Lismore are heading back to Croke Park

Lismore Camogie Club have made it back to back All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie Club Final appearances at Croke Park after they came through a hard fought semi final against Galway side Oranmore Maree at Charleville.

The winners had to play practically all of the second half with a numerical disadvantage after Cork referee Cathal Egan sent off wing back Aoife Houlihan shortly after the restart after he had engaged in a lengthy conversation with the fourth official who called the referee’s attention to an incident that many failed to see.

From their 2-7 to 0-5 win over Sarsfields from Cork in the Munster Final at Fermoy, Lismore made two changes in personal for this game as Niamh Molumphy and Johanna Houlihan came into the starting fifteen with Sarah Coughlan and Laura Buckley the players unlucky to miss out, while of the rest of the team just seven started in the same position as in the game in Fermoy.

Lismore set out their stall from the off. They opened the scoring on three minutes when Grainne Kenneally picked out the ever reliable Aoife Hannon who split the posts.

Soon afterward, Lismore extended their lead. Again it was Aoife Houlihan that found the range, this time having been picked out by Ruth Geoghegan whose goal midway through the second half of the Munster Final secured Lismore’s spot in this game, and on six minutes Lismore went three points in front as Ruth Geoghegan again proved to be the provider this time for Johanna Houlihan who repaid the confidence shown to her by the selectors in giving her a starting place.

Heading into this game, Lismore knew that if they could keep Ailish O’Reilly chances of striking at the posts down, they were always in with a great chance of advancing from this game. There can be no doubting that the Oranmore Maree player is a player of some quality and she showed why she is so valued not just to her club side but to the Galway senior team by hitting the next two scores of the game, both from frees to leave just one between the sides.

Think of all the great goal scorers in the last year or two when it comes to Gaelic Games, and the name of Catriona McGlone always has to get a mention.

She hit three of them in last year’s All-Ireland Final replay win over Ballyhale Shamrocks in Clonmel. Another was hit in the sides 1-7 to 0-9 win in the County Final over Saint Anne’s at Fraher Field last September and she struck another important goal in the sides 2-7 to 0-5 win over Sarsfields in the Munster Final at Fermoy.

She struck another in this game, finishing off a Nicola Morrissey pass on nine minutes which gave her side a 1-3 to 0-2 lead.

The Galway side soon afterwards were unlucky not to have had a green flag waved at the other end of the field. Niamh Hanniffy tried her luck but her effort rise narrowly over Tanya Morrissey’s crossbar.

Free takers Aoife Hannon and Ailish O’Reilly swapped scores from placed balls before Lismore hit a purple patch as Shona Curran from distance, Aoife Hannon from a ’45, Nicola Morrissey capitalising on a free that dropped short, Shona Curran and Nicola Morrissey again shared five points without reply to give Lismore 1-9 to 0-4 lead.

The Galway side however managed to cut Lismore’s lead by two at the break as Ailish O’Reilly from two placed balls hit two points to send the sides in at the turn around with Lismore leafing 1-9 to 0-6.

The dismissal of Aoife Houlihan somewhat controversially at the start of second half for a while handed to momentum to Oranmore Maree as Lismore worked out how they played against a team with a numerical advantage.

It was Lismore however that was first to score in the second half as Sharon Williams having been set up by Ruth Geoghegan sent Lismore seven points in front.

Oranmore Maree hit the next five points, all off the stick of Ailish O’Reilly, four of which came from placed balls, the other a sweetly struck effort from near the sideline 45 metre’s out from goal.

Lismore were now under a little bit of pressure. However some wayward shooting from the Galway side was to cost them, Genevieve Joyce and Ailish O’Reilly guilty of the worst misses.

Within minutes of coming on as a sub, Aisling O’Brien who played in goal for the side in the run up to the 2014 All-Ireland win, playing at the opposite end of the field caught a Ruth Geoghegan pass in front of goal and slotted over the bar to break Oranmore Maree’s run of successive scores. For a moment it looked as though a goal was on the cards but the safer option was taken which proved to be the best one.

That score gave a new life to Lismore and further points from Shona Curran and Nicola Morrissey followed which gave them a five point 1-13 to 0-11 lead.

With two minutes left, Ailish O’Reilly broke through the Lismore defence and slotted the ball past Tanya Morrissey and when the same player followed up with a point, just one separated the sides.

Lismore now needed to call on all their experience and it came to the fore.

A free from Shona Curran went wide of the uprights, but Lismore refused to panic. From the restart Grainne Kenneally won the ball and found Shona Curran who shot from distance and this time her effort went between the uprights.

At the end of the hour two added minutes were signaled to be played at the end of the hour. Five were played. In these added minutes Lismore had to defend like they never defended before. One mistake could have left Oranmore Maree in for a goal, but it never happened. Lismore held on for a 1-14 to 1-12 win and will not play Kilkenny side Piltown in the All-Ireland final at Croke Park on March 1.

The occasion will be the second year in a row that sides from Waterford and Kilkenny will clash in the championship decider at Croke Park.

Last year against Ballyhale Shamrocks the sides could not be separated.

Lismore would love to win in Croke Park (so would Piltown, who wouldn’t), but if a winner on the day could not be found it would hardly be a surprise and the side may have to meet again, with Clonmel again the likely venue for any replay. Lismore to be honest if they were to retain their All-Ireland title wont mind at what venue it happens. They are sixty plus minutes from getting the chance of it happening. They are closer to it happening now than they were a week ago, but for it to happen they first have to beet a good Piltown side.

Lismore: Tanya Morrissey; Niamh Molumphy, Shauna Prendergast, Marie Russell; Aoife Houlihan, Shauna Kiernan, Sarah Fenton; Grainne Kenneally, Shona Curran; Ruth Geoghegan, Aoife Hannon, Sharon Williams; Nicola Morrissey, Catriona McGlone, Johnanna Houlihan. Subs: Aisling O’Brien for Johanna Houlihan, Sarah Coughlan for Niamh Molumphy

Rest of the Panel: Sarah Geoghegan, Ellen Curran, Alice Russell, Laura Buckley, Kate Heneghan

Scorers: Aoife Hannon (1f, 1 ‘45), Shona Curran (1f) 0-4 each, Catriona McGlone 1-0, Nicola Morrissey, Johanna Houlihan, Sharon Williams, Aisling O’Brien 0-1 each.

Oranmore Maree: Sorcha Hanniffy; Aoife Bannon, Roisin Black, Sacra Mannion; Ciara Hanniffy, Christina Brennan, Tara Costello; Kelly Malone, Lorraine Reynolds; Aisling Finn, Ailish O’Reilly, Eimear O’Donovan; Niamh Hanniffy, Genevieve Joyce, Shannon Costello. Subs: Emily Gill for Tara Costello, Aoife Harte for Genevieve Joyce.

Rest of the Panel: Aisling Harte, Eilis Hogan, Danielle Clear. Aoife Geraghty, Roisin McInerney, Fiona Whelan, Elaine Hanniffy, Aisling Nolan, Avril Shaugnessy and Aoife Carr.

Scorers: Ailish O’Reilly 1-11 (0-9f, 1 ’45), Niamh Hanniffy 0-1.  

Referee: Cathal Egan (Cork).