Kilkenny on top in second half

Kilkenny     0-11
Clare            1-4
CLARE lost out to Kilkenny by four points in their opening match in the National Camogie League on Sunday in Thomastown.
In a game where Kilkenny had to get a result to keep their league hopes alive, it was Clare who started the brighter. The Cats had the first attack of the game but with a Clare defence not yielding to pressure, Aoife Neary’s shot ended up going wide.
Clare opened the scoring in the fourth minute when Claire McMahon pointed from play. Shónagh Enright added another point for Clare two minutes later. Clare held possession and kept Kilkenny scoreless until the 10th minute when Edel Maher opened the home side’s tally with a point from play.
Neary converted a free in the 15th minute to level matters before Kilkenny launched another attack and looked to in for a goal but the ball was controlled by Denise Lynch who cleared the danger.
Clare went back in front in the 20th minute with a Chloe Morey converted free and she added another point from a 45’ two minutes later. Siobhán Lafferty held off another Kilkenny attack in the 27th minute.
Clare’s foray into Kilkenny territory yielded the only goal of the game in the 30th minute, when Róisín McMahon sent a long shot to Naomi Carroll on the wing. Carroll gathered and sent a shot goal bound only for Catriona Power to get a block on it but the well-placed Morey was on hand to bat the ball to the net leaving Clare in front 1-4 to 0-2 at the break.
From the restart, Kilkenny took control and with Neary on form, hitting eight of her side’s points (six from placed ball), it was Kilkenny who dominated the second half. The Kilkenny backs dominated and kept Clare scoreless throughout. Neary surprisingly opted to put a penalty shot over the bar in the 55th minute, when the visitors trailed by just two points.
Clare were unlucky to see shots go just wide of the mark as they sought to regain their form of the opening half.
Despite the loss, Clare acquitted themselves well and showed a physicality that up to now has been rare in their game. Clare can take positives from this game, most notably the fact that they did not concede any goals and with four players, Máire McGrath, Katie Cahill, Orlaith Duggan and Susan Fahy, making an impressive start in their senior league debut.
Clare’s next outing will be a home tie against Offaly

Kilkenny: Caitríona Ryan, Caoimhe Shiel, Catherine Doherty, Orlaith Walsh, Mairéad Power, Elaine Aylward, Jacqui Frisby, Niamh Byrne, Colette Dormer (0-1), Siobhán Holland, Edel Maher (0-1), Aoife Neary (0-9, 5f, 1 45’, 1 penalty), Aisling Curtis, Emma Comerford, Aoife Lyng.
Subs: Shelly Farrell for Siobhán Holland, Katie Power for Aisling Curtis (both 39 mins).
Clare: Denise Lynch, Kilmaley, Carol O’Leary (Newmarket-on-Fergus); Siobhán Lafferty (Inagh-Kilnamona), Máire McGrath (Sixmilebridge); Kate Lynch (Kilkishen), Susan Vaughan (Scariff-Ogonnelloe), Róisín McMahon (Newmarket-on-Fergus); Katie Cahill, Kilmaley, Shónagh Enright (Kilmaley, 0-1); Susan Fahy (Whitegate), Fiona Lafferty (Inagh-Kilnamona), Orlaith Duggan (Clooney-Quin); Claire McMahon (Kilmaley 0-1), Chloe Morey (Sixmilebridge, 1-2), Naomi Carroll (Sixmilebridge).
Subs: Sinéad O’Loughlin (Inagh-Kilnamona) for Susan (Fahy) 47 mins, Marian O’Brien (Scariff-Ogonnelloe) for Katie Cahill, Sarah Sherlock (Truagh-Clonlara) for Chloe Morey (both 56 mins).
Referee: Owen Elliott.