Clare booked their place in the quarter-finals of the All-Ireland Intermediate Ladies Football Championship with a comfortable victory over Limerick.
Clare 5-16
Limerick 2-07
Venue: Gaelic Grounds
Three weeks on from their Munster Final defeat, Clare bounced back to record an impressive eighteen point win over Limerick in the qualifiers of the TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Ladies Football Championship.
A blistering start from Neil Moynihan’s side saw them race 1-03 0-00 ahead inside the opening seven minutes. Limerick registered their first score on the fourteenth minute but the Banner outscored their opponents 6-3 in the second quarter to hold an eight point advantage at the break. Gráinne Nolan slotted home from a penalty to collect Clare’s second goal at the end of the half.
Limerick started the second half with a bang as Dymphna O’Brien goaled inside the first two minutes. In their first attack they hit the crossbar but made no mistake with the second shot. Clare responded with efforts from Nolan and Niamh O’Dea but the hosts kicked two points in succession to lower the gap to five points.
Victory was cemented with three further green flags from Niamh Keane, substitute Aoife Keane and another penalty from Gráinne Nolan.
Next up for Clare is a quarter-final clash with Ulster champions Tyrone on the weekend of August
Clare: Ciara Harvey (West Clare Gaels); Eva O’Dea (Banner Ladies), Laurie Ryan (Banner Ladies), Laura Egan (Kilmihill); Roisín Considine (Liscannor), Ellie O’Gorman (Kilmihill), Gráinne Harvey (West Clare Gaels); Louise Henchy (Banner Ladies), Kayleigh McCormack (West Clare Gaels); Sarah Bohannon (Shannon Gaels), Ailish Considine (Kilmihill), Niamh Keane (Banner Ladies); Ciara Hickey (Kilmurry Ibrickane), Niamh O’Dea (Banner Ladies), Grainne Nolan (Banner Ladies). Subs: Aoife Keane (Banner Ladies) for Hickey (48), Clare Hestor (Fergus Rovers) for O’Gorman (53), Becky Mahon (Kilmihill) for Henchy (56)
Limerick: Martina Giltenane (Mungret/St Paul’s); Megan O’Shea (St Brigid’s), Alva Neary (Old Mill), Olivia Giltenane (Mungret/St Paul’s); Kristine Reidy (Fea/Castlemahon), Yvette Moynihan (Mungret/St Paul’s), Cathy Mee (Ballylanders); Niamh Richardson (Murroe/Boher), Brid Flanagan (Fea/Castlemahon); Stephanie Carroll (St Ailbes), Loretta Hanley (Fea/Castlemahon), Claire Coughlan (Mungret/St Paul’s); Dymphna O’Brien (Gerald Griffins), Siobhán Moloney (Oola), Niamh Holland (St Brigid’s).
Referee: Keith Delahaunty (Tipperary)
Additional reporting by Alan Copley, all photos by David Dillon
