Late salvo fires Inagh into final

Inagh 2-7
Four Roads 2-5

A STORMING finish saw Inagh snatch a famous victory over defending champions Four Roads in the All-Ireland Junior Camogie Club Championship semi-final, played in pristine conditions at Clarecastle on Saturday afternoon.

The Clare side were four points down entering the 59th minute but hit their opponents with a two-goal burst to snatch a place in the final. Four Roads had a 2-5 to 0-7 advantage when Inagh were awarded a 45’. Fiona Lafferty had the distance to convert, having already done so twice in building up a personal tally of five points.
Inagh needed more than a point though, so Lafferty dropped the sliotar in around the square. A scramble ensued before Sinéad O’Loughlin doubled on the ball to find the net and invigorate the Banner women.
The Clare side won possession immediately from the puck-out and Lafferty found Sharon Rynne unmarked around 30m from the posts. The half-forward bore down on goal before sending to the net to put her side in front by two points.
Four Roads were shell-shocked but, to their credit, they threw everything into finding a goal in the two and a half minutes of additional time played. However, they found the Inagh defence in no mood to yield and, in the end, it was the Clare side who prevailed.
This result was all the more amazing for the fact that the Roscommon champions had a nine-point advantage after just 20 minutes, with the scoreline reading 2-3 to 0-0 and, at this stage, they seemed certain to advance to an All-Ireland final.
They began with three points from play before goals from Gertie Dowd and Sinéad O’Brien put them in a commanding position.
Like the Inagh brace that denied them victory, these two goals arrived inside a minute with O’Brien’s major coming straight from the puck-out after Dowd’s score.
Dowd and Orla Gately gave Four Roads midfield dominance throughout, while half-back Donna Kelly also ensured there was plenty of ball going the forwards’ way.
Crucially, though, the Inagh mentors made a switch after Four Roads’ second goal, which was to have a telling impact, with centre-forward Fiona Lafferty swapping roles with centre-back Christina Glynn to help shore up the defence.
Glynn also had an impact at the other end and got her side off the mark with a point. Lafferty followed up with two points and it was 2-3 to 0-3 at the interval. The margin was soon down to four but a point from Lizzie Glennon-Tully stemmed the tide. Even though Inagh got one back, it didn’t look to be enough with time running out but O’Loughlin and Rynne’s goals saved the day.
Inagh: Bríd McCarthy; Jennifer Griffin, Siobhán Lafferty, Gillian Lafferty; Patsy McCarthy, Christine Glynn (0-1), Noelle Arthur; Sinéad O’Loughlin (1-0), RoseAnn O’Loughlin (0-1); Sharon Rynne (1-0), Fiona Lafferty (0-5, 2f, 2 45’), Patricia O’Loughlin; Emily Lynch, Helen Hehir, Tara Rynne.
Subs: Cliodhna Devitt for Emily Lynch (27 mins).
Four Roads: Breda Mannion; Catherine Gleeson, Orla Hughes, Maria Glennon-Kelly; Donna Kelly, Patricia Lennon, Brenda Hughes; Gertie Dowd (1-1), Orla Gately (0-1); Edel Treacy (0-1), Maria Hoey, Catherine Rogerson; Sinéad O’Brien (1-1), Lizzie Glennon-Tully (0-1), Lorna Dowd.
Subs: Cait Kenny for Edel Treacy (50 mins) and Aisling Rogerson for Lorna Dowd (53 mins).
Referee: Donal Ryan, Dublin.