Clinical Ballymacarbry brush Kerry champions aside

Finuge/St Senans tried hard but you cannot put a price on experience

Sun, 29 Oct, 2023 - 18:10

Jordan Murphy, Mountcoal

Munster LGFA SFC semi-final: Finuge/St Senans 0-7 Ballymacarbry 1-15

Ballymacarbry never had to move out of third gear as they dominated from start to finish in Mountcoal thanks to a superb half-back line of Karen McGrath, Louise Ryan and Brid McMaugh.

Finuge/St Senans tried hard but you cannot put a price on experience and they lacked what Ballymacarbry had in spades.

Players like Rachel Horgan, Sara Murphy, Katelyn Stack, Niamh Leen, Louise Galvin, Patrice Diggin, Niamh Carmody and Jackie Horgan gave it their all, but the Waterford champions were the superior force.

Ballymacarbry raced 04 to 0-2 ahead inside 10 minutes, with points from Aileen Wall, Kellyann Hogan and two from the player of the game Brid McMaugh. Kerry senior Niamh Carmody and Jackie Horgan kept Finuge/St Senans in touch but Ballymacarbry upped the tempo and added five more points, Kellyann Hogan and Clare Walsh with a brace each.

The game was effectively over in first half added time when Karen McGrath finished to the Finuge/St Senans net, 1-9 to 0-3.

Finuge/St Senans battled to the end and added four points in the second period, while the visitors had to wait until the 47th minute to open the second-half account when Aileen Wall pointed.

Another two Hogan points and a third from wingback Brid McMaugh sealed the win.

Scorers for Ballymacarbry: K Hogan (0-5, 4fs), B McMaugh and A Wall (0-3 each), K McGrath (1-0), C Walsh (0-2), A Barron and O Barron (0-1 each).

Scorers for Finuge/St Senans: N Carmody (0-3), J Horgan (0-2, 1f), S Behan and M O’Keeffe (0-1 each)

FINUGE/ST SENANS: R Horgan; K Treanor, S Murphy, K Stack; A Cronin, N Leen, A Behan; C Dillon, L Galvin; A M Leen, N Carmody, K O’Sullivan; P Diggin Horgan, M O’Keeffe.

Subs: L Reilly for K O’Sullivan (27), D Cronin for K Treanor (h/t), M Lyne for A M Leen (51), S Behan for P Diggin (inj 55), K Buckley for J Horgan (59).

BALLYMACARBRY: L Fitzpatrick; G Nugent, M McGrath, M Ryan; K McGrath, L Ryan, B McMaugh; K Hogan, A Barron; A Wall, S Peters, M Boyce; S Hallinan, C Walsh, R Browne.

Subs: M Ryan for A Barron (52), O Barron for M Boyce (59), A Ryan for S Peters (60), L Browne for S Hallinan (62), E Cooney for G Nugent (63)

Referee: C McCarthy (Cork)