Ward’s strike helps champs complete the four-in-a-row

Kilkerrin/Clonberne  1-12

Claregalway  1-9

A competitive joust went down to the wire last Saturday before Kilkerrin/Clonberne emerged with their fourth County Senior Ladies Football title on the trot.

Nicola Ward’s goal just before half-time shifted the tie in favour of Martin Boyle’s charges and they kept ahead of a determined Claregalway challenge.

Jimmy Gavin’s Claregalway team were county finalists last year and had beaten their opponents recently in the Connacht League. After starting brightly, they refused to yield after Ward’s goal and Charlotte Cooney’s major six minutes into added time kept their chances alive.

Kilkerrin/Clonberne came in as strong favourites for their sixth championship in total and threatened early when Ward was put through after just 31 seconds only to slice the ball to the right and wide. It proved to be a frustrating opening period for last year’s All-Ireland semi-finalists who struggled to gain momentum and they were also guilty of five first half wides.

The incessant blowing for technical fouls also disrupted the overall rhythm of the final with 33 frees awarded in the opening 30 minutes but Claregalway used the breaks well. Andrea Trill’s placed ball opened their account in the second minute before Olivia Divilly levelled afterwards.

Claregalway were enjoying possession but needed to add to their tally. Two goal chances went abegging when Cooney set up Deirdre Brennan for the first before a move involving Karen Dowd and Cooney saw Trill denied. Kilkerrin/Clonberne keeper Lisa Murphy showed bravery with two crucial blocks even if she needed treatment following the latter save.

Trill did put Claregalway 0-2 to 0-1 ahead on 11 minutes and added another when Aisling Murphy was fouled.  But Kilkerrin/Clonberne’s threat was always lurking and Louise Ward set up Karen Finnegan only for keeper Ruth Horkan to produce the crucial touch.

Another Claregalway attack produced a fine Murphy score on 19 minutes to make it 0-4 to 0-1 but, even with the wind, they didn’t point again until added time. Annette Clarke found the target on 27 minutes but the former All-Ireland winning captain made a bigger impact in the 30th minute when she spotted Nicola Ward advancing and the centre back made no mistake for a 1-2 to 0-4 lead.

Divilly added a point before Brennan ended Claregalway’s drough,t leaving the score 1-3 to 0-5. But the champions stretched their cushion in the opening two minutes of the second period with Divilly and Lisa Gannon raising white flags.

The commitment from both teams was total as players threw themselves into tackles and Clarke’s afternoon came to a premature end on 34 minutes following a knee injury. It unsettled Kilkerrin/Clonberne who took two minutes to decide her replacement and they didn’t get their next score until a Divilly free on 44 minutes.

That left it 1-6 to 0-6 as Deirdre Brennan sent over a Claregalway placed ball but the wing forward was also denied by the woodwork in the 37th minute.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.