Clonkill have the Power as brave Drumraney bow out
Clonkill 5-19, Drumraney 2-2
Two goals in the first half from Lucy Power set Clonkill on their way to victory over Drumraney in the semi-final of the Senior A Championship in Coralstown-Kinnegad GAA last Saturday.
The second of the double-header in the N4 venue brought no-less of a demolition as the first decider as Clonkill went through the gears to dispatch a Drumraney side who did not do justice to their fine season with that performance. The Loughegar side, to their credit, utilised all their experience from last season where they succumbed to Raharney in the final as they built a solid foundation and never looked back.
Power had the sliotar in the net after six minutes as Yvonne Coen and Meadbh Scally combined to find the pacey dual player who fired home. Megan Dowdall, having watched sister Holly open the scoring with a free earlier, found her range to make it 1-2 to 0-0.
Drumraney got going through Kate Whyte’s free but it merely cancelled out the previous effort from Rebecca Dunne. Rapid points from Scally, Megan Dowdall (free), and Coen pushed the lead out to eight, 1-6 to 0-1, as the clock hit twenty minutes.
Becca Croash made her first save from Annmarie Moran’s shot and that was as good as it got for Cyril Crosbie’s team as Holly Dowdall’s trio bookended the second Power goal just before half-time as she found the net at the second-attempt. At the break, Clonkill were full value for their 2-9 to 0-1 lead and knew a solid second half would see them through.
Drumraney lost influential player, Emily McCabe, to an injury early in the half but she managed to return for the final quarter. Clonkill took advantage of the enforced change as Power, Dowdall (free), and Roz Daly all continued the rising tally.
Things followed a one-way direction for the next minutes as Holly Dowdall added a well-struck 45 before Scally blasted to the net to make it 3-13 to 0-1. Drumraney found a point courtesy of Ashling Cronin off her left but Holly Dowdall found two more, one coming from another 45.
With less than a quarter-hour to go, the large Drumraney support were given two reasons to cheer. Firstly, Kate Whyte saw her long-range effort hit the tall post before Chloe Butler pounced to hit the net with a first-time effort. No sooner was the ball back in play when Drumraney won a free. Incredibly, the drifting shot was touched home through the bodies by Butler for her second.
That was the end of their scoring as Clonkill regained command to finish with another 1-5. Megan Dowdall, now in the forward line, hit 1-1 in sixty seconds before Dunne and substitute Ali Brennan raised white flags.
With the last effort, Megan Dowdall took a lovely pass from Alanna Coogan before turning sharply, applying the power, and rocketing from close range to the net. A scoreline of 5-19 gives Clonkill a fine display and although the game did not materialise into the close contest many envisaged, the scoring was a joy to watch.
Scorers – Clonkill: H Dowdall 0-8 (0-3 from frees, 0-2 from 45’s), L Power 2-2, M Dowdall 2-3 (0-1 from a free), M Scally 1-1, R Dunne 0-2, R Daly 0-1, Y Coen 0-1, A Brennan 0-1.
Drumraney: C Butler 2-0, A Cronin 0-1, K Whyte 0-1 (free).
Clonkill: Becca Croash; Ellen Flanagan, Claire Gaffney, Áine Doyle; Ciara Dolan, Megan Dowdall, Chloe Galligan; Aisling Egerton, Caoimhe Coogan; Roz Daly, Lucy Power, Holly Dowdall; Rebecca Dunne, Meadbh Scally, Yvonne Coen. Subs used: Alanna Coogan for Egerton (35), Katie Daly for Coen (38), Ali Brennan for Daly (51), Ella Murtagh for Dolan (51).
Drumraney: Ellie Temple; Amy Hughes, Emily McCabe, Aimee Murphy; Rhone Cuffe, Chloe Moran, Tara Hughes; Ashling Cronin, Aimee Duncan; Kate Whyte, Annmarie Moran, Louise Connell; Emily Craven, Chloe Butler, Ashling McLoughlin. Subs used: Rebecca O’Kane for McCabe (34), Emily McCabe for T Hughes (41), Mairéad Martin for A Hughes.
Referee: Alan Lagrue (Kildare).