Clare Ladies Football Board Press release
Match Report Clare Minor B Final
Venue:Roslevan
Date:Sunday November 26th.
The Banner Ladies9 – 7Wolfe Tones4 – 4
Wolfe Tones will look back on 2006 in general and The Banner Ladies in particular with exasperation. Sunday’s Minor B final was the third championship decider this year in which they went down to the Ennis outfit. Having already lost the U-12 A & U-14 A finals to Sunday’s rivals the girls in green and white came to Roslevan determined to make a real challenge of it. However after a blistering opening ten minutes from the Banner there was only going to be one winner.
The Ennis team were in uncompromising mood as they attempted to banish the painful memory of their previous week’s defeat to arch rivals Miltown. Unfortunately for Wolfe Tones they were to feel the brunt of the banner’s backlash. Immediately from the throw in the Ennis team set out their stall and launched wave after wave of attacks on the Shannon goals. Quick as you like they were rewarded with goals on two, three and six minutes from Niamh O’Dea, Maria Raftery and Catríona Connellan. The onslaught didn’t stop there however and by the fifteenth minute the girls in saffron and blue led by an incredible six goals to no score. By this stage corner forward Marie Raftery has completed a hat trick and Catríona Connellan had added a second. The Banner were dominant in all sectors at this stage and especially so up the middle where captain Sara Hoey at centre back and midfielders Eimear O’Connor and Aoife Griffin were playing stormers. Add a sterling half forward display from mary Tierney, Naomi Carroll and Niamh O’Dea into the mix and one can see how the Tones were in trouble.
Following a Mary Tierney point for the Banner on seventeen minutes Wolfe Tones opened their account with a Stephanie Regan free. In fairness this score seemed to instil some confidence into the Tones and from here to the interval they matched the Banner on a 1 – 2 to 1 – 3 score line. The Wolfe Tones goal was an excellent solo effort from Regan while impressive wing forward Aisling Quinlan added a brace of points. The Banner’s points came from Naomi Carroll, Megan Hough and Mary Tierney while Eimear O’Connor got their goal. The half time score read 7 – 4 to 1 – 3 in The Banner’s favour.
The second half opened with points from Tierney, Hough and Connellan to a single reply from Aisling Quinlan for Wolfe Tones. Tenacious corner forward Toni Lagan then produced a good goal for the Shannon side on forty one minutes but this was cancelled by a superb Naomi Carroll goal for the Banner midway through the half. Substitute Rachel O’Brien then raised another green flag for the Tones but yet again the Banner replied in similar manner with a Maeve McCarthy goal. The Tones were unlucky when Stephanie Regan missed a penalty on fifty six minutes but Stephanie made amends a minute later when cracking home another good goal. This was the games final score an when referee Johnny Hayes blew for full time the Banner were convincing winners on a 9 – 7 to 4 – 4 score line. Credit Wolfe Tones for a much improved second half performance in which they outscored the winners by a single point. The damage was done in the first half when the Banner Ladies were in full flight and just that bit too hot to handle in the opening minutes for the slow starting Shannon team.
Following the game Banner captain Sarah Hoey was presented with the championship trophy by Clare Ladies Board Member Seán Ó hÁodha.
The Banner: Sharon Bradley, Niamh Martin, Rachel McGann, Lorna Higgins, Shonagh Enright, Sarah Hoey (capt.), Niamh Cavanagh, Eimear O’Connor(1-0), Aoife Griffin, Niamh O’Dea (1-0), Mary Tierney (0-3), Naomi Carroll (1-1), Marie Raftery (3-0), Catríona Connellan (2-1), Megan Hough (0-2).
Subs: Lauren Dooley, Rebecca McNamara, Rachel Hobbs, Meave McCarthy (1-0), Ciara McCarthy, Aidín Shannon, Amanda Carmody, Caoimhe O’Dea, Rebecca Browne, Deirdre Kelleher, Laura Brennan, Laurie Ryan.
Wolfe Tones: Avril O’Dea, Gillian Flynn, Michelle Roughan, Kelly Cunningham, Catherine Danagher, Stephanie McMakin, Ciara McCaul, Kira Hannon, Regina Fennessey, Marie Cleary (0-1), Stephanie Regan (2-1), Aishling Quinlan (0-2), Toni Lagan (1-0), Donna Gallery, Eimear Ryan.
Subs: Rachel O’Brien (1-0).
Referee:Johnny Hayes (Fergus Rovers)
Banner Ladies captain Sarah Hoey receives the Clare Minor B trophy from Seán Ó hAodha
The Banner Ladies Clare Minor B Champions 2006
Back:Laura Brennan, Deirdre Kelleher, Aidín Shannon, Niamh Martin, Lauren Dooley, Aoife Griffin, Rachel Hobbs, Sharon Bradley, Rebecca McNamara, Lorna Higgins, Niamh o’Dea, Ciara McCarthy, Eimear O’Connor, Niamh Cavanagh, Caoimhe O’Dea.
Front:Laurie Ryan, Shonagh Enright, Meave McCarthy, Marie Raftery, Mary Tierney, Catríona Connellan, Megan Hough, Sarah Hoey (capt.), Naomi Carroll, Rachel McGann, Rebecca Browne.