Champions continue to Reape what they sow

Mayo LGFA Senior Championship Semi-Final 

Knockmore 2-9 

Carnacon 1-7 

Sean Mahon at St Joseph’s Park, Knockmore 

The Knockmore ladies' ambitions to win back-to-back county titles lives on as they prevailed victorious over Carnacon on Sunday morning.

The match was played in exceptionally difficult conditions, and it is a credit to both sides that they produced such a high-quality game of football on the day.

Cormac Reape’s troops played with the breeze at their backs in the opening period and made the most of this advantage, leading by 2-7 to 0-4 at the stroke of half-time. Goals in the opening half came via Shauna Howley and Clodagh Keane. Howley’s effort at a pointed free dropped short into the back of the Carnacon net, while Keane rocketed the ball to the back of Lisa Nally’s goal following some fine interplay between Howley and Grace Naughton. Veteran forward Cora Staunton kept the scoreboard ticking for the West Mayo visitors as she pointed two first-half frees while Amy Dowling also contributed two fine scores from play.

Carnacon, to their credit, never admitted defeat and looked to have a significant foothold back in the game as Louise Dowling finished an excellent move to the Knockmore net, reducing the deficit to five points. Unfortunately for Carnacon however, they did not build on this and their efforts were hampered following the second-half sin-binning of Mayo star Fiona McHale.

The defending champions applied their experience to see out the rest of the game and coasted to a five points victory. There were several top performers on display for the North Mayo outfit. Shauna Howley gave an exhibition in free taking as she finished with 1-4 and was a thorn in the side of Carnacon all afternoon. Emily Reape was another notable performer for the county champions, situating herself at centre-half-back and excellently marshalling the Knockmore defensive unit while also getting forward at various stages to great effect.

Best on display for Carnacon included Louise and Amy Dowling while Karen Cosgrave also impressed as she made a series of marauding runs up the pitch and brought the fight to Knockmore at every given opportunity.

Knockmore will be looking to keep the trophy in the Parish of Backs for another year when they do battle with Westport in a repeat of last year’s final. Knockmore won that by two points after the sides had also contested that season’s league final, where Knockmore needed extra-time to prevail. It is likely the 2024 championship final will also go down to the wire.

Scorers – Knockmore: Shauna Howley 1-4, Clodagh Keane 1-1, Mia Traynor, Amy O’Connor, Hannah Reape and Lara Sweeney 0-1 each.

Carnacon: Cora Staunton 0-5f, Louise Dowling 1-0, Amy Dowling 0-2.

Knockmore: Anne Murphy; Ciara Durkan, Roisin Flynn, Emily Hughes; Mia Traynor, Emily Reape, Mila Sotoparra; Sarah Mulvihill, Shauna Howley; Amy O’Connor, Grace Naughton, Cliodhna Flynn; Clodagh Keane, Hannah Reape, Lara Sweeney.

Carnacon: Lisa Nally; Sadhbh Larkin, Emma Cosgrave, Karen Cosgrave; Shauna Heneghan, Saoirse Walshe, Ciara Cosgrave; Fiona McHale, Doireann Hughes; Niamh Flannery, Amy Dowling, Hannah Prendergast; Michelle McGing, Cora Staunton, Louise Dowling.

REF: Mel Kenny (Westport)