Piltown secure Lismore Croker Showdown

Piltown 3-05  Clonduff 0-06 

Piltown’s dream of claiming their first ever Intermediate All Ireland title lives on, but they had to survive a stern test from a brave Clonduff of Down in Clane on Sunday.

In a low scoring first half it was the wind assisted Mourne side that opened the scoring from a Paula Gribben point after a pass from Sarah Lousie Carr in the second minute. Clonduff who had seven of the side that won the Junior All Ireland title over Laois in September last continued  their good run with a Sarah Louise Carr point  from 21 meters in the tenth minute. Piltown were finding it very hard to get a foothold in the game with the Clonduff team dominating the early possession. Clonduff extended their lead with a Paula Gribben free from thirty meters in the seventeenth minute to make it 0-03 to no score. It took all of twenty one minutes for Piltown to open there account when Laura Norris tapped over a point from twenty one meters.  Piltown were beginning to enjoy a bit more possession in the game, and when Chloe Blackmore goaled in the twenty fourth minute they found themselves ahead for the first time in the game. Blackmore latched onto a Niamh Culleton pass on the fourteen meter  line to blast the sliotar to the roof of the Clonduff net to put them 1-01 to 0-03 points ahead.  Paula Gribben equalised the contest for the Down side with a free in the twenty fifth minute from forty five meters to see the team’s level at half time 1-01 to 0-04 points. Piltown would of being the happiest of the sides, having being outplayed for most of the first half to be level at half time, would of giving them great hope for the second half.

Clonduff began the second half well and opened the scoring in the thirty fifth minute from a Paula Gribben free. Chloe Blackmore equalised the contest with an excellent free from right out on the sideline from twenty one meters in the thirty seventh minute.  Piltown were enjoying a good period of possession and had two goal chances on the trot in the thirty eighth and thirty ninth minutes when Chloe Blackmore and Niamh Culleton found themselves behind the Clonduff cover, but the Mourne side recovered to clear their lines. Paula Gribben pushed the losers ahead again with an excellent point from forty five meters in the forty third minute to make it 0-06 to 1-02.   Piltown had a further goal chance in the forty eighth minute when Katie Power gained possession on the twenty one, rounded her marker only to see her effort brilliantly saved by Clonduff net minder Kitty Fegan.  Chloe Blackmore equalised the contest for the victors with a point from thirty five meters in the fifty third minute to make it 1-03 to 0-06 points and it was looking like the game could go to extra time. Piltown had other things on their mind and went on a devastating scoring spree outscoring their opponents 2-02 to no score in an eight minute spell.  Chloe Balckmore starting the burst with excellent goal when her free from forty meter found itself going straight to the roof of the Clonduff net in the fifty fifth minute. Katie Power continued the run with an excellent over shoulder point from forty meters a minute later. Chloe Blackmore then tapped over a free in the  sixty first minute and when second half sub Nicola Phelan who just came onto the pitch goaled in the sixty second minute when she found herself with a tap in from fourteen meters, Piltown were home and hosed and ran out 3-03 to 0-06 point winners. Piltown now faced reigning champions Lismore of Waterford in the final on March 1st.

Piltown-  Aoife Norris, Carol McCarthy, Elaine Kenny, Jennifer Norris, Mairead Power, Karen Duggan, Kellyann Doyle, Laura Norris (capt), Alice Talbot, Niamh Culleton, Edel Long, Katie Power (vice-capt),Chloe Holden, Georgina Culleton, Chloe Blackmore,.

Subs- Lorraine Long,  Sinead McCarthy, Katelynn Phelan, Debbie Phelan, Lisa McCarthy, Leanne Dunne, Niamh Dermody, Nicola Phelan, Siobhan Dermody, Sinead Walsh, Aine Power, Fiona Long, Ellen Commins, Maria Foley, Jean Power.

Clonduff–  Kitty Fegan, Nicola O’Hagan, Jenna Boden, Debra Murray, Orla Maginn, Fionnuala Carr, Clare McGilligan, Lisa McPolin, Ursula Quinn(capt),  Lizzie Wilson, Paula Gribben, Cassie Fitzpatrick, Petrina Lively, Sara Louise Carr, Orla Gribben.

Subs-  Shannon O’Hagan, Niohmi Murray, Cailin Hynes, Onagh McClorey, Niamh Brown, Niamh Canning, Karen Haughey, Leanne Quinn.

Referee- Peter Dowd (Meath).