Winning start for Banner

Clare 2-10 Dublin 0-9

CLARE got their senior camogie championship off to the start they wanted with a 2-10 to 0-9 win over Dublin on Saturday in Naomh Peregrine’s in Dublin.
Clare, who travelled to Dublin without the services of stalwart full-back Siobhán Lafferty, who was ruled out through injury and Chloe Morey, who was sitting exams, were determined to get their campaign off to a winning start and also to avenge the defeat suffered in the National League a couple of months ago.
Clare opened the scoring in the second minute with a point from play by Deirdre Murphy, who scored from a free two minutes later. Dublin were held scoreless until the sixth minute when their All-Star player, Louise O’Hara, pointed from play.
Naomi Carroll pointed for Clare before O’Hara pointed again in the tenth minute following a poor clearance from the Clare defence. Clare added two more points to their tally through Murphy, from a free, and Mairéad Scanlon, from play.
A long, driving clearance from Carroll, a thorn in Dublin’s side all through the match, was well caught by Deirdre Murphy and passed to Claire McMahon, who raised the visitors’ first green flag in the 20th minute.
It took the Dubs another nine minutes to register their next score, a point from Alison Maguire, the only Dublin forward to get on the scoreboard on the day. Two minutes into injury time, Fiona Lafferty, who worked extremely hard throughout, pointed from a free in midfield, bringing the half-time score to 1-6 to 0-4 in favour of the Clare girls.
On resumption, Clare continued to dominate all over the field, registering their first score after two minutes with a pointed free by Claire MacMahon. Maguire added another point to Dublin’s tally with a well-taken free but Deirdre Murphy also pointed a free for Clare. Dublin, who would not have expected to see this match slipping away from them with a quarter to go, had a shot on goal stopped by Susan Vaughan. The resulting clearance was collected by Nora Murphy, who smartly rounded her marker and fired an unstoppable shot to the net.
Dublin’s O’Hara tacked on two more points before Nora Murphy added a Clare point from play. O’Hara and Deirdre Murphy both scored a point each, before the final score of the game went to Dublin’s Shauna Duff, leaving the score Clare 2-10 to Dublin 0-9.
Five of the Clare forwards got on the score sheet, something that Patsy Fahy and his management team were happy with. Clare were the hungrier, more focused team on the day and despite being frustrated by some of referee Mike Kelly’s decisions, they kept their concentration on the task in hand. This win will help confidence in the squad before they take on Tipperary, who went down to Cork on a 1-16 to 0-15 scoreline.
The senior team will be at home to Tipperary on Saturday, June 26 in the next round.

Clare: Susan Vaughan; Aisling Hannon, Kate Lynch, Sinéad Donovan; Aiveen O’Shea, Róisín McMahon, Eimear Considine; Fiona Lafferty (0-1), Ruth Kaiser; Naomi Carroll (0-1), Sharon McMahon, Deirdre Murphy (0-5, 4f); Nora Murphy (1-1), Claire McMahon (1-1), Mairéad Scanlon (0-1).
Subs: Claire Ryan for Sharon McMahon (40th minute), Áine O’Brien (Scariff) for Aiveen O’Shea (41st minute), Kelly McLean for Róisín McMahon (45th minute), AnneMarie McMahon for Sinéad Donovan (50th min) and Áine O’Brien (Newmarket) for Mairéad Scanlon (56 min).
Dublin: Stephanie Carthy; Sherry Mannion, Tara Corrigan, Shana Duff (0-1); Elaine O’Meara, Ciara Lucey, Catriona Power (captain); Louise O’Hara (0-6), Ciara Burgess; Anne Kirwan, Alison Maguire (0-2), Lauara Twomey; Gráinne Quinn, Carolanne Canning, Aisling Carolan.
Subs: Áine Power, Joelenne Hoary, Sharon Glynn and Danielle Smith.
Referee: Mike Kelly (Cork).