Éire Óg 7-10
Clonakilty 0-5
GER McCARTHY REPORTS
CLONAKILTY’S hopes of upsetting favourites Éire Óg in the Cork LGFA minor A county championship final fell short in Bishopstown.
The West Cork club put in a commendable first-half display and trailed 2-4 to 0-4 on Bishopstown GAA’s superb 4G pitch.
Unfortunately for Clon, Éire Óg completely dominated the second period and held their opponents to a single point en route to claiming the minor club grade’s top honour.
Despite the defeat, Alannah O’Brien, Katie O’Driscoll, Kate O’Donovan and Ciara White performed heroically.
Clonakilty were unable to prevent a continuous series of Éire Óg attacks throughout the second period and could have no arguments with the final outcome.
For the winners, Méabh McGoldrick demonstrated her deadly finishing ability by firing in four goals. Wing-back Ciara O’Brien bagged a brace and Niamh O’Shea also raised a green flag for an Éire Óg team Sadbh McGoldrick, Orlaith Cahalane and Orlagh Cremin also impressed.
Méabh McGoldrick and Niamh O’Shea goals handed Éire Óg a six-point interval lead. Siofra Pattwell (two), Katie O’Driscoll and Ciara White found their range for a Clonakilty team still well in the game at half time.
Driven forward by excellent centre-back Sadhbh McGoldrick, the Ovens club dominated territory and possession throughout the second half.
Alice White was Clonakilty’s lone scorer in a period Méabh McGoldrick continued to torment the Clon defence and completed her hat-trick courtesy of a superb strike. McGoldrick added a fourth goal late on but the result was already beyond doubt by that juncture.
Although disappointed at the outcome, expect to see the majority of this Clonakilty minor squad make their mark at senior level over the coming years. The same is true of newly-crowned minor A county champions Éire Óg.
Scorers - Éire Óg: M McGoldrick 4-0; C O’Brien 2-0; N O’Shea 1-2; O Cahalane 0-3 (0-1f); O Cronin, S McGoldrick 0-2 each; A Larkin 0-1. Clonakilty: S Pattwell 0-2 (1f); K O’Driscoll, C White, A White 0-1 each.
Éire Óg: R Halligan; L Murphy, E Buckley, G O’Mahony; S Sheehan, S McGoldrick, C O’Brien; M O’Callaghan, A Larkin; O Cremin, O Cahalane, M O’Donovan; N O’Shea, M McGoldrick, L Hayes. Subs: L Murphy for N O’Shea (47, inj), A McCarthy for S Sheehan (55), L Coakley for M O’Donovan (55), M O’Sullivan for L Murphy (58), A O’Callaghan for A Larkin (58), J Cahalane for E Buckley (58), A Cronin for L Hayes (58).
Clonakilty: K Hearne; A O’Donovan, A O’Brien, N Kennedy; M Condon, R Shanley, S Calnan; K O’Driscoll, K O’Donovan; S Pattwell, C Murphy, C White; C McEvoy, R Deasy, A O’Flynn Meade. Subs: K Nolan for A O’Donovan (ht), C McCarthy for N Kennedy (33), C Allman for A O’Flynn Meade (45), A Meade for R Deasy (55), A White for C McEvoy (55), M Murphy for C Murphy (55).
Referee: Peter O’Leary (Inch Rovers).