Feakle and Crusheen reach junior decider

Feakle 4-6
Kilkishen 4-1

AN eight-goal feast, in a lively entertaining game, culminated in success for Feakle over Kilkishen in the junior camogie semi-final

Feakle got off to a great start at the four-minute mark when Lauren Guilfoyle crashed the ball to the net, following a great pass from Marie Hayes. She followed this up three minutes later with a well-taken point from play.
Kilkishen were soon on the scoreboard with a goal and point to level matters. Feakle added another two points to their tally but a goal just before half-time saw Kilkishen go in ahead by the minimum margin, 2-1 to 1-3.
Feakle were forced to start the second half without Sarah McGuinness and Marie Hayes through injury and when Kilkishen crashed home two goals early in the half to put them seven points ahead, it looked like the writing was on the wall for Feakle.
Feakle moved Marie Naughton to centerfield and combining with her sister, Catriona, this started a strong Feakle comeback. Unanswered goals from Lauren Guilfoyle and Martina Canny, along with some good points from Clodagh Gray and Marie Naughton, pushed the game beyond Kilkishen’s reach.
Feakle: Muirna Donnellan; Siobhán Nelson, Ciara Minogue; Sarah McGuinness, Síle McKee, MaryKate Moloney; Clodagh McDonnell, Catriona Naughton; Marie Naughton (0-1), Marie Hayes, Clodagh Gray (0-1); Lauren Guilfoyle (3-4), Louise O’Halloran.
Subs: Áine Hayes for McGuinness, Celine Moloney for Hayes and Martina Canny (1-0) for O’Halloran.
Kilkishen: Pauline McNamara; Martina McNamara, Melissa O’Connell; Laura McNamara, Sarah Loughnane, Áine Cooney; Marie McNamara, Paula Loughnane; Nicola McMahon (1-0), Antoinette Keane (0-1), Ciara Ryan (1-0); Deirdre Minogue (1-0), Anne Marie Beatty (1-0).
Subs: Claudia Loughnane for Melissa O’Connell, Breda Cooney for Anne Marie Beatty and Michelle Fawl for Laura McNamara, all 53 mins.
Referee: Aidan Ryan.

Crusheen 5-8
Éire Óg 1-1

CRUSHEEN booked their place in the junior final when they defeated a spirited Éire Óg side in a repeat of this year’s league semi final.
The Ennis girls had an excellent start to the match and were unlucky not to take the lead in the first 10 minutes. It was 15 minutes into the first half before Crusheen registered their first score in the form of a pointed free from Anne Marie McMahon.
Two more pointed frees and a point from play, along with two opportunistic goals, put Crusheen firmly in the driving seat. Shaunagh O’Brien’s fantastic solo run straight through the Crusheen defence culminated in a well deserved point for Éire Óg, leaving the half-time score at 2-4 to 0-1.
Crusheen started the second half well and had three points on the board before Éire Óg suffered a major loss when hardworking midfielder, Alana O’Brien, suffered a deep gash to the knee. Ruth Lillis’ goal from a free was not enough to bring Éire Óg back into it and despite great defending from Sinéad Darcy, Claire McMahon and Sophie Hanna, Crusheen got a further 3-1 to see them run out deserved winners.
Crusheen: Caroline Brigdale; Teresa Roseingrave, Noelle McGuane; Claire O’Grady, Anne-Marie McMahon (0-4f), Ann Fitzgibbon; Tina Meaney, Carol O’Donnell; Mary Roseingrave (2-3), Jacinta O’Grady, Elaine O’Mahoney (0-1); Marie O’Grady (1-0), Marian Meaney.
Subs: Michelle O’Donnell for Tina Meaney, Aoife Loughnane (2-0) for Elaine O’Mahoney, Anne Griffin for Marie O’Grady, Orla O’Donnell for Jacinta O’Grady and Aisling Callinan for Marian Meaney.
Éire Óg: Katie Malone; Sally Wall, Blathin Casey; Sinéad Darcy, Claire McMahon, Sophie Hanna; Louise Kirwan, Alana O’Brien; Áine Courtney, Aoife Sheehan, Ruth Lillis (1-0); Shaunagh O’Brien (0-1), Noelle Kirwan.
Subs: Shauna Keane for Sally Wall, Elaine Gannon for Alana O’Brien (inj), Orla McMahon for Noelle Kirwan, Tara Sheehan for Aoife Sheehan and Orlaith Flynn for Sophie Hanna.
Referee: Ger Lyons.