Munster Senior Club Championship Semi Final

Report by : Brid MacNamara 

Inagh Kilnamona, Clare 0-15 Inniscarra Cork 1-7

Inagh Kilnamona qualified for their first ever Munster Senior Club Championship Final on Sunday afternoon when they defeated the Cork Champions Inniscarra at Ballyanly, Inniscarra.

With their opponents not known till Saturday afternoon and having to travel to face the same opposition who defeated them at the same stage last year, the odds could be considered to have been stacked against the Clare outfit.

Inagh Kilnamona opened the scoring when Marie O’Halloran pointed while on the run with three minutes on the clock. Amy Keating, who was the Combos chief scorer on the day, converted a free to add to their tally. From the puckout,  Inniscarra had possession and moved play to the other end where Rebecca Keane rattled the Inagh Kilnamona net for the games only goal. Inagh Kilnamona responded instantly and with the midfield pairing of Aoife Keane and Andrea O’Keeffe taking on the physical challenge meted out to them, they moved play forward where Sinead Power was fouled. Keating lined up the resulting free and split to posts to level the sides. Power herself got on the scoreboard with the next score to edge Inagh Kilnamona back in front. Joanne Casey, against the run of play, levelled matters with five minutes remaining in the second half. Fiona Lafferty struck between the uprights, following good work from Sinead Quinn in winning the Inniscarra puckout to again put daylight between the sides. Keating extended the lead to two points, again proving accurate from placed ball. Inniscarra, however, hit back and went on the run towards the danger area at the other end, Clare Hehir at half back intercepted and won possession, slicing her way through the opposition before off loading to Power. With Power bottled up however, the youngster passed back to Hehir who struck between the posts to give Inagh Kilnamona a three point advantage. With three minutes of injury time played Casey struck from out on the wing to narrow the deficit to two points as the half time whistle sounded, Inagh Kilnamona 0-7 Inniscarra 1-2.

Keating continued her accuracy from placed ball right from the restart, converting a brace of frees. Casey pulled a point back for the Cork champions to keep three points between the sides. With the next passage of play, Keating was looking dangerous as she bore down on the Inniscarra goal, only to be fouled in the square and referee TP Sullivan awarded Inagh Kilnamona a penalty. Keating struck her shot over the bar to keep Inagh Kilnamona ahead, with Sinead O’Loughlin adding to their tally immediately afterwards. Niamh Dilworth added for Inniscarra but another brace of frees from Keating gave Inagh Kilnamona a five point cushion with nine minutes remaining. Lafferty extended that lead to six points with her next effort and in the closing stages the sides traded points, Keating with the last score for Inagh Kilnamona from play to see the Clare outfit run out winners 0-15 to 1-7 and through to the Munster Senior Club Championship Final on Saturday 11thNovember where they will meet Tipperarys Burgess Duharra who easily accounted for Granagh Ballingarry 4-17 to 1-7.

Inagh Kilnamona, Clare: Rebecca Keating; Jane Fitzgerald, Siobhan Lafferty Capt, Michelle Mescall; Teresa O’Keeffe, Clare Hehir 0-1, Laoise Ryan; Aoife Keane, Andrea O’Keeffe; Sinead Quinn, Sinead O’Loughlin 0-1, Marie O’Halloran 0-1; Amy Keating 0-8 7F 1Pen, Fiona Lafferty 0-2, Sinead Power 0-1

Subs: Claire Commane for Power, Orlaith Cotter for Fitzgerald, Laura Rynne for A Keating, helen Hehir for O’Halloran

Inniscarra, Cork: Sheila Walsh; Mary Buckley Capt, Caitlin Looney, Rebecca Quigley; Aoife Dineen, Rena Buckley, Aoife Kavanagh; Katie O’Mahony, Aileen Sheehan; Treasa McCarthy, Joanne Casey 0-4, Erin Looney; Rebecca Keane 1-1, Niamh Dilworth 0-1, Niamh McCarthy 0-1

Referee: TP Sullivan, Tipperary