Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Premier Junior final: Clare 3-7 Tipperary 1-9
DESPITE failing to score in the opening 18 minutes and over the final 25 minutes, Clare are All-Ireland Premier Junior champions today. The team that last year’s champions Antrim beat in a marathon semi-final were able to accumulate enough scores during the middle third of yesterday’s final to bounce back and claim their fifth crown and first in 15 years.
They had a nightmare opening quarter that started with Ciara Brennan hitting the first score for Tipperary after just 15 seconds.
Ellen Casey was booked a minute later for the controversial obstruction/charging foul and then Sarah Loughnane fired three frees the wrong side of the posts.
Little wonder then that Tipperary led by 1-3 to 0-0 after 18 minutes. Rachel O’Dwyer had bagged the goal when she intercepted a hand-pass from Rachel Kelly in the 13th minute.
Tipperary had another goal chance in the 18th minute, but it was brilliantly blocked and Jennifer Daly carried the clearance into the heart of their defence with Loughnane then on hand to blast to the net.
Although Claire Stakelum responded with a point inside 30 seconds, Clare owned the rest of the half and drew level at 1-4 each with three frees from Loughnane and a point from Labhaoise O’Donnell.
Brennan responded immediately with a Tipperary point but Michelle McMahon hit back with a fine long-range point and the teams finished on level terms, 1-5 each.
On the restart McMahon pointed and Caoimhe Cahill goaled in the 33rd minute.
Cahill was also heavily involved in her side’s third goal in the 37th minute, when she cut in along the end-line and had a couple of efforts at getting a strike in before the silotar fell for Labhaoise O’Donnell to sweep a ground stroke to the net.
A minute later Tipp’s centre-forward Ciara Brennan got her second yellow and Clare had definitely turned the game in their favour with a lead of 3-7 to 1-6.
Jean Kelly won and converted three frees during the last quarter, but Clare were applying the pressure at the other end and, despite failing to score again, there was little chance of them being reeled in by Tipperary who had lost their shapes little after Brennan’s red card.
Clare: S Loughnane (1-3, 0-3 frees), L O’Donnell (1-1), C Cahill (1-0), M McMahon (0-2), J Daly (0-1).
Tipperary: R O’Dwyer (1-0), J Kelly (0-5, 4 frees), C Brennn (0-2), C Stakelum (0-1), C Horgan (0-1).
