Clonkill open league with win over Lough Lene Gaels
Clonkill 0-17, Lough Lene Gaels 0-1
The Westmeath Senior Camogie League threw-in last Friday evening in Collinstown as the visiting side of Clonkill came away with the points thanks to some fine scoring from senior county stars, Megan Dowdall and Claire Gaffney, in a comprehensive win over Lough Lene Gaels. The beaten side in the 2024 championship final were in a scoring mood from the off and although they misfired at times, the David O’Reilly managed side will be more than content with their opening outing.
It took less than ten-seconds for Dowdall to get her name on the scoresheet as she nabbed possession from the throw, burst forward and fired over from distance. Before the two-minute mark, Dowdall had her second after striking over a free she won herself. A half-chance for Gaels forward, Lauren Kavanagh, was snuffed out by solid defending from the impressive half-back, Meadbh Scally, before Reanna Kennedy hit two wides in quick succession. On the quarter-hour and playing against the wind, Ella Murtagh created a great goal opportunity only for Aoife Flynn to put in a sensational block. Clonkill went in with a solid lead, firing six more unanswered points before the whistle. Dowdall, Gaffney, and Murtagh firing two apiece. To their credit, Lough Lene Gaels kept the tempo up but were it not for some good goalkeeping from Kelly Dobson, Brian and Noel Conaty may have seen their side left with little hope by the interval. As it was, Clonkill went in 0-8 to no score ahead.
Dobson, once again, had to deny Clonkill early in the half before Dowdall’s free extended the lead. Both sides made changes as the opening round game drew to an inevitable conclusion. Points ten, eleven, and twelve came in as many minutes with Caoimhe Coogan, the impressive Ciara Dolan, and Gaffney (a brilliant catch and score) all hitting the target. The best chance the Gaels found was through Kennedy but Ellen Tuite was alert to stop the goal-bound shot. Coogan, Dowdall (three), and Gaffney completed the scoring as a late Reanna Kennedy free gave the Gaels their sole point of the day following a foul on substitute Jessie Ginnell on the 21-yard line.
Scorers – Clonkill: M Dowdall 0-8 (3f, 1 45’), C Gaffney 0-4, C Coogan, E Murtagh 0-2 each, C Dolan 0-1.
Lough Lene Gaels: R Kennedy 0-1f.
Clonkill: Ellen Tuite; Anne Marie Reilly, Ellen Flanagan, Alannah Coogan; Ciara Dolan, Meadbh Scally, Roz Daly; Aisling Egerton, Caoimhe Coogan; Claire Gaffney, Megan Dowdall, Chloe Galligan; Ella Murtagh, Shauna Conneely, Katie Nea. Subs used: Katie McDonnell for Galligan (inj., 35), Áine Doyle for Conneely (40), Gemma Nooney for A Coogan (40), Katie Muldoon for Reilly (56), Aoibhinn Flynn for Nea (56).
Lough Lene Gaels: Kelly Dobson; Aoife Flynn, Aisling Duffy, Niamh Dermody; Alva McCabe, Elisha Gavigan, Grace Costello; Aideen Dermody, Alisha Harte; Shauna Coghlan, Reanna Kennedy, Órlaith Winters; Ellen Higgins, Lauren Kavanagh, Ellie Fitzsimons. Subs used: Katie Egan for Fitzsimons (40), Catríona Kennedy for Winters (43), Jessie Ginnell for Harte (inj., 48), Laura Tierney for N Dermody (56), Emma Moran for Kavanagh (56).
Referee: Jimmy Greville (Castlepollard).