Kilmaley and Truagh-Clonlara march on

Clare senior and intermediate camogie champions, Kilmaley and Truagh-Clonlara, recorded comfortable victories in their provincial campaigns on Saturday. Kilmaley had home advantage in Clarecastle in the intermediate championship while Truagh-Clonlara travelled to Kerry for their outing in the junior competition. Both are now through to their respective provincial finals.

Kilmaley 3-13   Aghabullogue, (Cork) 1-5

Kilmaley secured their spot in the Munster intermediate camogie final with this resounding win over Cork’s Aghabullogue on Saturday afternoon in Clarecastle. Crowned senior county champions just a week earlier, Kilmaley made short work of the Cork representatives in a match that proved to be much less of a test than their encounter with Clooney-Quin in the county final.
Kilmaley were first on the scoreboard with a Claire McMahon free in the opening minute and though Aghabullogue levelled a minute later, this was the only time that the sides were level. Ailish Considine’s goal in the eighth minute was followed by two Ashling Darcy points before McMahon hit a rasper of a shot past Aghabullogue’s Nicola Moynihan in the 16th minute to put the home side firmly in the driving seat.
Aghabullogue pulled two points back from placed ball but they were up against a trojan Kilmaley half-back line where Niamh O’Dea excelled and the visitors found it difficult to push forward for scores. McMahon’s free in the 28th minute of the opening half deceived the Aghabullogue defence to put Kilmaley 3-6 to 0-3 in front at the break.
On the resumption, Kilmaley continued to be on top all over the field and had little trouble curbing the opposition’s forays into their half of the field. McMahon, Considine and Ashling Darcy pointed at will, which allowed Kilmaley manager Gerry Kennedy to empty the bench. Aghabullogue pulled back a consolation goal in the 58th minute when Caroline Kiely capitalised on a mix-up in the Kilmaley defence. This may have served to put a better reflection on the scoreline for the visitors but with two further points in injury time it was Kilmaley who claimed victory, 3-13 to 1-5, and a place in the Munster Intermediate final against St Anne’s Waterford, who defeated Tipperary’s Moycarkey Borris 1-15 to 0-7.
Kilmaley: Edel Griffey; Lisa Kennedy, Denise Lynch, Sinead O’Halloran; Lorna Higgins, Katie Cahill, Niamh O’Dea; Aida Griffey, Shonagh Enright 0-1; Eimear Considine, Emma O’Driscoll 0-2, Clare McMahon 2-7; Aishling Darcy 0-2, Aishling O’Halloran, Ailish Considine 1-0.
Subs: Siobhán White for Darcy, Sinéad O’Keeffe for Aishling O’Halloran, Aishling Cahill (0-1) for Enright, Marie Hehir for Higgins, Gráinne Barry for O’Driscoll.
Aghabullogue: Nicola Moynihan; Mairéad Twomery, Deirdre Twomey, Maire O’Leary; Niamh Twomey, Erinn O’Connell, Jill Crowley; Ciara Murphy, Bríd Twomery; Una Browne, Michelle Healy, Aileen Twomey; Jill Kiely, Louise Roche, Caroline Kiely.
Referee: Tadhg Whelan

Truagh-Clonlara 4-15   Clanmaurice (Kerry) 2-7

Truagh’s great camogie run for 2012 continued on Saturday with, in the end, what turned out to be a comprehensive win over the Kerry side, Clanmaurice. Truagh were made work hard for 45 minutes but showed their strength and depth in the final quarter to win at ease.
The game started at a frantic pace when, inside a minute, Ellen Horgan scored a goal from play for the Clare outfit. Clanmaurice upped the pace from the resulting puck-out and scored three unanswered points with Patrice Diggin at centre-field scoring twice, once from a free and another superb effort from play. Diggin was causing trouble for the Clare side and with assistance from wing-forward AnnMarie Leen had Truagh on the ropes early on.
It took Truagh until 10 minutes into the half to add to their early goal with a free from Aileen O’Sullivan. Sarah Sherlock added a point from play shortly after while Horgan adding a point to her early goal.
Maire Begley at centre-forward added a point from play for Truagh to put the Clare side a goal ahead once again. Inside-forward Caroline Lynch, with a great ground strike, extended Truagh’s lead to two goals. Another point from O’Sullivan looked to have Truagh cruising to a strong lead with 10 minutes left in the half.
However, Diggin hade another point to bring her personal tally to four and almost immediately they added an opportunistic goal after an error by the Truagh goalkeeper to cut the lead to a goal once again.
Clanmaurice added a point from play to get within two points with five minutes left in the half. Truagh full-forward Niamh Power pounced to get her name on the score sheet, shooting effortlessly over the bar. The experience of Lynch and Power in the full-forward line for Truagh was telling and both added a point each from play before the half-time whistle blew, with Truagh ahead, 2-8 to 1-6.
Clanmaurice had a great start to the second half with a goal from Michelle Corridan. Diggin added a point from a free and within three minutes of the restart the hosts had the lead down to one point. Truagh conceded a number of frees in the next five minutes but Aileen O’Sullivan was there to steady the ship, scoring two points from play. As the game entered the final quarter, Sherlock double her score for the day with a point from play and then minutes after hit a long-range free into O’Sullivan’s hand for her to add another point. Some inspired teamwork seemed to rally Truagh, who found an extra gear. Power and Lynch added scores, with Power adding a point, her first of the second half and Lynch added goal and a point to stretch Truagh’s lead to nine points.
The last play of the game went to two of Truagh’s other substitutes when Eimear Kelly hit a great ball into Liza Moloney, who goaled from a tight angle to leave Truagh well clear at the final whistle and into a Munster final. Truagh now progress to the Munster junior club final in two weeks, where they play An Rinn of Waterford, who beat Adare 2-4 to 0-7 in the other semi-final.

Truagh-Clonlara: Caroline Craughan; Christine Meskell, Cathy Halley, Patricia Nihill-Mullins; Aideen Hogg, Helen Guinnane, Sarah Koyce; Michelle Caulfield, Kathleen Horgan; Aileen O’Sullivan (0-5,), Maire Begley (0-1), Sarah Sherlock (0-2); Caroline Lynch (2-2), Niamh Power (0-3), Ellen Horgan (1-2).
Subs: Sarah Hastings for Koyce, Ashlynn Craughan for Begley, Emma Hastings and Eimear Kelly for Lynch & O’Sullivan and Liza Moloney (1-0) for Sherlock.
Clanmaurice: Michelle Carroll; Michelle Leen, Claire Godley, Aileen Corridan; Áine O’Connor, Sinead Mackessy, Saidbhe Horgan; Laura Collins, Patrice Diggin; Una Flynn, Rosie Young, AnnMarie Leen; Aoife Fitzgerald, Ruth Wallace, Michelle Corridan.
Referee: Ger Browne, Tipperary.