Clare win thriller and reach first junior championship final for 17 years

Clare 4-7 Armagh 3-8

In a game where the lead changed hands on six occasions, the home side were lucky to escape when a last-ditch attempt on goal by Armagh full-forward Patricia McEvoy was blazed wide. They trailed by the minimum at the interval 1-5 to 1-4, and in spite of a second-minute goal after the restart from Armagh’s McEvoy, they managed to regroup and fought back, hitting a purple patch that yielded parity by the three-quarter stage.

With the Northerners hitting their third goal from Sinéad Gray, the experienced heads of outstanding captain Catherine O’Loughlin and centre-forward Deirdre Murphy steadied the ship, scoring two decisive goals in the closing five minutes.

Scorers Clare: C O’Loughlin 2-3, D Murphy 1-1 and Claire McMahon 1-1 each, C Commane 0-1 and M McMahon 0-1 (45m) each.

Armagh: P McEvoy 2-1, M Black 0-4 (0-2 frees, 0-1 45m), S Gray 1-0, D McClusker, O McKeown and J Rice 0-1 each.

CLARE: P O’Grady; J Scanlon, D Lynch, Catherine McMahon; M O’Looney, N Comyns, M Whelan; M McMahon, D Corcoran; A Ryan, D Murphy, A Keane; Claire McMahon; C O’Loughlin (capt), C Commane.

Subs: A Gilmartin for D Lynch, A O’Brien for C Commane, A Kelleher for Catherine McMahon (inj).

ARMAGH: B Keenan; A Marsden, B Rice, M Larkin; M Rafferty, B McBride, O Smyth; O McGeown, J Rice; C Curry, M Black, M O’Kane; S Gray, P McEvoy, D McClusker.

Subs: L Lavery for A Marsden, A Christy for M O'Kane.

Referee: L Davitt (Westmeath).