Senior B Final: St Thomas v Clarinbridge

2023 Windows & Rooflights Ltd Senior B Club Championship Final

St Thomas v Clarinbridge
21 Oct, 4pm
Venue: Loughrea
Ref: Karol Collins

FT: St Thomas 0-13 Clarinbridge 0-13

Match Report

St Thomas and Clarinbridge will have to go head to head again as the sides finished deadlocked in Loughrea in the Windows and Rooflights Ltd Senior B Championship final. It was a game of two halves with Clarinbridge preforming well in the first half while St Thomas sprung into action in the second half.

County star, Carrie Dolan opened the scoring on the third minute when she struck over a free. Aine Keane replied with a free of her own while Orla Mullins slotted over a point on the 8th minute to leave St Thomas in the driving seat. Clarinbridge responded well however with two Dolan frees and a wonderful individual point by Niamh Niland meant that Clarinbridge were two points to the good with 14 minutes gone in the half. Sarah Healy reduced the deficit to one with a point from play on the 16th minute but it was Clarinbridge who started to take a grip on the game with points from Niland, Siobhán Carr and a well taken point from the sideline by Amy Hooban while Dolan slotted over another free to leave them 0-8 to 0-3 ahead with five minutes remaining in the half. Siobhán Mullins, who’s shot hit off the post and over the bar and Dolan swapped points from play before the end of the half to leave it Clarinbridge 0-9 St Thomas 0-4 heading into the break.

It was the battle of the free takers in the second half. A massive effort was required by St Thomas and county star, Aine Keane was to the fore in the comeback. Keane opened the scoring with three frees in the opening ten minutes of the half. Dolan added two more placed balls to her tally between the 40th and 42nd minutes. But, it was St Thomas who continued to try and push on in a 17 minute period with five Keane points through placed balls and another point from Healy and it looked like St Thomas were going to be lifting the cup. However, two late Dolan frees on the 62nd and 63rd minutes meant that the sides will have to do it again.

Both teams had purple patches in the game and a draw was probably a fair result. They will have to go at it again in order to try and win the Senior B title and earn promotion to the Senior A ranks for 2024.

Math Photos

Match photos credit: Michael Gough

Clarinbridge Senior Team
St Thomas Senior Team

Team & mascot photos: photo credit Michael Gough

Match Preview

 Niall Gillane, Áine Keane, and Fiona Burke (St Thomas), Declan Lally (Windows & Rooflights Ltd. , Senior A and B Championship Sponsor), Ciara Murphy and Fergal McGee (Clarinbridge).
Photo credit: Don Soules Photography

MATCH PREVIEW

The 2023 Windows and Rooflights LTD Senior B Camogie Championship final sees 2022 finalists St Thomas’ take on 2020 Intermediate champions Clarinbrige. When the sides met early in the year, there was very little between the sides so today promises to be a very intriguing encounter.

Clarinbridge are the only unbeaten side in the Senior B competition to date. They have some key figures such a Galway sharp shooter Carrie Dolan along with other big names such as Niamh Niland and Siobhán and Aoibhe Carr. Clarinbridge over come Eyrecourt comfortably in their opening game. The took on St Thomas in their second round game with only two points separating the sides with Clarinbrige coming out on top. Salthill Knocknacarra tried to launch a late come back against Clarinbridge but they held out for the finish to make it three wins from three in their group games. The reward for topping the group was a chance for Clarinbridge to enter into the Senior A competition. Unfortunately for Clarinbridge, they were unlucky to lose out to Athenry by the slimmest of margins after a gallant effort from the Bridge girls in dreadful conditions. They needed to pick themselves up a week later for a Senior B Semi final against Castlegar. It wasn’t easy for Clarinbridge as extra time was required to separate the sides on the day with Clarinbridge prevailing as three point winners on the day.

St Thomas will be hoping to make up for the disappointment of last years loss to Davitts. They have plenty of experience throughout their side with seasoned campaigners such as Lorraine Coen, Aine Keane, Heather Cooney and Sarah Healy all part of the set up. St Thomas have had some very close encounter throughout the contest to date. A goal from Coen was the difference between the sides when they overcame Castlegar in their opening game. They got off to the perfect start against Clarinbridge in their second game scoring 1-2 without reply in the opening 12 minutes. They were unlucky for a few scores in the contest as the game could have went either way. They dusted off their disappointment quite quickly however as they comfortably overcame Kinvara in their final group game. St Thomas topped their group and this set up a spot in the Senior A quarter finals against All Ireland Champions Sarsfields. St Thomas stuck with Sarsfields in the opening half but the experience of the All Ireland Champions shone through in the second half. Like Clarinbridge, St Thomas’ needed extra time to overcome Salthill Knocknacarra. The experienced players shone through in helping them in getting over the line and into back to back Senior B County Finals.

When the sides met earlier in the year the game could have went either way. Both sides have leaders on their teams and the team that is the hungriest should prevail. With only a puck of a ball between the sides the last day, goals will prove pivotal to whoever prevails today.

ADDITIONAL