Press Release Clare Ladies Football Board 29/04/2006 Match Report Munster B Championship 2nd Round Clare 5 - 10 Limerick 0 - 5 Clare U - 14's again turned in a very good performance to out-gun old rivals Limerick in this Munster B Championship second round game played in Miltown on Saturday 29th April. Manager James Lafferty and his backroom team of J.J. O'Dea (The Banner), John Geraghty (The Banner), James Pender (Miltown), P.J. O'Halloran (Coolmeen) and Kay Considine (Kilmihil) will be well pleased with this second comprehensive win on the trot. After last week's demolition of Waterford there was always the danger that Clare could be caught on the hop in this one but when Aoife Davoren landed a great point for Clare in their opening attack it was clear that the team again meant business. A good start for Clare became a great start a minute later when Megan Hough was put through and gave the Limerick keeper no chance with an unstoppable shot to the net. Ailish Considine added another point for Clare before Limerick opened their account with a pointed free after eighteen minutes. Considine added another point before Limerick had their only other first half score with a second point on twenty one minutes. From here to the break it was all Clare and their pressure was rewarded with a Hough point on twenty six minutes followed a minute later by a brilliant individual goal from Niamh O'Dea. The Clare girls thus retired at the break with a 2 - 4 to 0 - 2 lead and they would have the wind behind them in the second half. Clare owed much of their first half dominance to a very hardworking display from both their mid-fielders Sally Glynn and Eimear O'Connor. Centre back Catherine Danaher and wing back Sarah Bohannon were also playing well and giving very little away to the Limerick forwards. Aoife Murphy was also having a solid game at full back despite marking Limerick's most dangerous forward. The Banner girls opened well in the second half and had rapid fire points from Hough and Considine. Limerick to their credit answered with an early brace of their own before Considine goaled for the saffron and blue after seven minutes to effectively smother any revival hopes Limerick may have had. Clare now began to take complete control of affairs and added two goals (Hough) and four points (Hough, O'Dea & Sinéad Sexton) to Limerick's solitary point before game's end. Final score Clare 5 - 10, Limerick 0 - 5. Irrespective of future results Clare are now through to the Munster B final even though they still have a game against Tipperary to play. This team are coming together nicely but still have some work to be done before they are the finished article. Limerick had long periods of dominance in this match and at times put the Clare defence under severe pressure. Poor shooting rather than good defensive play came to Clare's rescue on several occasions especially in the opening half. Even in the second half Clare were often caught defensively and one feared they could be more severely punished by a more confident and superior forward line such as that possessed by either Cork or Kerry. In saying that the backs did what they had to do and Laura Brennan excelled in a sweeper role in the second half and Sarah Bohannon continued to have a really fine game ably assisted by Louise Woods on her opposite wing.. To the victors the spoils and Clare were really far superior overall than Limerick. One has to heap praise on the quality and accuracy of the whole Clare forward line. When in full flight they are a joy to watch & when they create space they are simply unstoppable. Their Achilles heel is that they do not leave the ball off quickly enough on occasions & run into blind corners forcing a blockdown of their final effort or a free out for over-carrying. This is something that can be worked on in the training field however. Another concern must be Clare's failure to win their own kickouts on most occasions - a strategy to gain a more plentiful return from this aspect of their play must be devised as they cannot afford to concede possession to the superior teams that lie ahead of them. All in all though this was another good day for Clare ladies football and congratulations all round to all involved. Clare: Siobhán Talty, Laura Brennan, Aoife Murphy, Miriam Frawley, Louise Woods, Catherine Danaher, Sarah Bohannon, Sally Glynn, Eimear O'Connor, Niamh O'Dea, Aoife Davoren, Katie Curtin, Laurie Ryan, Megan Hough, Ailish Considine. Subs: Lisa Loughnane, Sinéad Sexton, Shauna Coughlin, Niamh O'Connell, Niamh Pender. Dr. Paul McKenna, PRO Clare Ladies Football Board. 086-6036385 Tweet

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