Munster junior title for Truagh-Clonlara

Truagh-Clonlara 2-6   An Rinn, Waterford 1-7

Truagh-Clonlara Camogie Club’s great year continued on Sunday at Templederry when they captured the Munster Junior Championship title with victory over An Rinn from Waterford.

The Déise side went into the game with high hopes of success having tasted defeat at the hands of Inagh in the final a year earlier. Truagh-Clonlara will hope to copy Inagh and go on to win the All-Ireland title.

Sunday’s game was a most entertaining affair, with both sides giving their all in search of glory. The Clare champions were the first to score when An Rinn conceded a free in Truagh-Clonlara’s first attack and from nearly 50m out, Aileen O’Sullivan pointed. Truagh-Clonlara were then awarded another free and this time O’Sullivan’s effort went all the way to the net.

An Rinn were finding it difficult go break down a strong Truagh-Clonlara defence in which Aideen Hogg was in fine form. The sides were level at 1-1 each after Deirdre Ní Fhathaigh pointed from a free for An Rinn.

Ní Fhathaigh was causing serious problems for Truagh-Clonlara and she managed two unanswered points from play in the 15th and 16th minutes of the first half before Truagh-Clonlara moved captain Helen Guinane to mark her, with Patricia Nihill moving into centre-back. Both Guinane and Nihill excelled in those roles for the remainder of the half. Caroline Craughan in goal for Truagh-Clonlara pulled off a fine save from Ní Mhuiríosa.

Some good pressure by Michelle Caulfield and Niamh Power for Truagh-Clonlara resulted in a free for Truagh-Clonlara in the middle of the field. The free was blocked but Sarah Sherlock pounced on the loose ball and with a fine ground strike put the ball in An Rinn’s net to put Truagh-Clonlara ahead by a point. Ní Fathaigh pointed a 45’ for An Rinn to level the game with five minutes left in the first half. She added another point from play on the stroke of half-time to put An Rinn a point ahead going into the break.

Truagh-Clonlara won the first free of the second half when Kathleen Horgan was fouled in the middle of the field. A short time later, an An Rinn puck-out went out over the sideline and Truagh-Clonlara won a free from the resulting play. O’Sullivan opened the scoring in the second half to level the match once again. Power and Caulfield combined once again to get the ball into the full-forward line and Ellen Horgan won a free for Truagh-Clonlara, which O’Sullivan pointed seven minutes into the half and Truagh-Clonlara were ahead again. Their lead was not to last long, as Truagh-Clonlara conceded a free 30m out and Ní Fhathaigh pointed again, levelling the match for the fourth time. She added another point from play shortly after to put An Rinn ahead midway through the second half.

Truagh-Clonlara substitute Eimear Kelly was strong in midfield and brought play deep in An Rinn’s half of the pitch, where An Rinn were penalised for over-carrying. O’Sullivan missed and Truagh-Clonlara supporters feared that this might not be their day. The experienced Cathy Halley, with Hogg’s assistance, cleared on a number of occasions. Teresa Nihill hit a long ball in to the forward line, which Sherlock gathered and put over the bar for her second score of the day, levelling the game once again.

Eimear Kelly for Truagh-Clonlara gathered the ball and scored a point from play to put Truagh-Clonlara one point ahead with a minute and a half of normal time remaining. Truagh-Clonlara did well and defended from their full-forward line, keeping An Rinn pinned back in the corner of the field, with Lynch and Caulfield doing everything in their power to keep the ball from going up the field. An Rinn did break out, only to be dispossessed by Sherlock, who was fouled. O’Sullivan pointed the resulting free to bring her personal tally to 1-4 for the day and put Truagh-Clonlara two points ahead two minutes into injury time.

Truagh-Clonlara now progress to the All-Ireland junior semi-final this Sunday, where they will play Myshall from Carlow.

Truagh-Clonlara: Caroline Craughan; Christine Meskell, Cathy Halley, Teresa Nihill; Aideen Hogg, Helen Guinane, Patricia Nihill Mullins; Michelle Caulfield, Kathleen Horgan; Aileen O’Sullivan (1-4f), Maire Begley, Sarah Sherlock (1-1); Caroline Lynch, Niamh Power, Ellen Horgan.
Subs: Ashlynn Craughan for Begley, Eimear Kelly (0-1) for K Horgan and Yvonne Woods for Power.
An Rinn: Fiona Ní Chadhla; Ríoghnach Nic Dhonnchadha, Laura Ní Cheallaigh, Niamh Ní Choileáin; Róisín Ní Mhanacháin, Máire Ní Dhomhnall, Shannon Ní Dhúnúrtaigh; Aoife De Lonndra, Trish Nic Gearailt; Eimear Ní Fhionnallaigh, Sinéad Ní Fhaoleáin, Fiona Ní Mhuiríosa; Gillian Nic Craith, Deirdre Ní Fhathaigh (0-7), Lisa De Priondgáis (1-0).
Subs: Dearbhla Ní Aodha for Ní Dhúnúrtaigh (40 mins), Clodagh Nic Shamhrín for Nic Gearailt (44 mins), Becky Ní Iarfhlaithe for Ní Fhionnallaigh (50 mins) and Siobhán Ní Mhuirithe for NicCraith (55 mins),
Referee: Tadhg Whelan.