Ladies are outclassed by slick Kildare

Kildare 3-16   Clare 2-6

A comprehensive 13-point defeat wasn’t the return that Clare supporters, who handed over their €8 entrance fee to county board treasurer James Lafferty, had banked on.

Kildare were superior in every aspect of the game, which was played in bitterly cold, windy conditions in Miltown on Sunday.

Their support play and retention of the ball was excellent. They ran at Clare all through the game, which largely negated the vehement cross-field breeze. Clare’s support play was virtually non-existent, while they were completely outfought when competing for breaking ball around the middle third of the field.

Another example of Clare’s lack of a game plan was their inability to retain possession from their own kick-outs. A Clare half-back or midfielder rarely looked for a short kick-out from Emma O’Driscoll, who made at least two terrific saves and dealt capably with any ball that dropped short.

However Clare had no discernible approach to retaining their own kick-out, when it emerged early on that pumping it out to midfield wasn’t working.

Kildare players regularly looked for a short kick-out from their goalkeeper, Aoife Hedderman.

The winners led 1-7 to 1-2 at half time. Ailish Considine scored both of Clare’s points from frees. The Kilmihil forward won the free herself for the game’s opening score, while Kilkee’s Maria Kelly was fouled for Clare’s second point, which was the final score of the first half.

Banner’s Niamh Keane played a central role in Clare’s eighth minute goal. She ran at the Kildare defence but her eventual shot was harmless until it was spilled by the Kildare goalkeeper. West Clare Gaels corner-forward Katie Geoghegan finished the loose ball from about two inches.

That score put Clare into a 1-1 to 0-1 lead. However Kildare immediately took over and outscored the home county 1-6 to 0-1 in the subsequent 22 minutes.

Kildare’s superb support play set up Gillian Behan for their goal, while Behan, Áine Gately, Brianne Leahy and Maria Moolick scored their first half points.

Emma O’Driscoll saved smartly from Áine Gately in the 11th minute after the Kildare centre-forward had been freed by Brianne Leahy.

Although Kildare manager John Divilly made three changes at half time, Kildare continued to dominate on the resumption. Deirdre Gately and Maria Moolick scored their goals within 30 seconds of each other, while the same players, along with Behan and Aishling Holton added the remaining points.

Eimear Considine, who was introduced six minutes before half time, scored Clare’s second goal while she also added two points from play. Her sister Ailish and Sue Higgins completed Clare’s tally with a second half point apiece.

O’Driscoll kept Kildare’s goal count to a respectable margin, with some astute and brave shot stopping, while elsewhere only the Considine sisters offered any threat to the Kildare defence.

Clare will have to come up with a viable game plan in the coming weeks if they are to have a chance of retaining their Division 2 status.

Their next fixture is away to Galway on Sunday March 3, while the postponed game away to Kerry has been re-arranged for Saturday, March 9.

Clare: Emma O’Driscoll (Banner); Rebecca Culligan (Banner), Lorraine Kelly (Fergus Rovers), Sue Higgins (Banner); Sarah Bohannon (Shannon Gaels), Emer O’Connor (Coolmeen), Shauna Harvey (West Clare Gaels); Marie Considine (Liscannor), Fiona Lafferty (Donoughmore); Roisín Looney (Cooraclare), Maria Kelly (West Clare Gaels), Ailish Considine (Kilmihil); Laura Hanrahan (Fergus Rovers), Niamh Keane (Banner), Katie Geoghegan (West Clare Gaels).
Subs: Eimear Considine (Kilmihil) for Katie Geoghegan (24); Kayleigh McCormack (Burren Gaels) for Rebecca Culligan (28); Emer Hillery (Liscannor) for Sarah Bohannon; Marie Foran (West Clare Gaels) for Laura Hanrahan (45); Sineád O’Keeffe (Banner) for Shauna Harvey; Niamh Lardner (West Clare Gaels) for Sue Higgins.
Scorers: Eimear Considine 1-2, Ailish Considine 0-3 (0-2f), Katie Geoghegan 1-0, Sue Higgins 0-1.
Wides: 5   Frees won: 23
Kildare: Aoife Hedderman; Kiry Lowry, Aishling Savage, Jane O’Donoghue; Aileen Quinn, Donna Berry, Aoife Herbert; Maria Moolick, Brianne Leahy; Grace Clifford, Áine Gatley, Aishling Holton; Dearbhail Kelly, Siobhán Hurley, Gillian Behan.
Subs: Lorraine Keatley for Aileen Quinn; Michelle Carey for Siobhán Hurley; Deirdre Gately for Dearbhail Kelly (all half-time); Rebecca Corrigan for Jane O’Donoghue; Sinead Byrne for Grace Clifford; Aishling Curley for Aoife Herbert (all 44 minutes); Marie Hulgraine for Maria Moolick (49).
Scorers: Maria Moolick (1-4, 0-1f); Gillian Behan and Deirdre Gately (1-3 each); Áine Gately (0-4, 0-1f); Brianne Leahy and Aishling Holton (0-1 each).
Wides: 9   Frees won: 23  45s: 2
Yellow cards: Donna Berry.
Referee: Richard O’Connor (Tipperary).