Galway LGFA Senior Semi-Final – Sunday, 30th September 2018
Kilkerrin/Clonberne 2-14 Claregalway 1-6
Darren Kelly in Annaghdown
The final score flattered but Kilkerrin/Clonberne were under no illusions that they were left vulnerable in this county semi-final. On 37 minutes, the sides were level after Deirdre Brennan’s goal made it 1-5 to 0-8 but thanks to goals for Lynsey and Eva Noone, Kevin Reidy’s side kept the six-in-a-row alive.
If anything, Claregalway will leave this game with regrets. They closed out the space and contested every challenge with intent. But they never seemed to take that chance to push on when they had Kilkerrin/Clonberne on the ropes.
Referee Tom Browne handed out three yellow cards but the red card to Chloe Miskell after an altercation with Brennan should have been Claregalway’s moment. The champions were already without Lisa Gannon but Claregalway struggled to create scores and they didn’t tally again until the final moments.
With Fabienne Cooney playing sweeper, Claregalway engaged from the start and took a 0-4 to 0-2 lead on 12 minutes through Trill (3) and Brennan. And they also received a much-needed break in the second minute when Ruth Horkan produced a save from Annette Clarke’s penalty.
LGFA Senior Champ semi final result Kilkerrin Clonberne 2.14 to Claregalway 1.6
— Galway LGFA (@GalwayLgfa) September 30, 2018
But Claregalway didn’t point again before half-time despite Trill and Megan Glynn searching for gaps and Kilkerrin/Clonberne led 0-6 to 0-4 as Divilly and Miskell sent over two points each to overturn the deficit.
Both teams finished with 14 players as Claregalway’s Karen Dowd and Kilkerrin/Clonberne’s Lynsey Noone got yellow cards but the latter stretched their lead before Dowd’s return as two from Ailish Morrissey, including one hitting the crossbar, made it 0-8 to 0-5 on 35 minutes.
When Andrea Trill’s 37th minute free dropped short, Brennan was quickest to react for Claregalway’s goal and the shock was a real possibility! But when Siobhan Divilly and Lynsey Noone interchanged passes on 42 minutes, Noone struck the goal and Kilkerrin/Clonberne finally had a cushion.
They added four frees from Divilly to make it 1-13 to 1-5 but Miskell’s dismissal left them down to 13 before Lisa Gannon’s return from a yellow card. However, Claregalway couldn’t take advantage and Kilkerrin/Clonberne substitute Eva Noone finished with 1-1 to dress up the scoreboard.
Scorers – Kilkerrin/Clonberne: Olivia Divilly 0-8 (all frees), Eva Noone 1-1, Lynsey Noone 1-0, Chloe Miskell 0-2, Ailish Morrissey 0-2, Maeve Flanagan 0-1.
Scorers – Claregalway: Andrea Trill 0-5 (three frees), Deirdre Brennan 1-1.
Kilkerrin/Clonberne: Lisa Murphy; Aisling Walsh, Sarah Gormally, Chloe Costello; Siobhan Fahy, Lisa Gannon, Hannah Noone; Siobhan Divilly, Louise Ward; Lynsey Noone, Maeve Flanagan, Olivia Divilly; Chloe Miskell, Annette Clarke, Ailish Morrissey.
Subs used: Eva Noone for Flanagan (41 mins).
Claregalway: Ruth Horkan; Andrea Glynn, Eimile Gavin, Ava Fitzmaurice; Orla Murphy, Karen Dowd, Fabienne Cooney; Yvonne Bushell, Kaitlin Kearney; Deirdre Brennan, Aoife Gavin, Maeve Moran; Mary Dunphy, Megan Glynn, Andrea Trill.
Subs used: Chellene Trill for Moran (HT), Ciara Campbell for Dunphy (HT), Louise Brennan for Campbell (46 mins).
Referee: Tom Browne
