By Anthony Newman and Darren Kelly
For the second time in a row, Cork’s Mourneabbey and Galway’s Kilkerrin-Clonberne will meet in the All-Ireland senior ladies club football final.
Mourneabbey 6-17 Dunboyne 0-5
Laura Fitzgerald scored four goals and Mourneabbey advanced to the currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Senior club final with an emphatic victory over Dunboyne.
The defending champions were far too strong on their home pitch and outstanding displays from Fitzgerald, Doireann O’Sullivan and Eimear Meaney ensured they came out on top, after they were 3-9 to 0-4 in front at half-time.
Before the game both sides stood in silence to remember Ashling Murphy, who died tragically last week, and when it threw-in the Cork outfit dominated.
Ciara O’Sullivan got their first score and in the third minute it was over to her sister, Doireann, for their opening goal.
Emma Duggan scored from a free for the visitors while, Roisin, another of the O’Sullivan sisters, scored a point. Then Doireann O’Sullivan scored her second goal in the ninth minute and Mourneabbey held a 2-3 to 0-1 lead
Fiona O’Neill replied for Dunboyne, with Duggan and Shelly Melia also on the scoreboard to make it 2-5 to 0-4 at the water break.
Doireann O’Sullivan, Fitzgerald and Brid O’Sullivan all scored and just before half-time Fitzgerald got Mourneabbey’s third goal as the home side had one foot in the final, thanks to a 14-point lead at half-time.
Emma Duggan of St Peter's Dunboyne in action against Eimear Meaney of Mourneabbey during the 2021 https://t.co/B3QaD2UV2v All-Ireland Ladies Senior Club Football Championship semi-final at Clyda Rovers GAA.
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— sportsfile (@sportsfile) January 16, 2022
Mourneabbey added another 2-2 in the five minutes after half-time and took complete control of proceedings.
From the restart Fitzgerald got her second goal, quickly followed by points from Ciara and Doireann O’Sullivan. Fitzgerald then scored her third goal, to make it 5-11 to 0-4, and it was game over for the visitors.
Another sweeping move from Mourneabbey saw Fitzgerald score the sixth goal and even with Aisling O’Sullivan in the sin bin at this point it mattered little.
Duggan scored for the visitors, but Mourneabbey kept piling forward with Doireann and Ciara O’Sullivan, as well as Deirdre Cronin all on target.
Duggan was inches away with a few goal chances, one hit the crossbar, while Alison O’Sullivan made two great saves.
There was still time for Doireann O’Sullivan to score again and bring her tally to 2-7 and the defending champions marched on to the final where they will face Kilkerrin-Clonberne.
SCORERS: Mourneabbey: D O’Sullivan 2-7 (5f), L Fitzgerald 4-2, C O’Sullivan 0-4, R O’Sullivan, B O’Sullivan, E Jack, D Cronin 0-1 each.
Dunboyne: E Duggan 0-3 (2f), F O’Neill, S Melia 0-1 each.
MOURNEABBEY: M O’Sullivan; M Burke, E Meaney, K Coakley; A Ryan, M O’Callaghan, E Jack; E Coakley, N O’Sullivan; E Harrington, R O’Sullivan, B O’Sullivan; C O’Sullivan, D O’Sullivan, L Fitzgerald.
Subs: A Cronin for Ryan (35), A O’Sullivan for Meaney (41), H Gravey for Jack (49).
DUNBOYNE: A O’Sullivan; R McDermott, E Doyle, D Blaney; A Delaney, H Hickey, A Moffatt; V Wall, A Jones; J Kavanagh, S Melia, S Quinn; N Williams, E Duggan, F O’Neill.
Subs: L Grant for Melia (41), L Walsh for O’Neill (44), A Kelly for Delaney (44), A Thompson for Williams (49), R Norman for Jones (55).
By Darren Kelly
Kilkerrin-Clonberne 2-8 Donaghmoyne 0-8
Nicola Ward scored the vital goals and Kilkerrin-Clonberne moved through to the currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Senior final following this 2-8 to 0-8 victory over Monaghan’s Donaghmoyne.
Both goals arrived in the first half and the Galway champions took a six-point interval advantage that proved enough at the finish in Clonberne.
It was a cagey start from both teams before Kilkerrin-Clonberne made the breakthrough on seven minutes. Eva Noone found Ailish Morrissey down the right and she worked her way inside Joanne Geoghegan to open the scoring.
And the next attack involved a five-player move, started by Nicola Ward, including her sister Louise, Claire Dunleavy, Eva Noone and Chloe Miskell before Nicola Ward shot to the net to make it 1-1 to 0-0 on eight minutes.
Morrissey added another on 14 minutes, for a five-point advantage and Donaghmoyne opened their account with Cathriona McConnell on target moments later.
Despite struggling with a resolute Kilkerrin-Clonberne defence, Donaghmoyne were getting chances but Francie Coleman’s charges were guilty of three shots dropping short when they were within range.
Morrissey got her third from play before McConnell replied from a free but Kilkerrin-Clonberne moved clear, three minutes before the break.
Again, Nicola Ward bookended the move involving Louise Ward and Hannah Noone, the 2019 All-Star got around Fiona Courtney for her second goal.
Then a Louise Kerley free left Donaghmoyne 2-3 to 0-3 in arrears at half-time.
The visitors needed a strong third-quarter and got another McConnell free but then found themselves down to 14 players when Eimear Traynor received a yellow card for a foul on Hannah Noone.
Nevertheless, this triggered a Donaghmoyne comeback as McConnell led the resistance. She took Amanda Finnegan’s pass for a score from play before another free on 40 minutes had them 2-3 to 0-6 behind.
Morrissey responded for Kilkerrin-Clonberne but the momentum was with Donaghmoyne. Cora Courtney brought it back to three points, before she won a free which McConnell converted.
Donaghmoyne trailed 2-4 to 0-8 at the water break but they didn’t score again. Olivia Divilly sent over two points for the victors before Eva Noone got on the scoreboard.
Divilly added another point from a free to wrap it up and Kilkerrin-Clonberne turned their attentions to Mourneabbey.
Scorers: Kilkerrin-Clonberne: N Ward 2-0, A Morrissey 0-4, O Divilly 0-3 (2f), E Noone 0-1.
Donaghmoyne: C McConnell 0-6 (4f), L Kerley 0-1 (f), C Courtney 0-1.
KILKERRIN-CLONBERNE: L Murphy; A Costello, S Gormally, C Costello; C Dunleavey, N Ward, K Mee; S Divilly, H Noone; O Divilly, L Ward, L Noone; E Noone, C Miskell, A Morrissey.
Subs: S Fahy for Mee (50), N Divilly for Miskell (50), A Clarke for H Noone (59).
DONAGHMOYNE: L Martin; J Geoghegan, N Callan, S Courtney; H Kingham, F Courtney, R Courtney; A Finnegan, C Courtney; A Burns, E Traynor, L Garland; C McConnell, L Kerley, A Garland.
