Clare V Donegal Round 3 NFL 2015

Clare Ladies Football seniors hosted Donegal after they made the long trip to Kilmihil last Sunday for Round 3 of the Tesco Homegrown National Football League when they played home-side Clare.

Clare were facing down top of table Donegal who  have two wins from their previous two rounds while the Saffron and Blue were trying to improve on a draw snatched from Meath in the dying moments of their encounter in Kilmihil two weeks prior.

In foul weather and a very heavy field of play, Clare started with the advantage of the wind and after a thwarted Donegal effort at the town end, Emma O’Driscoll had pointed for the Saffron and Blue within three minutes.  A well-worked Donegal movement retained possession from the kick-out which eventually led to a Niamh Hegarty goal at the Clare end.  The next ten minutes of play was all Clare and as Carol O’Leary and Emer Hillery in centre-field worked hard with Roisin Howley and Niamh Keane to pin in the Donegal defence, poacher Grainne Nolan pointed in the twelveth minute. Gathering the kickout, a Niamh Keane effort came off the right hand post but Grainne Nolan collected to make a sweet pass to the left of Donegal keeper Laura Gallagher to push the Banner 1-2 to 1-0 ahead. More pressure from Emma O’Driscoll and Roisin Looney forced a free which Ailish Consider converted against a difficult diagonal wind. Clare had a three point advantage going into the second quarter and seemed to have the measure of Donegal. Plus they were making the most of a strong wind while they had it. However, when Division two favourites Donegal pushed their way out they were back with two goals and two points in a five minute spell, courtesy of Shannon McGroddy and and Rosin Curran with a goal and a point a piece.  With no protection against the Donegal storm, Niamh Hegarty pegged on two Gold and Green points before the break which was interspersed by a point from the forceful Amber Barrett. Four goals from four different forwards allowed Donegal to turn a three point deficit in the 15^th minute into a ten point lead by the time referee Seamus Mulvihill from Kerry called for the ball at half time. Clare 1-3 to Donegal’s 4-4.

Clare hadn’t scored since the 15^th minute and now faced a strong wind and the prospect of a rampant visiting team. A defiant Clare side took the game to Donegal in the opening minutes but battling a strong wind, Clare never got into their stride. The visitors pushed up leaving only the full back line in their own half and methodically collected the kickouts and picked off their scores, Amber Barrett 0-2, Karen Gutherie 0-1, Niamh Hegarty 0-2, Aoife McDonnel 0-2 in the third quarter. Clare didn’t have many scoring opportunities in the second half, Becky Mahon was brought down on her way to the Donegal goals in the thirteenth minute but the headwind exaggerated the slightest flaw in Ailish Considine’s free kick which uncharacteristically missed the target. It took another ten minutes before Clare was within shooting distance again but Mahon’s shot didn’t yield any reward. Manager John Burke used the last quarter to empty the Clare bench to bring his fledgling squad much needed experience. In this phase, Donegal’s Barrett took a point in the 23^rd minute and Sarah Patton got the fifth goal for the Donegal cause with three minutes to go. It finished Donegal 5-12 to Clare 1-3.

Clare are suffering from the absence of veterans Louise Henchy (retired), Eimear Considine and Niamh O’Dea and they face a long road to the end of the league.

Donegal have been mooted as the division two favourites and this performance keeps them on course with 9 points from three wins. Given that they travelled without All-Ireland senior club champions Termon’s captain and dynamo Geraldine McLaughlin and have up to six similar grade players to come in, they seem destined for a top two finish, which they now share with Cavan.     

Clare:

1 Aoife O’Neill (Eire OG), 2 Roisin Considine (Liscannor), 3 Laurie Ryan (Banner), 4 Grainne  Harvey (West Clare Gaels), 5 Fiona Toughy (Doora barefield), 7 Ellie O Gorman (Kilmihil), 8 Eimear Hillery  (Liscannor), 9 Carol O Leary (Newmarket), 10 Roisin Howley (Burren Gaels), 11 Niamh Keane (Banner Ladies ), 12 Becky Mahon (Kilmihil), 13 Grainne Nolan (1-1) (Banner), 14 Ailish Considine      (0-1f) (Kilmihil), 15 Roisin Looney (Cooraclare), 16 Aoife Clohessey (Fergus Rovers), 17 Shauna  Harvey (West clare gaels), 18 Claire Hester (Fergus rovers), 19 Aislinn Meaney (Barefield), 20 Laura Egan (Kilmihil), 21 Sarah Browne (Kilmihil), 22 Kate Coughlan (Kilmihil), 23 Emma O Driscoll (0-1) (Banner Ladies), 31 Katie Connole (Burren gaels), 25 Ciara Cahill (Barefield), 27 Roisin Rouinne (Liscannor), 28 Orlaith Lynch (Banner Ladies)

Donegal:

1 Laura Gallagher (Termon), 2 Nicole Mc Laughlin (Termon), 3 Emer Gallagher (Termon), 4   Deirdre Foley (Carndonagh), 5 Aoife Mc Donnell             (0-2) (N.Conaill), 26 Cara Hegarty (Moville), 27 Rose Boyle (St. Eunans), 8 Katy Herron (Glenfin), 9 Karen Guthrie (0-1) (Glenfin), 10 Shannon Mc Groddy (1-1) (Termon), 11 Niamh Hegarty (1-4) (Moville), 12 Eilish Ward (St Nauls), 13 Roisin Curran (1-1) (Cloughaneely), 14 Amber Barrett (0-4) (Milford), 15 Treasa Doherty (Carndonagh), 16 Ciara Gallagher (Convoy), 17 Emma Mc Crory (Robert Emmets), 18 Bridin Gallagher (Gaoth Dobhair), 19 Kate Keaney (Four Masters), 20 Kanisha Mc Kinney (St Eunans), 21 Maria Carr (Termon), 22 Sarah Patton (1-0) (Aodh Ruadh), 23 Gemma Glackin (Glenfin), 24 Geraldine McLaughlin (Termon), 25 Niamh Mc Laughlin (Moville), 28 Orlaigh Carr (Kilcar), 29 Yvonne Mc Monagle (Glenfin)