Moneygall find All-Ireland champions a bridge too far

CAMOGIE: AIB Munster Club Intermediate Championship Semi-Final

Moneygall 1-9

Clanmaurice 2-16

Report: Joe Scully at St Flannan’s Park, Moneygall

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Patrice Diggin (Clanmaurice)

SCORERS – Moneygall: Caithlyn Treacy 0-8 frees; Mairead Teehan 1-1.

Clanmaurice: Patrice Diggin 0-6 (5 frees); Jackie Horgan 1-2; Amy O’Sullivan 1-1; Aoife Behan 0-3; Laura Collins 0-2; Ann Marie Leen, Julieanne O’Keeffe 0-1 each.

It’s the end of the road in 2024 for the Moneygall intermediate camogie side after defeat at the hands of the reigning All Ireland club champions Clanmaurice of Kerry, in the Munster club semi-final on Saturday.

The newly crowned Tipperary champions can have very little complaint as they were second best on the day and despite a strong start to the second half where they had the gap back to just four points and were well on top, a 48th minute goal from Jackie Horgan halted all Moneygall’s momentum and ended their challenge as the defending champions would then see out the game fairly comfortably.

While it was a disappointing end to the year for Moneygall, they can be very happy with their year overall as they achieved their main aim for the year by capturing the Tipperary intermediate championship and will return to the senior ranks next year.

Despite being second best for most of the game, the North Tipp outfit never gave up and showed great spirit all through and can be very proud of their efforts, against what is a very strong Clanmaurice outfit who backbone the Kerry county team, led excellently by Niamh Leen, Aoife Behan, Ann Marie Leen, Amy O’Sullivan, and Patrice Diggin who seemed to cover every blade of grass on the pitch. Best for Moneygall were Mary Teehan, Mary Burke and Mairead Teehan.

Clanmaurice were first on the scoresheet with two points in the space of thirty seconds in the third minute, with Laura Collins first up after being setup by Jackie Horgan, and then Amy O’Sullivan added a second with a fine individual effort.

A minute later, Moneygall were nearly in for a goal following a strong run from Mairead Teehan and after laying a pass off for Niamh Larkin, who tried to play the ball back to Teehan, but there was too much on the pass and the ball ended up going wide, where a goal at this stage might have giving the game a totally different outlook.

The red & blacks did open their account in the fifth minute through a Caithlyn Treacy free, but from the resultant puckout Laura Collins pointed for Clanmaurice.

Treacy added another free for the home side in the sixth minute, but after this the Kerry side upped their game and Moneygall struggled to cope with what was a very strong forward unit who would hit 1-6 unanswered.

Aoife Behan would be first up with a superb score from distance, followed by two scores from Julieanne O’Keeffe and Jackie Horgan following a mis-hit free from Moneygall keeper Eimear Ryan.

Clanmaurice were in for their first goal in the thirteenth minute following a wonderful team move which ended with Amy O’Sullivan hitting a powerful shot to the back of the net, 1-6 to 0-2.

Aoife Behan hit another fine point from distance, before Patrice Diggin added a free from near halfway, which was followed by a fine effort from Horgan from out by the sideline.

Moneygall responded in the 22nd minute through another Treacy free, but the team from the kingdom would hit the next two scores through a Diggin free and then Ann Marie Leen after a puckout went wrong for Moneygall.

Moneygall would have the final say of the half through another Caithlyn Treacy free to leave the score at the break, 1-11 to 0-4.

Clanmaurice opened the scoring in the second half after 68 seconds through a Patrice Diggin point from play.

Moneygall would respond through another Treacy free, before Mairead Teehan found the back of the net in the 35th minute with her sides first score from play, after a fine run from Niamh Larkin after the ball broke to her and she passed to Teehan who unleashed a bullet of a shot to the net.

Diggin added another for the away side from a free but then Moneygall would go on a scoring streak and hit the next four points as they started to slowly work their way back in to the game.

Caithlyn Treacy hit two frees which was followed by a fine effort from Mairead Teehan, with the same player having a goal chance soon after but her effort was blocked.

Treacy added another to leave just four in it and all the momentum seemed to be with the Tipp champions now, but that soon evaporated in the 48th minute when following a fine move involving Diggin and Amy O’Sullivan, ended with Jackie Horgan finishing to the back of the net.

This goal killed off all momentum for the home side and Clanmaurice saw out the game comfortable scoring the final three points, through Aoife Behan and two frees from Diggin.

TEAMS – Moneygall: Eimear Ryan (6); Katie Hayes (6), Stephanie Kenny (7), Alice Maher (6); Mary Teehan (7), Julie Kelly (6), Shauna Kirwan (6); Lauren Maher (6), Mary Ryan (7); Edwina King (6), Ciara Maher (6), Caithlyn Treacy (7); Niamh Larkin (7), Orlaith Treacy (6), Mairead Teehan (8).

Subs: Emma Costello (6) for Larkin (53); Amy Ryan (6) for Hayes (55); Orlaith Cleary (6) for A Maher (56).

Clanmaurice: Aoife Fitzgerald (6), Rachael McCarthy (6), Sara Murphy (7), Michelle Costello (7), Kate Lynch (6), Niamh Leen (8), Aine O’Connor (6), Aoife Behan (9), Danielle O’Leary (6), Laura Collins (7), Patrice Diggin (9), Ann Marie Leen (8), Amy O’Sullivan (8), Jackie Horgan (8), Julieanne O’Keefe (7).

Subs: Elaine Ryall (6) for O’Keeffe (51 mins), Ciara Moloney (NR) for Horgan (59).

Referee: Fintan McNamara (Clare).