Clare’s dreams of reaching the knockout stages of the Liberty Insurance All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship were put to bed as they fell down to Limerick.
Limerick 1-13
Clare 0-09
Venue: Cusack Park
Three games three defeats is how Clare record in the 2016 championship currently stands and it also means the Banner will not advance to the knockout stages for the first time in three years.
Limerick were in control from start to finish with Niamh Mulcahy central to their success. The Ahane attacker is a constant threat whereas the Clare lineup didn’t possess a forward of similar star quality. The primary school teacher scored all but three points of her team’s tally throughout the sixty minutes.
Mulcahy fired home the only goal of the game shortly before the half-time whistle to put the Treaty County 1-10 0-04 ahead at the interval.
Trish O’Grady’s side upped the ante in the second half and even outscored their opponents 5-3 but it was too late as a lethal poacher was lacking in the Clare inside line towards the end of the contest as they went in search of an all-important goal.
Captain Orlaith Duggan was given her marching orders before the final whistle for a second bookable offence in what was a very harsh call by referee John McDonagh. The Clooney/Quin woman stood her ground as a Limerick counterpart attempted to get past her, both players ended up on the ground and Duggan was shown a second yellow card.
However it had little impact on the result as Clare once again struggled in attack. In one hundred and eighty minutes they have scored just one goal, that being a free from Chloe Morey. While the Sixmilebridge woman has been missing for their last two outings it’s hard to have envisaged any other result in either game if the former All-Star was playing.
Limerick are still in with a shout of reaching the knockout stages while for the women in Saffron and Blue they are now playing for pride in their remaining two group games against Wexford and Waterford.
Additional reporting by Páraic McMahon. All photos by Gary Collins.
Limerick: Claire Keating (Cappamore); Siobhan Enright (Granagh/Ballingarry), Muireann Creamer (Cappamore), Judith Mulcahy (Ahane); Niamh Richardson (Murroe/Boher), Fiona Hickey (Granagh/Ballingarry), Rebecca Delee (Newcastle West); Karen O’Leary (Newcastle West), Mary O’Callaghan (Bruff); Deborah Murphy (Knockaderry), Niamh Mulcahy (Ahane) (1-10 6f), Caoimhe Costelloe (Shinrone) (0-01); Sinead McNamara (Na Piarsaigh) (0-02), Cliona Lane (Adare), Chloe O’Brien (Ballyagran). Subs: Niamh Ryan (Bruff) for Murphy, Rebecca Noonan (Granagh/Ballingarry) for Lane, Marguerite McCarthy (Ahane) for O’Callaghan.
Clare: Rebecca Keating (Inagh/Kilnamona); Emma O’Connell (Ballyea), Maire McGrath (Sixmilebridge), Carol O’Leary (Newmarket-on-Fergus); Laura McMahon (Newmarket-on-Fergus), Roisin McMahon (Newmarket-on-Fergus) (0-01 1f), Eimear Kelly (Truagh/Clonlara); Orlaith Duggan (Clooney/Quin) (0-01), Laura Foley (Truagh/Clonlara) (0-01); Aoibheann Malone (Corofin), Niamh O’Dea (Kilmaley), Aoife Keane (Inagh/Kilnamona) (0-03); Amy Keating (Inagh/Kilnamona), Aine O’Loughlin (Truagh/Clonlara) (0-01), Michelle Caulfield (Truagh/Clonlara) (0-01). Subs: Doireann Murphy (Clarecastle) (0-01) for Kelly, Ellen Horgan (Truagh/Clonlara) for O’Loughlin.
Referee: John McDonagh (Galway).
