MLM Senior League/Championship R.1
Clara 1 – 17
James Stephens 0 – 16
Referee Owen Behan
Clara and James Stephens served up a very entertaining and competitive opening match in the first of their three league games in Clara on Sunday morning. Sophie O’Dwyer got the village team off the mark with an early free just 2 minutes in, followed promptly by a well taken point from Rachel Leahy. Lucy Boyd opened Clara’s account on the eight minute and when Sophie O’Dwyer found herself in space she put over the next score after a nice pass from Hannah Larkin. The following two scores from Clara came from frees from Keara Ryan and Mary O’Connell, and a second point from Mary came from an excellent pass from Keara Ryan. Within a minute Roisin O’Sullivan for James Stephens levelled the score at four points each, the James Stephens team seemed to have found momentum and scored their next four points from play via Caoimhe Moran, Lucy Coomey, Sophie O’Dwyer and Anna Doheny, Clara though finished the first half strongly with a well taken point by Mary O’Connell with a ball won straight from the James Stephens puck out, this followed by five points from play, two from Keara Ryan, a point from Rebecca Nolan, Peig Carrigan and from Mary O’Connell after a fine solo run by Noeleen Shanahan. Clara just edged the game at half time by 11 points to 9. The supporters were kept well entertained during the interval by U10 players from both clubs who put on a super display of Camogie. It was Clara that got off to the quicker start in the second half with a point from Siobhan Curtis within the opening minute, followed by a cracking goal from Keara Ryan after an excellence passage of play between Laoise Nolan, Siobhan Curtis and Mary O’Connell. Sophie O’Dwyer got the following four scores for James Stephens, two each from frees and play. During that period Clara scored 3 points from Niamh Ward, Noeleen Shanahan and Keara Ryan, the final stages of the game were closed out with points from a free by Sophie O’Dwyer and from play by Emily Smith for James Stephens, Keara Ryan scored Clara’s last two points both from frees. The game was played in a sporting fashion well managed by Referee Owen Behan. Both sides had some fine defensive displays notably from Clara’s Rachel Whelan and Laoise Nolan, and for James Stephen’s Michelle Teehan and Aoife Cantwell. On a particularly warm morning Claire Nolan and Mary O’Connell for Clara along with Tara McGuire and Caoimhe Moran for James Stephens were impressive in their work rate. Overall both teams produced very good team performances with the goal ultimately being the difference.
Both sets of management should be happy with the spread of scorers across their panels, with eight players scoring for Clara and seven for James Stephens. Clara travel to Inistioge next Sunday for round 2 and James Stephens host Young Irelands at home, these games promise to be equally competitive.
Clara Scorers: Keara Ryan 1 – 07(4f), Mary O’Connell 0 – 4(1f), Lucy Boyd, Rebecca Nolan, Peig Carrigan, Siobhan Curtis, Niamh Ward, Noeleen Shanahan 0 – 1 each
James Stephens Scorers: Sophie O’Dwyer 0 – 09(5f), Caoimhe Moran 0 – 02(1f), Rachel Leahy 0 – 01, Roisin O’Sullivan 0 – 01, Lucy Coomey 0 – 01, Anna Doheny 0 – 01, Emily Smith 0 – 01.
Clara Team: Aoife Glynn, Oonagh Fitzgerald, Katie Ryan, Lucy Cody, Rachel Whelan, Laoise Nolan, Claire Nolan, Rebecca Nolan, Noeleen Shanahan, Lucy Boyd, Mary O’Connell, Aisling Curtis, Siobhan Curtis, Peig Carrigan, Keara Ryan, Niamh Ward, Siobhan Tracy, Aine McDonald, Margaret O’Connell, Aoife Treacy, Emma Corr, Lucy Kealy, Katie Boyd, Aoibheann McDonald and Katie O’Connell, Maria Shortall and Cara Brennan.
James Stephens Team: Jenna Larkin, Niamh Leahy, Michelle Teehan, Mia Dunne, Anna Doheny, Aoife Cantwell, Emily Smith, Tara McGuire, Sophie O’Dwyer, Anna Bergin, Caddy Boyle, Hannah Larkin, Lucy Coomey, Roisin Leahy, Caoimhe Moran, Rachel Leahy, Lucy McGrath, Keri Hennessy, Molly Burke, Emily Lauhoff, Hannah Joyce, Kate Larkin, Roisin O’Sullivan, Niamh O’Hara, Yoma Etafen.
By PRO Wed 20th Aug
