Minors overcome Kilkenny for semi-final slot

Clare 1-9   Kilkenny 0-8

Clare qualified for their fourth consecutive minor All-Ireland semi-final last Wednesday with a 1-9 to 0-8 win over Kilkenny in Kilmanagh.
Kilkenny stopped Clare securing the much-coveted Minor A title in 2008 and again the following year so when Clare drew Kilkenny in the preliminary round of the 2011 championship, it might have been presumed that Kilkenny were going to send the Clare girls into the next round needing a win if they wanted to get to the semi-final.
Instead, it is Kilkenny who have to face Derry as Clare extended their unbeaten run in 2011. Clare opened the scoring in the second minute with a Chloe Morey free, Kilkenny levelled matters and were a point in front by the seventh minute before Clare reclaimed the lead within the next four minutes. Susan Fahy was on hand to gather a breaking ball from a scramble in the Kilkenny goalmouth in the 12th minute and she crashed home the only goal of the game. Clare went in at the break in front by the minimum margin.
Clare had the opening score of the second half before two points from Kilkenny had the sides level by the 41st minute. Clare, who were winning the aerial battle in midfield, pushed on from here. A diagonal cross from Orlaith Duggan to Niki Kaiser saw Kaiser round Kilkenny captain Laura Moore and from an awkward angle put her shot over the bar in the 48th minute.
Winning the puck-out, the Clare girls repeated this manoeuvre a minute later in what was the turning point of the game and they added two more points, giving them a four-point lead with six minutes remaining. Clare defended well with Maire McGrath and Chloe Morey, along with Clare goalie Suzy O’Shea, showing great composure as they held off the Kilkenny forwards.
The Clare management, while pleased with the victory and the work rate of the players, will agree that there is work to be done ahead of the semi-final if the team want to get back to an All-Ireland final. Clare await the winners of Cork v Tipperary in the semi-final.

Clare: Suzy O’Shea (Ballyea); Leanne Horan (Scariff), Maire McGrath (Sixmilebridge), Louise Griffin (Ballyea); Vera Loughnane (Feakle), Chloe Morey (0-3, 3f) (Sixmilebridge), Laura McMahon (Newmarket on Fergus); Katie Cahill (Kilmaley), Orlaith Duggan (Clooney/Quin); Ellen Horgan (Truagh), Christina Glynn (Inagh), Helen Hehir (Inagh); Sinéad Tuohy (0-1) (Sixmilebridge), Susan Fahy (1-2) (Whitegate), Niki Kaiser (0-3) (Newmarket-on-Fergus)
Subs: Niamh O’Dea (Corofin) for Horgan(half-time); Rachel O’Halloran (Sixmilebridge) for Hehir (48th min); Niamh Cahill (Kilmaley) for Griffin (60th min); Ellen Collins (Ogonnelloe) for Tuohy (62nd min) and Jane Flanagan (Ballyea) for Horan (63rd min).
Kilkenny: Áine Kinsella; Laura Norris, Jennifer Cunnigham, Laura Moore; Meighan Farrell, Grace Walsh, Sarah Crowley; Kate Holland, Aisling Curtis; Lydia Fitzpatrick, Miriam Walsh 0-1, Rachel Hogan 0-2; Orla Hanrick (0-5, 4f, 1 45), Niamh Bambrick, Aoife Murphy.
Referee: John O’Leary, Cork