Liberty Insurance Senior Championship

Clare 0-12 Meath 0-11

Clare left Pairc Tailteann on Saturday night with a narrow one point victory over Meath, but crucially two points in the bag and still in contention for the latter end stages of the Championship. In a dogged performance, Clare stayed ahead of the opposition until the one hour mark when the home side drew level, however, two swift points in injury time were enough to seal the hard fought victory. Meath, who were dogged throughout were further hampered by the loss of Kristina Troy mid way through the second half and though her loss galvanised her team mates, they came up short against a determined Banner outfit.

Meath opened the scoring through a free from sharpshooter, Jane Dolan, in the opening minute, however, from the puckout Clare were on the attack down the wing with Andrea O’Keeffe winning possession and driving through to fire over to level matters. From the puckout, Clare were again in possession and when Roisin Begley was fouled, Mairead Scanlon converted the free. A strong, swirling breeze which favoured Clare in the opening half saw a sideline cut carried to O’Keeffe who fired over to put the visitors in front. Clare were showing determination in their attack and finding the loose support player, with Eimear Kelly finding Sinead Conlon for Clares next score. There was a stop start nature throughout the game with a number of cards brandished. Kelly was well set up by Orlaith Duggan for Clares next effort which the Truagh Clonalara woman shot from an awkward angle out on the wing. With Begley again winning a free, Scanlons shot made put Clare ahead by four points. Clare replaced the injured Amy Barrett with Niamh Corry and Clare Hehir struck a long range free to have Clare five points clear with twenty minutes on the clock. Meath upped the tempo in the closing ten minutes, Dolan pulled a point back from a free. The next Meath attack saw the home side drive down the wing and drive the ball in with Sarah Loughnane batting it away, from where Thynne gathered and sent her shot across the goalmouth. Grace Coleman batted the sliotar mid air to send it over the bar, much to the dismay of the large home crowd as the ball was just centimetres from having earned the home side a goal, leaving Clare ahead 0-7 to 0-4 as the half time whistle sounded.

As in the first half , Meath again accounted for the opening score of the second half, Dolan on target from a free. Clare went on the attack and with Begley again winning a free, Scanlon dropped her shot in to the danger area with Meath scrabbling the ball out over the line. Scanlon converted the resulting ’45, Clare won the puckout and moved to the other end, Kelly feeding Scanlon who struck over the bar. Aoife Minogue, who has Clare connections via her uncle Pat in Scariff Ogonnelloe Camogie, made it a three point game with her point. Referee Cassidy deemed Loughnane had taken a step too far outside the box for the puckout and Dolan converted the resulting free to make it a two point game. Clares next attack saw Kelly bearing down on the Meath goal area, Teresa O’Keeffe having set up Kelly, only for the Banner woman to be penalised and Meath getting a free out. From the puckout, Meath won possession but Kristina Troy was punished with a second yellow which saw her leave the field of play. This galvanised Meath with Dolan striking the next three scores to see the sides level with sixty minutes played. From the puckout, Clare moved play down the wing and with the referee giving a throw in out on the wing, Scanlon won possession. From an awkward angle and over her shoulder, Scanlon struck between the posts to put Clare back in front. From the puckout, Clare won possession through Fiona Lafferty and the Inagh Kilnamona woman passed to substitute Chloe Morey who struck her shot high and hard to split the posts. Meath had one last attack which saw Megan Thynne put her shot over the bar before Cassidy blew the final whistle, with Clare taking their first win in the 2019 Championship.

Clare have no game the coming weekend, and will welcome Tipperary the first weekend of July.

Clare: Sarah Loughnane Sixmilebridge; Ciara Grogan Clooney Quin, Clare Hehir Inagh Kilnamona 0-1, Ciara Doyle Scariff Ogonnelloe; Laura McMahon Newmarket on Fergus – Captain, Alannah Ryan Kilkishen, Teresa O’Keeffe Inagh Kilnamona, Amy Barrett Scariff Ogonnelloe, Roisin Begley Truagh Clonlara; Sinead Conlon Tulla 0-1, Andrea O’Keeffe Inagh Kilnamona 0-2, Orlaith Duggan Clooney Quin; Eimear Kelly Truagh Clonlara 0-2, Mairead Scanlon Scariff Ogonnelloe 0-5, Fiona Lafferty Inagh Kilnamona

Subs: Niamh Corry Sixmilebridge for Barrett inj, Susan Fahy Whitegate for Duggan, Chloe Morey Sixmilebridge 0-1 for Conlon

Meath: Maggie Randle Donaghmore/Ashbourne; Ellen Burke Dunboyne, Claire Coffey Na Fianna, Meave Clince Dunboyne; Aine Keogh Kildalkey, Cheyenne O’Brien Kiltale, Louise Donoghue Kiltale; Aoife Minogue Dunderry 0-1, Sophia Payne Na Fianna; Laoise McDermott Navan O’Mahonys, Grace Coleman Killyon 0-1, Aine McNerney Rathoath 0-1; Megan Thynne Kilmessan 0-1, Jane Dolan Blackhall Gaels 0-7, Kristina Troy Blackhall Gaels

Subs: Lisa Foley Killyon for Payne, Fia o’Brien Kiltale for McDermott, Labhaoise Martyn Dunderry for Coleman

Referee: Eamon Cassidy Derry

Red card: Kristina Troy, Meath

Yelloe Crads: Andrea O’Keeffe Clare, Aine McNerney Meath