Flannan’s share the spoils in colleges final

St Flannan’s 5-7   St Mary’s, Nenagh 4-10

IN a match in which the teams were level on six occasions, with the lead changing hands regularly, a draw was a fair result when St Flannan’s played St Mary’s from Nenagh in the Munster Colleges Senior A Camogie Championship final at Newmarket on Saturday.
The tie produced a very high standard of play with some excellent individual performances. There were occasions when each side looked to be taking control and the visitors were in that position when they went four points clear inside the last 10 minutes.
They were still two clear as the game entered the final minute of normal time. St Flannan’s captain, Nikki Kaiser, proved to be the hero for her team with points in the 60th and 62nd minutes to ensure a second chance for the Ennis school.
Points were exchanged in the opening two minutes before three converted frees by Bríd Quinn had the Nenagh school three clear by the end of the opening quarter. An Aoibheann Malone goal brought St Flannan’s level but straight from the resumption of play, Tara Kennedy found the net for the visitors to restore their three-point lead.
Nikki Kaiser pointed a 30m free for St Flannan’s before her effort deceived the Nenagh defence and dipped into the net to put St Flannan’s into the lead for the first time. Nenagh quickly levelled but a Sinéad O’Keeffe goal had St Flannan’s back in front with five minutes remaining in the half.
Bríd Quinn converted a free for the visitors before Sinéad O’Keefe scored another goal for St Flannan’s. Within a minute, Tara Kennedy had a goal from the Nenagh school to leave two points between the teams when the half-time whistle sounded, 4-2 to 2-6 in Flannan’s favour.
The tricky wind appeared to favour Nenagh in the opening half so when St Flannan’s struck for their fifth goal, through their captain Nikki Kaiser, three minutes after the resumption, things looked good for the Clare college team.
However, the next 10 minutes were dominated by the visitors and they hit 1-3 to take a one-point lead approaching the end of the third quarter. A Nikki Kaiser point levelled the game at the three-quarter stage but St Mary’s were quickly back in front when Sarah Cunneen goaled two minutes into the final quarter. Bríd Quinn, from a penalty, put them four clear with 10 minutes to go.
However, St Flannan’s weren’t to be denied and they piled on the pressure. The pace of both Orla Devitt and Nikki Kaiser caused problems for the visitors and resulted in St Flannan’s scoring four points in the remaining time to deservedly tie up the teams for the sixth and final time.
Among those to stand out for Flannan’s were goalkeeper, Suzy O’Shea, Clodagh Lawlor, Claire McMahon, Aoife Keane, Alana O’Brien, Orla Devitt and Nikki Kaiser, while St Mary’s had impressive performances from Sidling Cremin, Paula Kelly, Bríd Quinn, Ciara McGrath and Tara Kennedy.

St Flannan’s: Suzy O’Shea (Ballyea); Chloe McAleer (Kilmaley), Clodagh Lawlor (Newmarket), Claire McMahon (Éire Óg); Sinéad Quinn (Kilnamona), Aoife Keane (Kilnamona), Rae Alice Wall (Éire Óg); Rachel Mulcaire (Newmarket), Alana O’Brien (Éire Óg); Orla Devitt (Éire Óg), Aoibheann Malone (Corofin), Kate O’Neill (Newmarket); Shauna O’Brien (Éire Óg), Sinéad O’Keeffe (Kilmaley), Nikki Kaiser (Newmarket, captain).
Subs: Lauren McGuane (Kilmaley) for Wall and Lauren Tuohy (Clarecastle) for S O’Brien.
Scorers: Nikki Kaiser (2-6, 5f), Sinéad O’Keeffe (2-0), Aoibheann Malone (1-0) and Orla Devitt (0-1).

St Mary’s: Ciara Holohan; Mary Walsh, Róisín Ryan, Paula Kelly; Rachel Kennedy, Aisling Cremin, Alanah Morris; Caoimh Maher, Bríd Quinn; Ciara McGrath, Leah McKeogh, Sarah Cuneen; Aileen Duggan, Tara Kennedy, Claire Kearns.
Scorers: Bríd Quinn (0-7f), Tara Kennedy (2-0), Aileen Duggan and Sarah Cunneen (1-0) each. Caoimhe Maher, Ciara McGrath and Claire Kearns (0-1) each.
Referee: Donie Browne.