Heartbreak for Raharney as Clanmaurice advance to final

AIB All-Ireland club junior ‘A’ camogie championship semi-final: Clanmaurice (Kerry) 0-10, Raharney 1-5 (AET)

Raharney’s All-Ireland crown has slipped after only a matter of weeks in their grasp, when Kerry’s Clanmaurice came out on top in a battle of wills at the St Rynagh’s grounds in Banagher, Co. Offaly this afternoon.

When horrendous weather conditions are the order of the day, an element of roulette becomes a factor in the small ball game – and so it was for these evenly-matched sides, who left nothing on the field after nearly an hour and a half of play.

Clanmaurice just about edged this after extra-time, having snatched victory from the jaws of defeat following Patrice Diggin’s leveller late in normal time.

Raharney trailed 0-5 to 1-1 at the break, with Amelia Shaw netting an early penalty for the Deelsiders after Maria Kelly opened the scoring. Clanmaurice’s Jackie Horgan, who finished the game with eight points (seven from frees), scored all of the Munster side’s first half points.

In the second half, Raharney pressed on in the difficult conditions, with scores from Aoife Doherty (0-2) and Shaw giving them the edge.

But Padraic Connaughton’s charges missed a couple of decent chances to close out the game, and Clanmaurice captain Diggin notched a superb, game-defining score at the death to leave it 1-4 to 0-7 at full-time.

In extra-time, Shaw picked off another free for Raharney to restore their slender lead. But three Clanmaurice scores in the second period settled this clash, as the curtain came down on Raharney’s dream of a second consecutive All-Ireland win.

Scorers – Clanmaurice: Jackie Horgan 0-8 (7f), Patrice Diggin and Aoife Behan 0-1 each. Raharney: Amelia Shaw 1-2 (1-0 pen, 0-2f), Aoife Doherty 0-2, Maria Kelly 0-1.