All-Ireland Minor Camogie Preview

Clare v Kilkenny @ Cashel, Sunday 3:30

Clare have had a fantastic year in camogie terms and the first major final as a result of the hard work that has gone in this year is fast approaching. Clare have qualified for the Under 18A final for the first time in the history of Clare camogie. Kilkenny on their way for a three-in-a-row are now all that lies between the Banner and this historic first.
Clare have worked hard throughout this campaign and go into this final undefeated. They have recorded wins over Antrim, Cork, Galway, and Tipperary in the semi-final. Clare’s teamwork and huge workrate have been impressive over the campaign and the ability to get the best out of players has stood out with the team being strong throughout the field and provide many options available to the management. The big talking point has been the scoring ability of the forwards who have amassed 11-46 through the campaign this year and the backs who have limited the opposition to 1-28.
Carina Roseingrave who captains the team has been the side’s top scorer and with 7-11 to her season total and Clare followers will be hoping that the Kilnamona girl will be as prolific with her scoring abilities this Sunday.
The forwards though possess more than this one dimensional attack pattern as Shónagh Enright, Stephanie Moloney and Roisin O’Brien will also prove difficult for the Kilkenny backs to curb. Aine O’Brien and Aoife Griffin have been making up the rest of the forward line with Niamh Corry moving to midfield the last day out. These are all hard working forwards that make the breaks and given the room will punish any defence themselves. This will give the Kilkenny back line and management more that enough food for thought, and this is where Clare have the power to make huge inroads in the bid to overcome the reigning champions. It is the Kikenny back line that showed their weakness the last day out as Cork scored an impressive 3-14 against a Kilkenny side that had dominated throughout. Clare will hope to also be able to penetrate this defence.
Clare’s midfield parings of Niamh Corry and Eimear Considine, the last day out, and Chloe Morey with Aine O’Brien have dominated in all the games they have played so far. Clare will need their midfield duo - whatever combination will be chosen - to dominate this sector yet again as they will need to cut out the supply of ball to the Kilkenny forwards who will pose a serious threat. The Clare defence has been very steady and tight up to now and will need to hold firm again on Sunday. The Kilkenny forwards of Michelle Quilty, Marie Dargan and playmaker from center forward, Katie Power will take watching so the way to minimise this will be to cut out the supply. These forwards had five goals between them in the semi-final against Cork. The Clare backline will be expected to be much tighter and tougher opposition though. Here again Clare have many options as they proved in the semi-final when Roisin McMahon and Niamh Martin being unavailable, Chloe Morey and Sarah Reidy exchanged places and these will now be available again for selection. The Management will then have the ability to change things around if needed as both Aiveen O’Shea and Carol Kaiser who have been doing so well in the half back line also have the threat of being very dangerous forwards. The team also have a strong panel and Mary Clune, Louise Woods, Michelle Caulfield and Sinead O’Halloran will all be ready to help the Banner cause if needs be.
The selection of the team will pose most problems for the team management and having their game plan laid out. Clare will go into the fixture as definite underdogs and this will suit them. They have nothing to fear of taking on this Kilkenny team who they played at U16 level two years ago - Kilkenny running out easy winners on the day. Kilkenny for their part would not have been expecting to meet Clare in this final and now to the favour of the Banner girls there is only 60 minutes between them and All-Ireland glory. Clare will be underdogs but that is on paper and the team will go into this with nothing to fear and the knowledge that if they play to their potential, they are in with a serious chance of winning Clare’s first U18 title.

Path to the Final

Round 1

Clare 4-6 Antrim 0-7 in Antrim
Clare Susan Vaughan, Niamh Martin, Kate Lynch, Carol O’Leary, Sarah Reidy, Chloe Morey (1-0 Pen), Aiveen O’Shea, Aine O’Brien, Aoife Griffin, Shona Enright (1-1), Carol Kaiser (1-0), Niamh Corry, Roisin O Brien (0-1),Carina Rosengrave (1-4), Evelyn Glynn Subs Mary Clune, Jennifer Kelly, Rachel Whelan, Michelle Caulfield

Round 2/Munster Final

Clare 1-8 Cork 0-6 in Cusack Park, Ennis
Clare Susan Vaughan, Niamh Martin, Kate Lynch, Carol O’Leary, Sarah Reidy, Roisin McMahon, Aiveen O’Shea, Chloe Morey (0-1, pen), Aine O’Brien, Carol Kaiser (0-1), Shona Enright (0-3, 2f), Niamh Corry, Carina Roseingrave (1-1), Roisin O’Brien (0-1), Aoife Griffin Subs Eimear Considine for Reidy, Stephanie Moloney (0-1) for Corry

Round 3

Clare 2-17 Galway 1-06 in Clareabbey
Clare Susan Vaughan, Niamh Martin, Kate Lynch, Carol O’Leary, Sarah Reidy, Roisin McMahon, Carol Kaiser, Aine O’Brien, Chloe Morey, Stephanie Moloney (0-3), Shona Enright (0-10, 7f, 2 ‘45), Niamh Corry, Carina Roseingrave (c) (2-4), Roisin O’Brien, Aoife Griffin
Subs Mary Clune for R O’Brien, Michelle Caulfield for Reidy, Aisling Hannon for Martin, Sinead O’Halloran for A O’Brien and Aine McNamara for Vaughan.

All-Ireland Round 4 Clare received a walkover from Dublin

All-Ireland Semi-Final

Clare 4-15 Tipperary 0-09 in The Gaelic Grounds, Limerick
Clare Susan Vaughan, Sarah Reidy, Kate Lynch, Carol O’Leary, Carol Kaiser, Chloe Morey, Aiveen O’Shea, Niamh Corry, Eimear Considine, Stephanie Moloney (1-0), Shona Enright (0-11, 7f), Aine O’Brien, Roisin O’Brien (0-2), Carina Roseingrave (c) (3-2), Aoife Griffin
Subs Mary Clune for Griffin, Louise Woods for Moloney, Jacqueline Woods for Roseingrave, Michelle Caulfield for O’Shea

Top Scorers
Carina Roseingrave 7-11
Shona Enright 1-25 (16f, 2 ‘45’s)
Stephanie Moloney 1-04
Carol Kaiser 1-01
Roisin O’Brien 0-04
Chloe Morey (1-01, 2 pens)

Clare Totals
Scored 11-46
Conceded 1-28
Average score 3-11
Average conceded 0-8