Roscommon name team for final clash with Clare
By Kieran Galvin & Jackie Cahill
The Roscommon ladies team to face Clare in the Lidl National Football League Division 3 final tomorrow (Saturday) has been selected. The match will be played in Birr (throw-in 4pm), directly after the Division 4 decider between Limerick and Carlow.
The Roscommon team includes St Brigid's duo Aine McGrath and Kate Nolan, Sinead Farrell of Clann na nGael and Aoife Gavin of St Dominic's.
Nolan will be partnered at midfield by Lisa O'Rourke, a gold medal winner in boxing at the 2022 World Championships. Ellen Irwin (St Faithleach's) is the Roscommon captain and she has been named at full-back (see team lists below).
Under the management of Ollie Lennon - who was reinstated to the role last year after a controversial and drawn out saga - Roscommon have already achieved promotion and are now hunting for the bonus of silverware.
Interestingly, the Clare team includes Laurie Ryan, the captain of the Athlone Town team which won the Women's FAI Cup last November.
There will be considerable motivation within both camps in Saturday’s Division 3 final. Clare were stung by defeat in the 2023 decider, when the Banner County lost a thrilling decider against Kildare at Parnell Park that went all the way to extra-time.
Roscommon, meanwhile, are aiming to win Division 3 silverware for the second time in three seasons. After landing the title in 2022, the Connacht outfit suffered relegation last year but have bounced back at the first attempt to the second tier.
The fact that both of Saturday’s finalists have already achieved promotion should ensure that the shackles are off and they’ll play an expansive game in search of the silverware on offer at Grant Heating St Brendan’s Park, Birr.
Recent form suggests, too, that there will be very little to separate them. When they met in February in Round 3, the counties played out a draw, 1-7 apiece.
This was the proverbial ‘seesaw’ battle that saw the pendulum swing both ways before a stalemate ensued at the full-time whistle. Clare were seven points down at half-time but, wind-assisted, they rallied in the second half. Roscommon edged ahead late on but Clare claimed a merited draw in the dying moments when Fidelma Marrinan, ZuCar Golden Boot winner for 2023, nailed the levelling point.
On the day, it was Marrinan (1-4) and her attacking sidekick, Chloe Moloney, who accounted for all of Clare’s scores.
For Roscommon, Aisling Hanly scored 1-1, Laura Fleming (Roscommon’s top scorer in the league) contributed 0-3 from frees, Aisling Feeley landed two points from play, and Lauren Shanagher was also on target.
Marrinan is top scorer in Division 3 to date and she won’t be caught at the top of the charts. The return of Ailish Considine to the Clare ranks this year is another major boosts and undoubtedly makes the team stronger.
Looking at the bigger picture and what lies in store come championship time, these are two teams who will fancy their chances of glory.
Roscommon failed to make it out of the group stages last year but they look a far better outfit this year, while Clare will aim to go one better.
When they met Kildare again, this time on TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate final day at Croke Park, it was just a one-point margin separating the sides.
Both of Saturday’s opponents are assured of promotion to Division 2 for next year but they’ll be keen to finish their League campaign with the trophy – a feat which would provide a huge pre-championship boost.
Looking at the roll of honour, Clare have previous historical form in this competition. Clare were finalists last year and they won’t want to lose a second successive final.
They were, however, successful in final appearances in 2011 and 2006, while Roscommon, along with 2022, have also lifted the trophy in 2009 and 2001.
Roscommon’s first Division 3 final appearance was back in 1997, when they lost out to Longford, but they have a 100 per cent record in Division 3 finals since then.
Roscommon: Helena Cummins; Aine McGrath, Ellen Irwin (captain), Judy McDermott; Rachel Fitzmaurice, Saoirse Wynne, Caoimhe Cregg; Lisa O’Rourke, Kate Nolan; Laura Fleming, Lauren Shanagher, Sinead Farrell; Aisling Hanly, Aoife Gavin, Aisling MacAuliffe.
Clare: A Lenihan; A Keane, S Ní Chonaill, G Harvey; L Ryan, J Doohan, R Considine; S Considine, A Reidy; L Griffin, C Harvey (captain), A Sexton; T Collins, F Marrinan, A Considine.