Ladies well beaten by Fermanagh

Fermanagh 2-11   Clare 1-5

LINING out without their Kilmaley dual players, the Clare lady footballers fell to a nine-point defeat in their opening NFL Division 2 league game against Fermanagh in Meelick on Sunday.

The Considine sisters, Eimear and Ailish, Niamh O’Dea and Emma O’Driscoll played with Kilmaley in their All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship semi-final defeat in Kilkenny on Sunday, while players of the calibre of Louise Henchy, Naomi Carroll and Fiona Lafferty were also absent.

The game marked new manager, John Bourke’s debut in his role. Pat Crotty and Martin Nolan, both Banner Ladies, are part of the new management team.

Clare led 0-4 to 0-2 by the 20th minute with Maria Kelly, Eimear Hillery, Laura Hanrahan and Katie Geoghegan scoring for the home county.

However, Clare missed a number of decent scoring chances in the opening 20 minutes. Fermanagh struck for a crucial goal, six minutes before half-time, when Aisling Moane fired home.

That helped the winners into a 1-4 to 0-4 half-time lead.

Róisín O’Looney scored Clare’s second-half 1-1, while Caroline Little tagged on three early second-half points for the winners.

Noelle Connolly scored Fermanagh’s second goal, which sealed a comfortable win for the Ulster county.

Clare: Aoife O’Neill (Éire Óg); Rebecca Culligan (Banner), Lorraine Kelly (Fergus Rovers), Laurie Ryan (Banner); Eimear O’Connor (Coolmeen), Sarah Bohannon (Shannon Gaels), Laura Hanrahan (Fergus Rovers); Marie Considine (Liscannor), Róisín O’Looney (Cooraclare); Shauna Harvey (West Clare Gaels), Niamh Keane (Banner), Maria Kelly (West Clare Gaels); Eimear Hillery (Liscannor), Susan Higgins (Banner), Katie Geoghegan (West Clare Gaels).
Subs: Niamh Cavanagh for Eimear Hillery, Marie Foran for Katie Geoghegan, Clare Hestor for Sarah Bohannon and Grace Lynch for Marie Considine (inj).
Scorers: Róisín O’Looney (1-1), Maria Kelly, Eimear Hillery, Katie Geoghegan and Laura Hanrahan (0-1 each).
Fermanagh: Róisíin Gleeson; Claire Woods, Aisling McGuire, Edel Campbell; Shauna McQuaid, Róisín O’Reilly, Marcella Monaghan; Caroline Little, Siobhán Hamilton; Orla Rehill, Tara Little, Joanne Doohan; Noelle Connolly, Aisling Moane, Sinéad Little.
Sub: Marie McDonald.
Scorers: Caroline Little (0-5), Noelle Connolly and Aisling Moane (1-1 each), Sinéad Little (0-2), Marie McDonald and Siobhán Hamilton (0-1 each).
Referee: Jason Mullins (Limerick).