The Galway Intermediate Camogie team bounced back from defeat against Cork as they overcame Clare by eleven points in Inagh on Saturday. Three first half goals in the space of four minutes was key to success.
It was Clare who started the brightest with two Aisling Cooney frees. Chloe Broderick replied with Galway’s opening score in the tenth minute. Then three goals from the sticks of Mairead Dillion, Aoife Kelly and Katie Donohue between the 14th and 18th minutes really laid the marker for the Galway side's victory as they earned an eight point lead.
Hannah Mai Neylon almost scored a goal for the Banner before Reisteal Kelly got a vital hook to deny Clare a goal. Both sides added a point each to their tally just before the break, the half-time score-line read 3-2 to 0-3.
Clare knew they had to attack Galway from the start of the second half to claw back the deficit. Cooney added another free to her tally at the start of the half, but points from Galway captain Ava Lynskey, and a free from Broderick left the score at 3-6 to 0-4. Aoibheann Barry added two points to her tally while substitute Emma O’Donoghue replied with one for Clare. Grainne O’Neill got her name on the score sheet near the end of the half.
Dramatically, in the 60th minute, O’Donohue was pulled down in the square and Clare were awarded a penalty. Aoibhin McNamara stepped up to take the resulting penalty and slotted the ball over the bar as Galway ran out 3-9 to 0-7 winners on the day.
Galway will be delighted that they have kept their hopes of making a league final alive. They portrayed their ability to punish their opposition when they were given the opportunity to. Reisteal Kelly, Ava Lynskey, Aoibheann Barry and Chloe Broderick were some of Galway’s top performers. For Clare, Aisling Cooney, Sinead Power and Hannah Mai Neylon played well. Galway have two must-win away games against Tipperary on the 2nd of March and against Wexford on the 9th of March. A win in both of these games should secure a spot in the league final.
Galway: Caoimhe Hickey, Ellen Burke, Sarah Lyons, Reisteal Kelly, Chloe Allen, Ria McPhilbin, Joanne Daly, Chloe Broderick (0-3F ), Léana Nic Dhonncha, Katie Donohue (1-0 ), Kayla Madden, Aoibheann Barry (0-3 ), Ava Lynskey (0-2 ), Mairead Dillon (1-0 ), Aoife Kelly (1-0 )
Subs: Siofra Kelly for Burke (34 ), Pearl Finnerty for Allen (52 ), Grainne O’Neill for Dillon (54 ), Aoibhe Joyce for Barry (54 ), Caroline Lawless for Daly (57 ), Aoife Keane for R. Kelly (57 )
Clare: Sophie Cullen, Rebecca Crowe, Bonnie Wiley Murphy, Sinead Hogg, Jennifer Nicholas, Rachel Kelly, Sinead O’Keeffe, Sinead Power, Cliodhna Queally, Mary Hanrahan, Kate O’Gorman, Dannielle Beston, Hannah Mai Neylon, Aisling Cooney (0-4F ), Eimear Begley
Subs: Aisling Moloney for Hanrahan (HT ), Emma O’Donoghue (0-1 ) for O’Gorman (HT ), Aoibhin McNamara (0-2, 0-2f ) for Begley (HT ), Mary O’Connor for Queally (41 ), Olivia Phelan for Cooney (42 ), Elisha Rynne for Beston (42 ), Neasa Ní Lachtnáin for Crowe (57 ), Éabha McInerney for Hogg (59 )
