Truagh’s All-Ireland dream dies

Myshall, Carlow   3-10    Truagh    0-11
ALL roads led to Dr Cullen Park in Carlow on Sunday as Clare champions Truagh took on Myshall from Carlow in the All-Ireland Junior Club Championship semi-final.

 

It proved to be a step too far as Myshall, last year’s All-Ireland beaten semi-finalists, were the stronger team on the day.

 

The Clare and Munster champions launched the first attack but Aileen O’Sullivan’s effort was wide of the target.

Myshall were first on the scoresheet with a point from play from corner-forward Alison Rushitzo after almost seven minutes. The home side doubled their lead shortly after this and after 11 minutes, they had their third point of the day.

Truagh finally got on the scoreboard after 12 minutes with a fine effort from Michelle Caulfield, who scored from play. Another free to Myshall was to prove a big blow when Quirke dropped a 40m free short and it went into the net untouched to put 1-2 between the sides 16 minutes into the half.

Truagh had a chance shortly after to score a goal but the home side’s defence held firm before Ciara Quirke added her third point for Myshall with just over 10 minutes remaining in the half. Myshall then added their second goal with a fine ground strike from 15m and things were looking bad for the Clare side, who were trailing by nine points with less than 10 minutes left in the first half. Quirke added another for the home side before O’Sullivan, Truagh’s free taker, converted a placed ball.

Quirke added a point from a free shortly after, cancelling out Truagh’s earlier effort. However, O’Sullivan got her first point from play almost immediately, which spurred on Truagh in the final minutes of the half. Truagh’s forwards won two frees in injury time and O’Sullivan converted both, the second of which was from out near the sideline on the 20m line. This mini-comeback by Truagh left a more respectable look on the scoreline at half-time, where the Clare side went in 0-5 to 2-6 behind.

Truagh made two substitutions at half-time, bringing on the experienced Niamh Power and young Eimear Kelly, in the full and half-forward lines respectively. The first 10 minutes of the new half failed to produce a score, before O’Sullivan eventually converted a free to cut the deficit to two goals with 20 minutes remaining.

Myshall eventually broke down the Truagh defence to add their third goal of the game and with less than 10 minutes remaining, the visitors were well adrift. The Clare side piled on the pressure but Myshall held firm.

In the final they will meet Four Roads, Roscommon, who saw off the challenge of last year’s beaten finalists, Tara of London in Ballyforan, on a scoreline of 2-8 to 1-5.

Myshall: Joanne Joyce; Emma Doyle, Niamh Quirke, Pamela Whelan; Fiona Jordan, Kate Nolan, Treasa O’Neill; Ciara Mullins, Tara Wilson; Nuala Quirke, Marian Doyle, Róisín Mullins; Ciara Quirke, Katherine Foley, Alison Rushutzko.
Subs: Mairéad Doyle for O’Neill (45 mins) and Mullins for Nolan (58 mins).
Truagh: Caroline Craughan; Christine Meskell, Cathy Halley, Teresa Nihill; Aideen Hogg, Helen Guinane, Patricia Nihill Mullins; Michelle Caulfield (0-1), Kathleen Horgan; Aileen O’Sullivan (0-8, 7f), Maire Begley, Sarah Sherlock; Ashlynn Craughan, Caroline Lynch, Ellen Horgan (0-1).
Subs: Eimear Kelly (0-1) for K Horgan (half-time), Niamh Power for A Craughan (half-time), Yvonne Woods for Begley (45 mins), Sarah Hastings for Meskell (50 mins) and Liza Moloney for Lynch (55 mins).
Referee: Pat Walsh (Monaghan).