ST VAL’S 2-4
CLONAKILTY 0-9
GER McCARTHY REPORTS
ST VAL’S denied Clonakilty the 2024 Cork LGFA Division 1 senior county league title in Ahamilla.
Two clubs expected to feature prominently in the upcoming Cork senior championship served up an engaging encounter despite wet and slippery underfoot conditions.
Goals in either half from Amy Sheppard and Aisling Kelleher proved pivotal for a St Val’s side that were on the back foot during the second and third quarters.
As for Clonakilty, level heading into the dying embers, this was a final the West Cork side could have won. Far too many turnovers coupled with just three second-half points made for, at times, frustrating viewing and St Val’s took full advantage.
‘It is a very disappointing result because we have actually had a very good league campaign,’ Clonakilty goalkeeper Martina O’Brien admitted.
‘Going into the championship, we now have a great base of work done. Look, any final or any match that you lose, it is always disappointing. Today, it was a final that either team could have won. It was there for the taking and, in fairness, Val’s took it. It was a good battle but a disappointing result for us.’
St Val's made their second trip to West Cork in as many weeks following a deserved 2-9 to 1-8 semi-final win over Castlehaven. Their opponents proved too strong for Glanmire in the last four, winning 2-9 to 0-12.
It was the mid-Cork side that enjoyed the better start and burst into a 1-1 to 0-0 lead after six minutes. Mairead Corkery’s converted free was followed by a flowing Val’s move that ended with Amy Sheppard netting from close range. Surprisingly, those would be the visitor’s only scores of the half.
Guilty of wasting numerous possessions throughout a torrid start, Clonakilty settled and dominated the remainder of the half. Two Siofra Patwell frees and another converted Sinéad O’Donovan effort moved the home side to within a point by the quarter-hour. The scores kept coming as a rampant Clonakilty tore through their opposing defence with Kate O’Donovan levelling matters via an excellent effort.
Ashling Hutchings and Sinéad O’Donovan completed a superb second quarter by edging the West Cork club 0-6 to 1-1 ahead before the break. In defensive mode, St Val’s broke from deep in their half and forced Martina O’Brien into a point-blank stop on the stroke of half time.
Aisling Moloney’s free edged Clonakilty three clear at the start of the second period. But that was the visitor’s cue to up the tempo and force a succession of turnovers. Not even an Aislinn O’Mahony yellow card could stop St Val’s from turning the final on its head with a brilliant Aisling Kelleher goal and Vera O’Connor point making it 2-2 to 0-7.
Back to their full complement, St Val’s Mairead Corkery landed a free following a Moira Barrett point. Then Cork camogie senior Millie Condon slalomed through to level matters with 11 minutes remaining.
Both sides put numbers behind the ball during a cagey closing spell dotted with lengthy injury delays. One more score looked likely to decide a tight affair and St Val’s grabbed it a minute from the end – corner-back Alice Buckley floated over a terrific effort from a tight angle to make it 2-4 to 0-9.
Despite a valiant effort, Clonakilty failed to find another equaliser during six minutes of injury-time and St Val’s hung on to claim a county league title.
Scorers
St Val’s: A Sheppard, A Kelleher 1-0 each; M Corkery 0-2 (2f); V O’Connor, A Buckley 0-1 each.
Clonakilty: S Pattwell (2f), S O’Donovan (1f) 0-2 each; K O’Donovan, A Hutchings, A Moloney (1f); M Barrett, M Condon 0-1 each.
St Val’s: C Love; A Buckley, C Ambrose, A Keane; N McNabola, M Cotter, B Cotter; A Corkery, A Kelleher; V O’Connor, M Corkery, A O’Mahony; A Sheppard, L O’Shea, C Kelleher.
Subs: C Cotter for A Kelleher (54, blood), A Kelleher for C Cotter (58, blood).
Clonakilty: M O’Brien; N Desmond Collins, S Callanan, R Shanley; A Hutchings, C Ryan, M O’Donovan; C O’Leary, M Barrett; A Moloney, S Pattwell, K O’Donovan; K O’Driscoll, S O’Donovan, M Condon.
Sub: Á O’Leary for S Pattwell (ht).
Referee: C McCarthy (Rosscarbery).
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