Clann set to face All-Ireland champions after county final win
By Eamon A. Donoghue
Clann na nGael are preparing to meet All-Ireland champions Kilkerrin Clonberne in their Connacht club semi-final today (Monday) after claiming a comfortable win over Kilbride in the Roscommon LGFA senior final.
Clann defeated Kilbride by 4-9 to 0-5 in the county final to set up a clash against Kilkerrin Clonberne who were too strong for the Rosommon outfit in last year's meeting.
The Galway side will have home advantage on their own pitch, the Clonberne community sportsfield (throw-in 1pm).
Clann were waiting 19 years for a county senior title before they broke their duck last year, beating Kilbride in the final. They were back in the final again against Kilbride in Ballyforan last Saturday week, looking for two in a row.
Leading up to this game, Clann were favourites but they weren’t tested in any of the preceding games. Had Kilbride one last kick in them?
The game was a slow boiler at the start as the sides tested each other out. Jennifer Shine then made her presence felt, the midfielder passing to Róise Lennon who in turn passed to Kara Earle and the corner-forward finished a good move to the back of Rachel O’Grady’s net. It was one way traffic from then to the interval.
Clann laid the platform for the win in the 20th minute. Fortunately for Clann, a handpass from full-forward Fiona Scally came back off the crossbar and landed in the grateful hands of Earle and the number 13 scored her second goal. Clann led 2-6 to 0-2 at half-time.
The second half is best forgotten as the energy totally went out of the game. Late goals by Róise Lennon and Shine added gloss to the final scoreline as the Johnstown side claimed a second county title in a row.
Clann got their match-ups spot on. They moved Aine Connaughton over to the corner to pick up Kilbride’s star player Aisling Hanly and Connaughton entirely shut out the county forward.
Clann captain Orla O’Neill was given the marking role on Kilbride’s other star player, Fiona Tully. O’Neill not only curbed the threat of Tully, but she drove her team forward and gave an outstanding display. One has to wonder why O’Neill isn’t a regular on the Roscommon team.
Ruth Finlass was impressive in the early stages and she kicked off the scoring, kicking over the bar with her left foot after overlapping at pace. Kilbride responded with a score from Aisling Hanly but that was the only time they were anywhere near Clann on the scoreboard.
Earle’s goal was sandwiched between points from Caoimhe Lennon and Sinead Farrell. Finlass scored her second point, marauding up from defence, and Róise Lennon kicked two scores late in the first half as Clann put themselves in prime position for victory..
Clann had the spadework done in the first half. They just needed to go on and roll over Kilbride in the second half and see out the game quickly and empty the bench and job done.
Clann didn’t kick on after the resumption though. They lost their enthusiasm and it seemed they wanted to see out the game without exerting too much energy. Caoimhe Lennon, Earle and Róise Lennon all kicked scores but Kilbride matched them with three Eilish Fannon scores. Clann didn’t push on for long spells of the second half, but they didn’t need to.
As both teams emptied their benches in the final quarter, Clann finished with a bang. Substitute Hope Glynn was impressive after her introduction and used possession well.
O’Neill was the main instigator for Clann’s third goal and it was Róise Lennon that finished it into Kilbride’s net. Glynn and Lennon created the room for the excellent Shine to score their fourth goal.
Clann have shown they are the best in Roscommon, any doubts about that were put to bed after this win and they are gaining experience. But have Clann improved from last year? The answer to that will be a little clearer when they meet All-Ireland champions Kilkerrin Clonberne.
Scorers: - Clann: K Earle 2-1, R Lennon 1-3 (0-1f), J Shine 1-0, C Lennon 0-2, R Finlass 0-2, S Farrell 0-1. Kilbride: E Fannon 0-4 (2f), A Hanly 0-1.
Clann na nGael: Emily Duff; Kelley Colgan, Orla O’Neill, Aine Connaughton; Kimberly Finlass, Megan Kelly, Ruth Finlass; Michelle Harney-Nolan, Jennifer Shine; Caoimhe Lennon, Ciara Quinn, Sinead Farrell; Kara Earle, Fiona Scally, Rosie Lennon. Subs used: Hope Glynn for Scally (49), Ide Crehan for Harney-Nolan (51), Caoimhe Galvin for Quinn (60), Tara O’Neill for Kelly (60), Therese Lennon for Earle (60).
Kilbride: Rachel O’Grady; Aoife Tully, Corina Gormley, Yvonne Creighton; Aoife Feely, Blaithin O’Beirne, Aoife Leonard; Aisling Shanagher, Jennifer Fannon; Eilish Fannon, Amy Shanagher, Aine Griffin; Sinead Clabby, Fiona Tully, Aisling Hanly. Subs used: Casey Keane for Griffin (50), Maire Lohan for Feely (59), Caoimhe Shanagher for A Shanagher (60), Mairead Tully for E Fannon (62).
Referee: Shane Noonan.