ALL-IRELAND INTERMEDIATE CLUB FOOTBALL SEMI-FINAL

Naomh Ciarán (Offaly) 3-15

Inch Rovers (Cork) 1-11

After extra-time

By Kevin Egan

At Ferbane GAA club

A whirlwind display in extra time from Naomh Ciarán was enough to secure the Offaly champions a place in their first ever All-Ireland Intermediate Championship Final, as they sprinted clear of Cork’s Inch Rovers in Ferbane.

Dual star full-forward Kate Kenny, who next Sunday will play an intermediate camogie championship provincial final with St Rynagh’s, finished the game with an incredible 1-10 to her name. Three of those points were in the first-half of extra-time as Naomh Ciarán scored 0-5 without reply, before goals from Kaitlyn Rigney and Aoibhe Kelly wrapped up the victory in the final ten-minute period.

A large crowd made their way to West Offaly for this fixture and they didn’t have long to wait for the contest to catch fire, with Inch Rovers threatening a goal with the first attack of the game. A quick transfer of passes found Aoife Walsh on the edge of the square, and it took a despairing dive from Amy Gavin Mangan to block the shot and deflect the ball clear.

Initially referee Paul Burke signaled for a penalty but then consulted with his umpires and reversed the decision. The home side didn’t waste their reprieve either, quickly hitting their stride with four points, two each for Aoife Corbett and Kate Kenny. Inch Rovers needed a lifeline and they got it when a speculative shot from Annie Walsh dipped under the crossbar at the last minute for a goal, though Kate Kenny replied with a similar strike, albeit from a free.

The East Cork side did hit their stride in the lead up to half-time and they were well in contention at that stage, just 1-6 to 1-4 adrift. They monopolised possession in the second-half of the game, Jessica O’Shea leading the way with a masterful performance at centre-back, and it seemed like they would go on to win when they drew level, 1-8 each, with ten minutes to play. Naomh Ciarán’s Ellee McEvoy was sin binned for the last ten minutes of normal time and that looked like a fatal blow to the Offaly side’s chances.

Yet they defended valiantly, and snatched the lead in the second minute of injury time through Kenny, only for Inch Rovers to mount one last attack and tie up the scores through Lydia Williams.

Most supporters guessed that a tense period of extra time was to follow – instead they got a footballing masterclass from Naomh Ciarán.

Scorers – Naomh Ciarán: K Kenny 1-10 (1-2f), K Rigney 1-1, A Kelly 1-0, A Corbett 0-2, S Egan 0-1, E McEvoy 0-1.Inch Rovers: Annie Walsh 1-3 (2f), R Goggin 0-2 (1f), N O’Donovan 0-2, L Williams 0-1, C Irwin 0-1, AM O’Connor 0-1, Á O’Driscoll 0-1.

NAOMH CIARÁN: A Keena; A Grehan, E Nally, N Buckley; F Boland, E Flynn, L Keena; A Gavin-Mangan, R Ennis; K Rigney, E Cahill, E McEvoy; A Corbett, K Kenny, R Cockram. Subs: S Egan for Rigney (36), R Egan for Cahill (36), A Kelly for Corbett (58), A Kelly for R Egan (FT).

INCH ROVERS: R Fogarty; J O’Shea, C Gillman, E Cosgrove; A Joyce, A Higgins, C Daly; D O’Shea, Annie Walsh; C Irwin, L Williams, R Goggin; AM O’Connor, Aoife Walsh, C Barry. Subs: N O’Donovan for Barry (36), Á O’Driscoll for Aoife Walsh (49), E Murphy for Cosgrove (FT), C O’Donovan for Williams (HT-ET). 

Referee: Paul Burke (Louth).

MUNSTER SENIOR CLUB FOOTBALL FINAL

Mourneabbey (Cork) 2-18

Ballymacarbry (Waterford) 4-8

By Tomás McCarthy

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 Ciara O’Sullivan and five second-half efforts for Doireann O’Sullivan. Laura Fitzgerald chipped in with 0-4 for the hungry champions, while an excellent Ballymacarbry had a player of the match display from Aileen Wall.

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 – 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.

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).

The October County Board meeting will be held in the Rochestown Park Hotel on TUESDAY, 29th October at 8:30pm