Clare trailblazers Truagh Clonlara take final step
Trough-Clonlara’s manager Bob Caulfield celebrates with Sinead Ryan. Pic: ©INPHO/Ken Sutton
Election fever was replaced by Croke Park fervour in Walsh Park on Sunday afternoon as Clare and Munster champions Truagh Clonlara maintained their historic drive to a maiden All-Ireland Senior Club Camogie Championship decider.
The South East Clare side’s trailblazing feat extend to being the Banner’s first representative to reach such a lofty stage as they now prepare to take on experienced Galway neighbours Sarsfields, backed by three of the last five All-Ireland crowns, at GAA headquarters on Sunday week.
In what was an exceedingly tense wrestle for supremacy that had never more than a puck of the ball between the sides at any stage, three-in-a-row Dublin winners St Vincent’s used the sizeable wind to carve out a 0-7 to 0-4 half-time cushion.
They were level twice in the opening six minutes as points from Becky Foley and Eimear Kelly were matched by Dublin seniors Aisling Maher and Anna Sullivan.
St Vincent’s upped the the ante over the next 14 minutes helped by a bullet effort from Clare native Muireann Kelleher that just cleared the crossbar while a brace of Ali Maguire points was almost accentuated by a goal, only for Maher’s effort to be repelled by goalkeeper Sophie Cullen.
Roles were completely reversed for the new half though as Truagh shot out of the blocks to turn the tide by the two-thirds mark. Braces for Clare stars Aine O’Loughlin and Eimear Kelly powered their side into the ascendency for the first time in 38 minutes while a Becky Foley shot was also excellently kept out by St Vins keeper Dara Cooke at 0-8 to 0-7.
Truagh Clonlara looked to have momentum on their side but a St Vincent’s side with three of the last five Leinster titles under their belt inevitably refused to yield.
Claire Donnelly levelled matters by the turn of the final quarter before Anna Sullivan reclaimed the lead entering the final ten minutes. That would be St Vincent’s last score however as Truagh Clonlara finished with a flourish as Aine O’Loughlin, Aoibhin Marren and Becky Foley finally sealed a perfect pre-Christmas All-Ireland decider date in Dublin.
E Kelly, A O’Loughlin (4f) 0-4 each; B Foley 0-2; A Marren 0-1
A Maguire (1f), A Maher, A Sullivan 0-2 each; A Woods, M Kelleher, C Donnelly (0-1 each)
S Cullen; S Ryan, M Powell, S Hogg; E Horgan, L Foley, L Egan; E Begley, A Marren; J Egan, R Begley, H Horgan; A O’Loughlin, E Kelly, B Foley
N Ryan for R. Begley (18-19, BS), Ryan for Marren (47), Marren for J. Egan (53), L Hawes for H. Horgan (57)
D Cooke; A Traynor, D Johnstone, L Smith; C O’Leary, A Higgins, A Farrell; M Kelleher, A Woods; R Drohan, A Sullivan, A Lambe; C Donnelly, A Maher, A Maguire
A Considine for Kelleher (27-29, BS), T Lambe for Traynor (47), Considine for Maguire (51)
A Larkin (Cork)
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
