Late free leaves Clare out in the cold against Cork

Cork 0-16   Clare 2-9

Jenny O’Leary’s eighth pointed free, struck two minutes from full-time, edged Cork ahead of Clare in the county’s opening All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship group game in Newmarket last Saturday.

When the teams met three weeks previously in the Munster final, Clare scored a famous win and were keen to prove that performance wasn’t a once off. Although they lost by the minimum margin last weekend, Clare again showed they are capable of mixing it with the country’s camogie elite. Cork have already won the 2012 Division 1 league title and have multiple All-Ireland winners in their panel.
With a helpful breeze behind them, Clare hurled impressively from the off and were 1-2 to 0-1 ahead after eight minutes. Claire McMahon put over the first of her five points in the opening seconds, scoring immediately after the throw-in.
Three minutes later, Fiona Lafferty palmed to the Cork net after a Chloe Morey free, won by corner-back Máire McGrath, was batted back into play by Cork goalkeeper, Aoife Murray.
That goal helped to keep Clare in front as the half wore on and the teams traded points. McMahon, from two frees, Lafferty and Shónagh Enright twice from play, completed Clare’s first half tally of 1-6, while Jenny O’Leary (four frees), Julia White, two from play, Katriona Mackey and Linda Dorgan pointed Cork’s eight first half scores.
Four minutes before half time Cork’s Jenny Duffy lost possession but neither Fiona Lafferty nor Deirdre Murphy could avail of what was half a goal chance.
Although the pitch was in excellent condition, the breeze was a factor that helped Cork in the second period. They outscored Clare 0-5 to 0-1 in the opening 16 minutes of the second half and led 0-13 to 1-7 at that stage. McMahon scored Clare’s additional point, while Jenny O’Leary, Gemma O’Connor and Orla Cotter fired Cork five points up in a game they were now dominating.
Clare badly needed a goal to help sway the momentum their way. Deirdre Murphy pounced 12 minutes from time, netting after a Claire McMahon free dropped into the square. Murphy followed the ball in and buried the goal that drew Clare level, 2-7 to 0-13.
A minute later, the crowd that filled the stand in Newmarket began to believe Clare were on the cusp of beating Cork for the second time in three weeks when Claire McMahon pointed Clare ahead from her fourth free.
Although rattled, Cork maintained their composure. An O’Leary free and a Linda Dorgan point left them 0-15 to 2-8 up, seven minutes from time. A minute later, Fiona Lafferty equalised in a move started by left corner-back Carol O’Leary.
As hard as Clare tried in the closing minutes, their tendency to concede frees cost them again and Jenny O’Leary fired over the winning score in the 58th minute.
Clare cannot be faulted for their effort or commitment level. They gave it everything they had and must try to rally themselves for this Saturday’s second group game in Tipperary against the home county. After that, Clare will be at home to Galway and away to Dublin.
As for last Saturday, Máire McGrath and Marian O’Brien played tenaciously in the full-back line, while Fiona Lafferty and Shónagh Enright also played well. 

Clare: Denise Lynch (Kilmaley); Máire McGrath (Sixmilebridge), Marian O’Brien (Scariff-Ogonnolloe), Carol O’Leary (Newmarket); Niamh O’Dea (Kilmaley), Susan Vaughan (Scariff-Ogonnolloe, joint-captain), Chloe Morey (Sixmilebridge); Orla Duggan (Clooney-Quin), Katie Cahill (Kilmaley); Louise Woods (St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield), Shónagh Enright (Kilmaley), Susan Fahy (Whitegate); Claire McMahon (Kilmaley), Fiona Lafferty (Inagh-Kilnamona, joint-captain), Deirdre Murphy (Clooney-Quin).
Subs: Kate Lynch (Kilkishen) for Susan Fahy (half-time), Laura Linnane (Wolfe Tones) for Louise Woods (half-time), Sineád Tuohy (Sixmilerbridge) for Claire McMahon, Ailish Considine (Kilmaley) for Katie Cahill (57).
Scorers: Fiona Lafferty (1-2), Claire McMahon (0-5, 4f), Deirdre Murphy (1-0), Shónagh Enright (0-2).
Wides: 6  Frees won: 18   45s: 0
Yellow cards: Orla Duggan, Laura Linnane.

Cork: Aoife Murray; Jenny Duffy, Rena Buckley, Joanne O’Callaghan; Briege Corkery, Eimear O’Sullivan, Pamela Mackey; Orla Cotter, Gemma O’Connor; Katriona Mackey, Jenny O’Leary, Joanne Casey; Julia White (captain), Linda Dorgan, Regina Curtin.
Subs: Katie Buckley for Regina Curtin (42).
Scorers: Jenny O’Leary (0-9, 8f), Julia White, Linda Dorgan (0-2 each), Katriona Mackey, Gemma O’Connor, Orla Cotter (0-1 each).
Wides: 4 Frees won: 17  45s: 1
Yellow cards: Eimear O’Sullivan.

Referee: Alan Lagrue (Kildare).