Clonoulty Rossmore survive a major scare from gallant Borris-Ileigh in semi-final

FBD Insurance Senior Camogie Championship Semi-Final

Clonoulty Rossmore 0-16

Borris-Ileigh 3-6

Clonoulty Rossmore found a way to get back to this year’s senior final despite being pushed to their limits by a very dogged and impressive Borris-Ileigh team in the second Senior Camogie Championship semi-final in The Ragg Camogie Grounds last Sunday afternoon.

After some 25 minutes of the game, it looked as though the game was getting away from Borris-Ileigh as Cait Devane and co were having it all on their terms as the West club took a big 0-8 to 0-1 lead as Borris were guilty of standing off their opponents and allowing them to dictate the terms of engagement.

Devane in particular was running amok and scored eight of her side’s ten first-half points but Borris slowly settled down before the break with three Nicole Walsh frees keeping them in touch in a game they were being outplayed.

Whatever was said at half-time though received the perfect response from the players as Borris-Ileigh came out a different team and tore into their opponents, scoring three second-half goals through Aoife Fitzgerald, Danielle Ryan, and Eva Bevans as the sides were wedged together going down the final ten minutes.

Somehow though, Clonoulty dug out the result, and despite being under the pump late on they managed to get their noses in front by the minimum to hold out in the final seven or eight minutes to clinch another final appearance in three weekends time.

The Ragg Camogie Grounds was resplendent as the game threw in and given the volume of rainfall the previous day and night, the pitch was in great condition.

Clonoulty Rossmore were the big pre-match favourites and they started the game in typically strong fashion, racing into the 0-5 to 0-1 lead after 13 minutes.

In that time, it was all about the class of Cait Devane who was in at full forward and being picked up by Avril Ryan, but that match-up didn’t last long as Devane had three points on the board in the first ten minutes, also setting up a goal chance which led to a penalty for the West club but Devane let Borris off the hook by driving the shot over the bar.

Indeed, Kellie Healy was called into action a few times in the first quarter as Clonoulty were well on top, with the Borris goalie denying Courtney Ryan with a great reaction save in the 13th minute as the Borris defence was at sixes and sevens; Julieanne Bourke dropping back onto Devane to try and curb her influence.

Borris actually took the lead with the first point of the game after three minutes through a brilliant effort on the run from Aoife Fitzgerald in the third minute, but they looked nervous in the first half and struggled to create anything going forward early doors.

Struggles continued elsewhere for Borris as they simply couldn’t contain Cait Devane as Julieanne Bourke was the latest to be on the receiving end of Devane’s ability, as the sharpshooter hit two savage points from play and a few frees to give her side a big early lead of 0-8 to 0-1 after 25 minutes. Borris in real trouble now.

The north club needed to produce something before the end of the half to hang their hat on for the second period and they did manage to reduce the gap to six by half-time despite two more good scores from Kate and Courtney Ryan for Clonoulty; Nicole Walsh pointing three frees to leave te deficit at 0-10 to 0-4 at the break.

Inspiration was needed for the Borris effort early in the half and whatever message their management team gave at half-time worked a treat, as they got off to a lightning start with a long ball from Nicole Walsh landing inside near goal and Moira Maher foraged for the ball in traffic before hand passing to Danielle Ryan who swiveled and lashed her shot to the back of the net. Game back on!

Clonoulty took some of the sting off that goal concession over the next few minutes through two Cait Devane placed balls but the re-deployment of Danielle Ryan into the inside forward line continued to pay dividends for Borris as she picked off a lovely point in the 40th minute after good work from Nicole Walsh and Aoife Fitzgerald. Clonoulty ahead 0-12 to 1-5.

Aoife Fitzgerald was all over the pitch for Borris so far, working incredibly hard to try and bring her side back into the game and she did just that in the 43rd minute, gathering the ball way out the pitch before taking off on a run and with the Clonoulty defence not coming to meet her, she kept going and when she got the sight of goal she took it, drilling a shot to the far corner to make it just a one-point game with the final quarter to come.

Confidence was now flowing for Borris as they had completely taken over the possession of the ball with Clonoulty second best to every ball but they managed to still nick two points in the next few minutes through another Devane-placed ball and a savage effort from Courtney Ryan from the sideline to edge Clonoulty three in front again with nine minutes left.

Borris weren’t fazed though and knew they were still in the game and amazingly levelled the game soon after when Nicole Walsh’s sideline was brilliantly gathered running across goal and the wing forward finished brilliantly across Cora Hennessy to bring the sides level for the first time since the game started.

Clonoulty were taking on significant water now as the Borris pressure was incessant but they did manage to manufacture two scoreable frees for Cait Devane on either side of a Nicole Walsh major to take a one-point lead which they somehow held onto in the last few minutes, and they will have been mightly relieved to hear Mike Ryan’s final whistle at the end of the game, as they now look ahead to another clash with Drom & Inch in the final.

Clonoulty Rossmore: Cora Hennessy; Katie Murphy, Aoife Bourke, Kate Ryan (0-1); Moira Kinane, Clodagh Quirke, Eimear Loughman; Kellie Quirke, Sinead Ryan; Kate Ferncombe, Courtney Ryan (0-2), Casey Hennessy; Eimear Bourke, Cait Devane (0-13, 0-6f, 0-2 45s, 0-1 pen), Avril Quirke.

Subs used: Lorna Ryan for Ferncombe (51); Bernadette Ryan for Murphy (51); Sophie Maher for K Ryan (58).

Borris-Ileigh: Kellie Healy; Katie Fitzgerald, Avril Ryan, Niamh McGrath; Emma Kelly, Julieanne Bourke, Teresa Ryan; Danielle Ryan (1-1), Noirin Stapleton; Aoife Fitzgerald (1-1), Nicole Walsh (0-4f), Ava Bevans (1-0); Therese Groome, Aoife Ryan, Jane Delaney.

Subs used: Moira Maher for Delaney (HT); Eve Maher for K Fitzgerald (52).

Referee: Mike Ryan (Nenagh Éire Óg)