Littlewoods Ireland Camogie Leagues 

Div 1 Relegation Semi Final 

by Brid MacNamara ( Clare Camogie PRO )

Pics credit : David Dillon

Clare 1-17 Dublin 2-11 

Clare had a hard-earned win over Dublin on Saturday afternoon in St Brendans Park Birr, and while the win is a timely confidence booster the outcome means that Clare will battle it out in top flight League in 2022. Clare had an 11-point victory when the sides met in Championship 2020 however it was the Dubs who started the brighter, registering four points in the opening six minutes, Aisling Maher with a brace from placed ball book ended efforts from Cliodhna Nicoletti and Aoife Whelan. Clares opening score came in the ninth minute, an Allanah Ryan sideline cut was played forward by Chloe Morey to Robyn Conway who split the posts. Dub goalie Ciara Tierney sent her puckout long down the wing where Maher collected and drove through the Clare defence to fire to the corner of the net. Clare won possession from the puckout and a valiant effort by Eimear Kelly to split the posts firing over her left shoulder was deflected out for a ’45 which Morey duly dispatched high between the posts. A short puckout from Tierney was won by Clare and dispatched forward where Morey collected and drove forward firing past Tierney to narrow the deficit to two. 

Clare were again dominant in the middle and this time it was Orlaith Duggan who split the posts to leave just a point between the sides. Treacy had better accuracy with her puckout and sent down the wing where Maher gathered and fired over to extend Dublins lead back to two. Marie McGrath won possession from the puckout and sent a cross field down to the wing where Morey gathered and rounding Eve O’Brien fired over. Dublins next score was also from their free taker Maher who her second from play. C;lares next foray into the danger saw a goal mouth scramble with Dublin herding the ball out over the line for a ’45 which saw Morey raise another white flag. Niamh Gannon grabbed the last score of the opening half when she pointed on the run to leave two points between the sides at half time, Clare 1-5 Dublin 1-7. 

Whelan gave Dublin the perfect restart as goaled inside the first minute however the Banner girls responded well, Conway replying with a point just two minutes later. The returning Niamh O’Dea, who was influential throughout the game, set up Morey for Clares next point and Moreys next effort with seven minutes played had the goal cancelled out. McGarth won possession from the puckout, sent to O’Dea who played forward to Duggan who in turn found the alert Becky Foley whose effort reduced the deficit to a point. A Morey free on the forty minute mark levelled the sides for the first time. Following their bright opening to the second half, Dublin were now struggling to get scores on the board as Ryan, Sinead Conlon and Clare Hehir defended strongly. Maher broke the deadlock for Dublin with fory five minutes played. Ryan won the battle for the puckout and played up the wing wher Kelly gathered and had the sides level. O’Dea and Ryan both won crucial frees in Clares half back line, with the Clare management making the wise decision to bring Morey from her full forward position back into the Clare half, with the Sixmilebridge pointing from just outside the Clare 65 line to put the Banner ahead for the first time with forty seven minutes on the clock. Maher and Kelly exchanged points, before Maher and Aine O’Loughlin had a similar exchange of scores. With fifty five minutes played, Morey was again running back to the Clare half, with Ryan this time having won a vital free which Morey again landed. With three minutes of normal time remaining, Foley extended Clares lead to three points. With four minutes of injury time, Dublin threw all they had at Clare however, the Banner outfit held their nerve, with the last two scores falling fittingly to Morey and Maher, with the Banner holding out for a vital three point win, Clare 1-17 Dublin 2-11. 

Next up for Clare is the preliminary round of the Munster Senior Championship on Saturday next, whilst Dublin will play Waterford in the relegation final. 

Clare: Doireann Murphy Clarecastle; Ciara Grogan Clooney Quin, Clare Hehir Inagh Kilnamona, Susan Daly Scariff Ogonnelloe; Alannah Ryan Kilkishen, Niamh O’Dea Kilmaley, Laura McMahon Newmarket on Fergus; Orlaith Duggan Clooney Quin 0-1, Zi Yan Spillane Feakle Killanena; Máire McGrath Sixmilebridge, Rebecca Foley Truagh Clonlara 0-2, Clodagh O’Halloran Newmarket on Fergus; Eimear Kelly Truagh Clonlara 0-2, Chloe Morey Sixmilebridge 1-9 2’45 5F, Robyn Conway Feakle Killanena 0-2 

Subs: Aine O’Loughlin Truagh Clonlara 0-1 for O’Halloran 29 mins, Sinead Conlon Tulla for McMahon 31 mins, Bridin Dinan Tulla for McGrath 58 mins, Siofra ni Cho=nail St Josephs for Kelly 60 mins 

Dublin: Ciara Tierney Na Fianna; Deirdre Johnstone St Vincents, Eve O’Brien Na Fianna, Muireann Kelleher St Vincents; Emma O’Byrne Good Counsel, Grainne Quinn St Vincents, Hannah Hegarty St Jusdes; Emma Flanagan Lucan Sarsfields, Leah Butler St Judes; Niamh Gannon St Judes 0-1, Jody Couch SOPER, Aoife Whelan Castleknock 1-1; Cliodhna Nicoletti St Judes 0-1, Kerrie Finnegan Faughs Celtic, Aisling Maher St Vincents 1-8 1’45 4F 

Subs: Aisling Carolan SOPER for Butler, 42 mins, Julia Buckley Skerries Harps  

Referee: John Dermody