Clare’s Ladies Football 2015 Intermediate and Junior A county champions were both in action last weekend and while both clubs put up good performances, both clubs suffered similar defeats at the hands of two Tipperary clubs champions.

St. Josephs Miltown who are Clare’s Intermediate champions travelled to Clonlara where they played Cahir theTipperary Intermediate champions. Refereed by Chris Cronin from Kinsale, the game started at a torrid pace and before the West Clare side had registered their first point, courtesy of Michelle McCaw on nine minutes, the Tipperary side had clocked up 2-2. Eimear Keane contributed with a lovely second point  after McCaws and a very determined attack which included Roisin Looney and Orla Flanagan in mid-field, Ash Parra Haren, ace centre-forward Michelle MaCaw and Eimear Considine on the half-forward line and  a normally lethal full-forward line which included Eimear Keane, Niamh Coyne and Aoife O’Gorman, a tenacious and hardy Cahir defence denied them time and again. Cahir’s midfielder Aisling Moloney was outstanding taking the lion’s share of the scores but four of her cohort had also registered in the first half. Always taking the attack to the visitors, Miltown ran at the Tipp defence with dogged determination and some good interplay involving Roisin Looney and Michelle McCaw ended up in the hands of Aoife O’Gorman who rifled the ball into the Cahir net on twenty minutes. The half ended 4-11 to Miltown’s 1-02.

Within a minute of the restart Aoife O’Gorman set up Michelle McCaw for well-struck shot on goals but was denied by the Cahir keeper. O’Gorman was back with her second remarkable goal on five minutes and a few minutes later Niamh Coyne put herself in the way of a clearance by the Cahir keeper. The rebound was picked out of the net heralding Miltown’s third goal. With Cahir all the time clocking up the scores, Michelle McCaw’s stubbornness tacked on two points in quick succession around the end of the third quarter and O’Gorman closed out the game with a last defiant point to end the game 3-5 to 8-18.

A very busy Miltown defence, given the breath of Cahir’s attacking force included committed performances from Claire Curtin, Jean Talty and Orlaith Reidy on the full back line and Laura Rynne, Co-captain Katie Curtin and Tara Rynne at half-back, and co-captain Siobhan Talty in goals, however the Clare Intermediate champions for 2015 had no answer to a hotly tipped Cahir side that should be in the running for the Munster title.

St. Joseph’s Miltown: Siobhan Talty (Joint Capt), Jean Talty, Orlaith Reidy, Claire Curtin, Laura Rynne, Katie Curtin (Joint Capt), Tara Rynne, Roisin Looney, Orlaith Flanagan, Ash Parra Haren, Michelle McCaw (0-3) , Eimear Considine, Eimear Keane (0-1), Niamh Coyne (1-0), Aoife O’Gorman (2-1), Orlagh Kennelly, CiaraBurke, Elaine Kelly, Marian Curtin, Aisling McCaw, Louise TAlty, Caoimhe McMahon, Aine Keane, Anna Lineen, Shauna Crowley, Megan Crowley, Ciara Malone, Lucy Haren. Management: Barry Kelly, James Sexton, Pat Keane.