All Ireland Intermediate Club Championship Semi final

December 3, 2023

Shamrocks (Galway) v Clanmaurice (Kerry)
Date: 3 Dec, 1pm
Venue: The Ragg, Thurles
Referee: Gavin Donegan
FT: Shamrocks 2-5 Clanmaurice 1-12

MATCH REPORT

By Sarah Gaughran (Galway Camogie PRO)
Shamrocks dreams of making the AIB All Ireland Intermediate final in Croke Park were dashed on Sunday when they were beaten by a very experienced Clanmaurice team in the Ragg in Tipperary. Clanmaurice’s experience of winning games in the All Ireland series was evident as their panel of sixteen players dug deep in the second half to grind out the victory.

Clanmaurice started the brightest. Ann Marie Leen intercepted a Shamrocks puck out in the opening 30 seconds. She delivered a long ball into Caoimhe Spillane and Spillane laid the ball off to the player of the game, Jackie Horgan and Horgan blasted the ball past Ciara McClaren. Horgan delivered a good ball into Leen a minute later and Leen did very well as she put the ball over the bar. Shamrocks captain, Katie Donohue settled her side on the third minute when she struck over a close range free. She brought the sides level when a long ball in from Niamh McInerny wasn’t fully dealt with by the Clanmaurice defence and Donohue stayed fighting as she pulled on the ball into the back of the net with 8 minutes gone on the clock. Kate Lynch put Clanmaurice back into the lead a minute later. The game was full of rucks throughout the whole contest and there was an 11 minute period without any score in the second half. Donohue, Shamrocks only scorer of the half, pointed her second free of the day on the 20th minute, but it was the Kerry outfit that finished the half the strongest with points from Aoife Behan and two late on in the half from their star forward Horgan to leave Clanmaurice 1-5 to 1-2 ahead at the break. Credit must also go to Aoife Fitzgearld in the Clanmaurice net as she pulled off a fantastic save to deny Shamrocks a goal before the break.

Shamrocks came out with intent in the second half and started very well as they ran at the Clanmaurice defence. Niamh McInerny got her first score of the game when she slotted over a well taken point on the 33 rd minute while u16 star Leah O’Halloran followed up with a fantastic point from a difficult angle on the 36 th minute to reduce the deficit to one. However, Clanmaurice kicked into gear again as they scored five points without reply in a ten minute period. Horgan with 0-4 (0-1F) and Lynch with 0-1 put Clanmaurice into a six point lead heading into the final nine minute. Shamrocks were given a lifeline on the 54th minute when Emily Lawless, Katie Gilchrist and O’Halloran all teamed up and waited patiently as O’Halloran blasted the ball into the back of the net to leave three between the side. Horgan responded a minute later with another well taken score from play while McInerny got her second of the day on the 57th minute but it wasn’t enough as Clanmaurice ran out 1-11 to 2-5 winners on the day.

While Shamrocks will be disappointed they can look back on the year with a smile as they claimed county and Connacht titles on their journey. The experience of the Clanmaurice side was key to their victory today. Shamrocks are still quite a young outfit and will have learnt lots from this experience that they can bring with them as they enter the Senior B ranks for the 2024 season.

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