Aisling O'Brien helps Lismore advance in Camogie Semi Final.

This years County Senior Camogie Final will be a repeat of last years final and a repeat of this years league final after Lismore came through their semi final meeting with Galltir at the Dungarvan Club Grounds on Saturday afternoon last to set up an eagerly awaited clash with Saint Anne’s.

Over the course of the hour there can be no doubting that the overall better team on the day won through to the final, but Galltir will be cursing their luck that they did not put more up in the score board on the day, but for that they will have to blame Lismore’s goalkeeper Aisling O’Brien.

Normally, when it comes to a win, a lot of the plaudits goes to the person that finishes the game with the highest tally after their name on the score sheet.

This honour fell to the impressive Aoife Hannon, who finished the game with 2-6 behind her name, but in this game I am sure that she will not mind allowing her colleague at the other end of the field been named player of the match.

The inter county net minder on the day put in a very solid display. For Galltir, Trish Jackman was without doubt their most influential player, registering all of their scores (1-2) and she is somewhat unlucky not to have finished the game with a higher tally.

At least three times during the game she attempted to have a green flag waved, but the Lismore player who I have seen playing between the post from a young age many times was at her very best to keep the Galltir long hitter from registering more than she did.

Lismore ended the first half holding a 2-5 to 0-2 lead but they will possibly be the first to admit that they should have hit a higher tally in those opening thirty minutes but also that they were unlucky not to have struck more.

On more than one occasion in the first half, Lismore were found guilty of missing score able chances. There is an old saying in the GAA that you go for your points and that the goals will come, but in the opening thirty minutes, Lismore were going for goals when they should be going for their points and as a result Clara Horgan between the posts for Galltir was comfortably able to deal with the shots, while on other occasions when they did go for points, the ball fell just short of its intended target and the Galltir number 1 was again able to clear the danger.

Lismore opened the half in whirlwind fashion as Aoife Hannon pointed inside a minute of the game starting.

Seconds later they extended their lead when Caithriona McGlone blasted to the net it was followed up with a Johnanna Houlihan point.

Aoife Hannon pointed again for Lismore before Galltir got off the mark on eight minutes when Trish Jackman put over a forty five and six minutes later the same player pointed from a free to leave her side trailing 1-3 to 0-2 at the break.

Ten minutes from the break Aoife Hannon struck for a second goal blasting to the net after an inward bound goal was batted down in the Galltir defence and from fourteen metres the Lismore player made no mistake shooting on the rebound, an art often not seen enough in the men’s game.

Sinead Walsh added a point on twenty two minutes and seconds later Lismore were somewhat unlucky not to have added a third goal but good defending by the side in sky blue shirts forced Caithriona McGlone over the end line while shooting.

A point from Aoife Hannon gave Lismore a 2-5 to 0-2 advantage with five minutes to play, but Galltir were unlucky to go in trailing on this score line at the break as Aisling O’Brien made a terrific save from Trish Jackman on twenty six minutes and a minute later the same two players were in action again as the Lismore and Waterford net minder terrifically saved a powerfully struck free from the Galltir long hitting shooter.

Galltir had a tonic start to the second half as at the third time of asking Trish Jackman did manage to beat Aisling O’Brien for a beautiful goal, but it was to be the last time that Galltir would score in the game.

Ruth Geoghegan struck for a third Lismore goal on thirty five minutes, and five minutes later it was Aoife Hannon for the second time in the game had the umpires reaching for a green flag after she put the ball into the net from a lengthy pass from Sarah Geoghegan.

Aoife Hannon and Ruth Geoghegan added points before Nicola Morrissey struck for her first of the game to give Lismore a 4-8 to 1-2 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Aoife Hannon hit a brace of scores to stretch Lismore’s lead before Nicola Morrissey struck again with eight minutes of the game to play.

Aisling O’Brien again proved her worth between the posts for Lismore with another excellent save from Trish Jackman who hit a powerful low shot at the Lismore goal five minutes from time and in stoppage time when Lismore won a twenty metre free the call went up invited the net minder to make the long run up field to shoot at goal, but she saw her shot go just over the cross bar.

Lismore will be happy with this win, but they will know that if they are to win against Saint Anne’s in two weeks time, they will have to put chances that they missed especially in the first half between the uprights.

Lismore: Aisling O’Brien; Sarah Coughlan, Shauna Prendergast, Sandra Prendergast; Marie Russell, Shauna Kiernan, Sarah Geoghegan; Aoife Houlihan, Shona Curran; Nicola Morrissey, Ruth Geoghegan, Sinead Walsh; Aoife Hannon, Caithriona McGlone, Johanna Houlihan. Subs: Jennifer Kingston for Marie Russell, Shauna Fennessy for Ruth Geoghegan, Sarah Russell for Shauna Fennessy.

Scorers: Aoife Hannon 2-6 (0-4 frees) Ruth Geoghegan 1-1, Caithriona McGlone 1-0, Nicola Morrissey 0-2, Johanna Houlihan, Sinead Walsh, Aisling O’Brien (free) 0-1 each.

Galltir: Clara Horgan; Áine O’Keeffe, Claire O’Riordan, Emma Hannon; Laura Flynn, Trish Jackman, Aoife Scallon; Bella Daniels, Claire Dunne; Roisin Flood, Sara Judge, Fiona Conroy; Shannon Delahunty, Margo Heffernan, Sarah Smith.

Scorers: Trish Jackman 1-2 (0-1 ’45, 0-1 free).