O’Sullivan sisters run riot as big guns claim provincial crowns

SportsJOE

By Declan Rooney

It was the pinnacle of the ladies football club calendar.

Mourneabbey 2-18 4-8 Ballymacarbry, Munster final

Mourneabbey manager Shane Ronayne expressed his satisfaction after the reigning All-Ireland Senior Club Champions made it six-in-a-row in Munster.

Mourneabbey saw off the challenge of Waterford outfit Ballymacarbry by 2-18 to 4-8 in Bahsha on Sunday.

Cork stars Ciara and Doireann O’Sullivan scored 2-11 between them as Mourneabbey denied Ballymacarbry in the closing stages. Goals from Lauren Guiry, Aileen Wall, Michelle Ryan and Lauren McGregor gave the Waterford champions the lead but Mourneabbey sparkled in the closing stages to claim the win.

“It was an incredibly tough game. It was a super game for a neutral, it wasn’t easy on the sideline,” said Mourneabbey manager Shane Ronayne.

“We leaked four goals today and we leaked four in the county semi-final as well. Maybe we took our eye off the ball. It’s back to the drawing board as regards the defending. We need to be better.”

The reward for the winners is a crack at Ulster winners Donaghmoyne at the All-Ireland semi-final stage, in what will be a repeat of the 2015 Final.

Donaghmoyne 1-11 1-9 Termon, Ulster

Donaghmoyne reclaimed their provincial title with a 1-11 to 1-9 victory over Donegal outfit Termon on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the other All-Ireland Senior semi-final on November 10 will be contested by Galway’s Kilkerrin/Clonberne, who retained their Connacht title, and last year’s runners-up Dublin’s Foxrock-Cabinteely, who made it five-in-a-row in Leinster.

Donaghmoyne had late points from teenagers Lauren Garland and Louise Kerley to thank as they eventually shook off the resilient challenge of Termon for a two-point victory.

Geraldine McLaughlin scored all of her side’s nine points, while a 42nd minute Lucy O’Flynn goal looked like giving them the win, but a Cora Courtney goal and Kerley’s five points saw the Monaghan side to victory.

“It was tight the whole way through, we know it was going to be tight but the girls pulled it out there in the end,” said Donaghmoyne selector Anne Marie Burns.

“When they went a point up I thought we were in a bit of bother but then wee Lauren stepped up and no bother to her she threw it over the bar. If we have the right work rate we will get over the line.”

Kilkerrin/Clonberne 3-21 Kilbride 1-6, Connacht

Nicola Ward starred as Kilkerrin/Clonberne accounted for the challenge of Roscommon’s Kilbride on a 3-21 to 1-6 scoreline.

In Connacht, Louise and Nicola Ward struck 3-3 between them as Kilkerrin/Clonberne claimed back-to-back Connacht Senior Club titles with a convincing victory over Kilbride in Enfield.

“We’re happy enough to win two Connachts. Not a bad day’s work,” said Kilkerrin/Clonberne manager Kevin Reidy.

“We are looking forward to the semi-final now. It’s down to last four and they are going to be tough games. There will be nothing easy at this stage.”

Fox/Cab 4-6 1-7 Sarsfields

Last year’s other All-Ireland finalists, Foxrock/Cabinteely, secured a fifth Leinster Senior Ladies Football Championship title in succession with an emphatic triumph over Sarsfields of Laois.

Goals from Jodi Egan, Katie McNally, Hannah O’Neill and Aisling Murphy helped the Dublin champions to the win, and they now face Connacht winners Kilkerrin/Clonberne in the last-four of the national grade.

“We know Sarsfields so well and we knew it was going to be a battle. We’ve played them a few times and we just knew if we got a good start, we’d put ourselves into a good position just to control the game then. Thank God we did get those two early goals, because that was the difference in the end,” said Foxrock/Cabinteely captain, Amy Connolly.

“Peter Clarke our manager has always said that everyone is replaceable. No matter what your name is, we still have someone to fill in. It’s horrible to see the likes of Sinead Goldrick injured and Niamh Collins were unable to play today. It’s hard going into a match thinking that we’re missing them, but at the same time we know we’ve such a strength in depth in our squad and our subs, and all the young girls coming up.”

Elsewhere, Donoughmore and Inch Rovers were crowned Junior and Intermediate champions respectively in Munster, while Edendork and St Paul’s claimed the Ulster Junior and Intermediate titles. In Leinster Kilcock and Naomh Ciaran were crowned Junior and Intermediate champions.

Meanwhile, Sligo champions St Nathy’s progressed to the All-Ireland Intermediate Club championship semi-finals after their All-Ireland quarter-final win against Parnell’s in London, while CL McHale Rovers booked their place in the Junior semi-finals.

Results:

Connacht:

SFC Final

Kilbride (Roscommon) 1-6 Kilkerrin-Clonberne (Galway) 3-21

Leinster:

JFC semi-final

Kilcock (Kildare) 3-11 Grattan (Longford) 2-11

IFC semi-final

Naomh Ciaran (Offaly) 2-16 Old Leighlin (Carlow) 1-8

SFC Final

Foxrock-Cabinteely (Dublin) 4-6 Sarsfields (Laois) 1-7

Munster: