Kilkerrin/Clonberne (Galway) 3-21
Kilbride (Roscommon) 1-6
Ivan Smyth reports from Enfield
LOUISE AND NICOLA Ward struck 3-3 between them as Kilkerrin/Clonberne claimed back-to-back Connacht Senior Club titles with a convincing victory over Kilbride in Enfield.
Kilbride suffered a 40-point defeat when these sides met in last year’s provincial semi-final and they decided to adopt a defensive approach this time round. However, Kilkerrin/Clonberne hit the opening five points of the game, while Lousie Ward’s goal after 15 minutes eased the pressure on the defending champions.
Annette Clarke, Claire Dunleavy, Olivia Divilly, Nicola Ward and Chloe Miskell scored those early points for the Galway champions, before Kilbride responded with a Siobhan Tully point after Eilish Fannon saw her goal effort saved by Lisa Murphy.
That score could have settled the Roscommon side, but instead Kilkerrin/ Clonberne responded immediately when Louise Ward burst through the Kilbride defence before finishing to the net.
The sides then exchanged scores but Nicola Ward latched on to an Olivia Divilly pass to score Kilkerrin/Clonberne’s second goal. The seven-in-a-row Galway champions struck the final three points of the half through and they led by 2-11 to 0-2 at half-time.
Kilbride brought on youngster Aisling Hanley at half-time and she struck the opening score of the half but Kilkerrin/Clonberne responded with points from Louise Ward, Ailish Morrissey and Clarke. Fannon responded for Kilbride as they continued to battle hard despite the deficit.
Olivia Divilly punished any ill-discipline in the Kilbirde defence with her accurate free-taking and she moved Kilkerrin/Clonberne 2-15 to 0-4 ahead after 39 minutes.
Kilbride earned themselves a penalty in the 44th minute but Aisling Hanley’s effort was saved by Lisa Murphy. However, as Taylor sought to gather the rebound, she was dragged down in the square and Kilbride were awarded a second penalty. This time 15-year-old Hanley made no mistake.
Kilkerrin/Clonberne hit back with six of the net seven scores before Nicola Ward added her second goal to seal a 21-point victory and an All-Ireland semi-final place for Kilkerrin/Clonberne.
Scorers for Kilkerrin/Clonberne: N Ward 2-1, O Divilly 0-6 (6f), A Morrissey 0-5, L Ward 1-1, C Miskell 0-2, A Clarke 0-2, L Noone 0-1, C Boyle 0-1, C Dunleavy 0-1, S Divilly 0-1.
Scorers for Kilbride: A Hanley 1-3 (1-0 pen), T Taylor 0-1 (1f), E Fannon 0-1, C Dunleavy 0-1.
KILKERRIN/CLONBERNE: L Murphy; S Gormally; A Costello; S Fahy; C Dunleavy; N Ward; H Noone; S Divilly; L Ward; L Noone; O Divilly; C Miskell; E Noone; A Clarke; A Morrissey.
Subs: K Mee for Fahy (35); C Boyle for E Noone (35); C Costello for Gormally (40); S Fahy for L Noone (40); C Boyle for H Noone (50).
KILBRIDE: A Gavigan; C Taylor; Y Creighton; M Lohan; A Feeley; R Mullaney; A Kelly; A Kelly; N Shanagher; E Fannon; C Gormley; B O’ Beirne; S Clabby; T Taylor; S Tully.
Subs: L Connor for Gavigan (half-time), A Hanley for Clabby (half time); F Tully for Lohan (half time); M Tully for Gormley (50); A Tully for Feeley (53).
Referee: Mel Kenny (Mayo)
Mourneabbey (Cork) 2-18
Ballymacarbry (Waterford) 4-8
Tomás McCarthy reports from Bansha
Mourneabbey made it six Munster Senior Club titles in a row as they scored eight of the last nine points in a thrilling final to break Ballymacarbry hearts again.
Cork stars Ciara and Doireann O’Sullivan scored 2-11 between them. That included 2-6 from play for player of the match Ciara O’Sullivan and five second-half efforts for Doireann O’Sullivan. Laura Fitzgerald chipped in with 0-4 for the hungry champions.
For the third consecutive year, Ballymacarbry were on the receiving end of a comeback from the All-Ireland champions. They have now lost 11 Munster A finals since their last success in 2000, all of them to Cork opposition.
Goals by Lauren Guiry, Aileen Wall, Michelle Ryan and Lauren McGregor left the 38-in-a-row Waterford winners 4-7 to 2-10 in front after 42 minutes. But the last quarter belonged to Mourneabbey. They scored five unanswered points and eight of the last nine to retain their title.
An entertaining first-half turned into shootout between Ciara O’Sullivan and Aileen Wall. The challengers made a dream start when Aileen Wall pointed off the outside of her right before Lauren Guiry planted the ball in the corner of the net after eight minutes.
The champions replied with an unanswered 1-4 in six minutes. Ciara O’Sullivan palmed home on ten minutes. She added two points with Noelle Healy and Brid O’Sullivan also on target. Michelle Ryan interrupted this purple patch with a Ballymac point.
On 20 minutes, Ciara O’Sullivan finished a defence splitting hand passing move to the net for her second goal and a minute later, Aileen Wall drove in from the right wing and her deflected shot flew past Meabh O’Sullivan as the end to end action continued.
Mourneabbey lost Doireann O’Sullivan to a yellow card for a tackle on the unmarkable Wall but they finished the half strongly. Injury-time efforts by Ciara O’Sullivan and Laura Fitzgerald left the holders 2-7 to 2-4 up at the break.
A shock looked to be on the cards when Michelle Ryan found the top corner three minutes into the second period, and substitute Lauren McGregor then scrambled home a fourth Ballymac goal.
The sides were level five times as the clock ticked away, but the black and amber of Mourneabbey pulled clear in the final action once again, with the O’Sullivans on song.
Scorers for Mourneabbey: C O’Sullivan 2-6, D O’Sullivan 0-5 (2f), L Fitzgerald 0-4 (1f), N Healy 0-2, B O’Sullivan 0-1.
Scorers for Ballymacarbry: M Ryan 1-3, A Wall 1-2, L McGregor 1-0, L Guiry 1-0, S Ryan 0-2, KA Hogan 0-1.
MOURNEABBEY: M O’Sullivan; A O’Sullivan, E Meaney, S Conroy; K Coakley, R O’Sullivan; A Ryan, M O’Callaghan, N O’Sullivan; C O’Sullivan, B O’Sullivan, N Healy; L Fitzgerald, D O’Sullivan, S O’Callaghan.
Subs: E Harrington for Ryan (h-t), E Jack for N O’Sullivan (41), A Cronin for S O’Callaghan (51).
BALLYMACARBRY: L Fitzpatrick; T McGrath, M McGrath, M Ryan; M Wall, K McGrath, L Mulcahy; S Ryan, L Ryan; A Wall, KA Hogan, A Dalton; S Ryan, M Ryan, L Guiry.
Subs: L McGregor for Guiry (37), B McMaugh for Dalton (41), B Valuntaite for L Ryan (61).
Referee: S Mulvihill (Kerry)
