Flannan’s lose out in college final replay

St Mary’s Nenagh   1-12   St Flannan’s, Ennis   1-8
THERE was heartbreak for St Flannan’s on Saturday in Nenagh when they went down to St Mary’s, Nenagh in the Munster Colleges Camogie Senior A final replay.

A scoreboard error in the last few minutes of the game showed the Flannan’s girls trailing by two points, when the actual deficit was just one. Niki Kaiser’s shot on goal was deflected out for a 45’ and with the game in injury time, a point would have sufficed to push the match to extra time.
However, with the scoreboard showing Flannan’s were behind by two, Kasier moved into the attack and Aoife Keane stepped up and dropped her shot to Kaiser, who was bottled up and dispossessed by the St Mary’s backs, who cleared down the field to their forwards, who in turn put a shot past Suzy O’Shea, who had been flawless throughout the tie.
Had St Flannan’s known the difference was only a point, Kaiser would surely have taken the 45’ and all the indications were that she would have converted, which would have led to extra time. Up to that point, the Newmarket player had contributed all of her side’s total.
St Flannan’s mentor Laura Linnane was full of praise for her charges. “It was the natural thing to do with the scoreboard showing a deficit of two points. On the line we were trying to get the referee’s attention but he blew the whistle and ordered that the free be taken,” she explained.
The Ennis school is still in the race for All-Ireland honours and they will play the Connacht winners in a quarter-final tie early in the New Year.
St Mary’s, playing with the aid of a stiff breeze in the opening half, were the more dominant side in the first quarter and had four points on the board inside the opening eight minutes. Indeed, this could have been more but they were guilty of some misses during that opening period.
Flannan’s got on the board when Kaiser converted a free in the 10th minute before Bríd Quinn pointed again for St Mary’s. The sides traded scores before Flannan’s started to get a grip on the game and they fought back to trail by just two points at the break.
The home side had the opening score of the second half when Caoimhe Maher pointed in the 33rd minute. Flannan’s struck a big blow just a minute later when Sinéad Quinn and Rachel Mulcaire combined, having won their own puck-out and sent a shot to Kaiser, a powerhouse throughout for Flannan’s, who broke through the Nenagh defence and rattled the net to bring the sides level. Flannan’s added two more points from frees, which were duly matched by the St Mary’s side to have the sides level by the end of the third quarter.
Kaiser converted another free in the 51st minute to give the Ennis side a slender lead. Nenagh fought hard and levelled the match again in the 57th minute and took the lead in the 59th minute when Bríd Quinn, who excelled in midfield, pointed from the wing after a solo run down the field.
With time running out, Flannan’s launched another attack on the Nenagh goal area and when Kaiser broke through, her shot on goal was deflected out for a 45’ in the 62nd minute. Flannan’s went for the option of goal but Nenagh, sensing victory, dispossessed Kaiser and sent the ball to the other end, where they finally got a shot past O’Shea.
Flannan’s were well served by Niki Kaiser, Suzy O’Shea, Clodagh Lawlor, Sinéad Quinn and Aoife Keane. St Mary’s had stand-out performances from Bríd Quinn, Ciara McGrath and Tara Kennedy.
St Mary’s: Ciara Holohan; Mary Walsh, Róisín Byrne, Paula Kelly; Rachel Kennedy, Aisling Cremin, Alannah Morris; Caoimhe Maher, Bríd Quinn; Ciara McGrath, Leah McKeogh, Sarah Cunneen; Aileen Duggan, Tara Kennedy, Claire Kearns.
Subs: Sara Butler for Claire Kearns (half-time) and Ciardha Maher for Aileen Duggan (51 mins).
St Flannan’s: Suzy O’Shea; Claire McMahon, Clodagh Lawlor, Rebecca Crowe; Sinéad Quinn, Aoife Keane, Lauren McGuane; Rachel Mulcaire, Alana O’Brien; Kate O’Neill, Aoibheann Malone, Orla Devitt; Niki Kaiser, Sinéad O’Keefe, Shauna O’Brien.
Sub: Lauren Touhy for Shauna O’Brien (42 mins).
Referee: Donie Browne.