13  Miltown 1-4

THE second half of the senior B final turned into a rout on Saturday, with Cooraclare scoring 10 times and Miltown raising just one flag. While Cooraclare supporters wouldn’t have expected it to become so one-sided, at half-time their side already looked the superior outfit as they were more composed in possession and had more incisive forwards.

The winners were first on the score sheet, wing-forward Denise Sexton pointing in the fifth minute.
Two minutes later Miltown were level through centre-forward Denise Sexton. Prior to the score, Fiona Lafferty had gone on a scorching run right through the centre of the Cooraclare defence, before laying off to Sexton.
The first of the game’s five goals came in the ninth minute through Cooraclare’s Eithne Morrissey. After some slick inter-passing between herself and Edel Hynes, Morrissey sent a piledriver to the roof of the net, putting her side back in front.
After this Miltown enjoyed a period of dominance, but they couldn’t turn possession and territory into scores.
In an eight minute spell they kicked five wides and dropped a couple of attempts short of the target, while they also had a penalty claim waved away. All that pressure yielded just one point – from a free – and an opportunity to build up a lead passed.
Given the superiority they had enjoyed it must have been a real sickener for the Miltown girls when Helen Quinn found the net for Cooraclare in the 21st minute leaving her side ahead by 2-2 to 0-3.
It would get even better for Cooraclare moments later when a well-worked move ended with Sinead Sexton rattling the net again. The game was going away from Miltown but they did manage to get a goal of their own before the break through Jacinta Tubridy but, as hostilities ceased, Cooraclare held a 3-4 to 1-3 lead.
Miltown were first on the board after the restart with Michelle McCaw pointing a free, but it would be their last score of the day.
By the fourteenth minute Cooraclare had built up a 3-8 to 1-4 lead and it was very hard to see Miltown rallying.
Anne Marie Callinan added two more points from frees while Noreen McGuane had one from play to leave it at 3-11 to 1-4. The final goal came through Helen Quinn and followed a rather fortuitous rebound off one of the uprights.
Morrisey and McGuane had late scores for Cooraclare, putting a little more gloss on a comfortable victory.
On the day Cooraclare were deserving winners and while it was quite an even team performance, they were well served by the likes of Bernie Kelly, Eithne Morrisey and Helen Quinn.
Miltown fell away in the second period but Michelle McCaw and Fiona Lafferty gave of their best.

Cooraclare: Mairead Griffin; Monica Lillis, Louise Murrihy, Shereena Clarke; Danielle Dillon, Bernie Kelly, Patricia Callinan; Eithne Morrissey, Dympna O’Dwyer; Sally Glynn, Ann Marie Callinan, Noreen McGuane; Helen Quinn, Niamh Chambers, Jacinta Tubridy.
Subs: Aoife Donnellan for Danielle Dillon, Majella Lillis for Jacinta Tubridy, Tammy Hehir for Patricia Callinan, Niamh Donnellan for Louise Murrihy. Roisin Looney for Sally Glynn.
Scorers: Helen Quinn 2-3, Eithne Morrissey 1-2, Noreen McGuane 0-4, Jacinta Tubridy 1-0, Ann Marie Callinan 0-3 (3F), Niamh Chambers 0-1.
Wides: 8   Frees for: 17   45s: 1
“They all played well, it was a very good performance. We had a good start to the second half and it turned the game.” Peter McLoone, selector

St Joseph’s, Miltown: Siobhan Talty; Karen Egan, Siobhan Lafferty, Marie Killeen; Niamh Coyne, Deirdre Killeen, Marian Curtin; Fiona Lafferty, Bernie McGuire; Katie Curtin, Suzanne Murphy,  Denise Sexton; Edel Hynes, Michelle McCaw, Sinead Sexton.
Subs: Jennifer Barker for Marie Killeen, Siobhan Garrihy for Denise Sexton, Edel Lynch for Suzanne Murphy.
Scorers: Sinead Sexton 1-0, Michelle McCaw 0-2 (2F), Suzanne Murphy, Sinead Sexton both 0-1.
Wides: 11  Frees for: 27  45s: 1
“In the first half we were dominant for a quarter of an hour but we didn’t score enough and they ran away with it in the second. They were the better team.” Noel Curtin, manager
Referee: Michael Bohannon, Shannon Gaels.