Knockmore lay down emphatic marker
Knockmore's Sarah Mulvihill gets between Claremorris duo Ailish Cummins and Siomha McNulty during the AbbVie Mayo LSFC Round 1 game in Claremorris. Picture: Conor McKeown
Last year’s beaten county finalists set out their stall in Claremorris on Sunday afternoon with a well-deserved victory. Conditions were dreary, which made for a greasy surface that did not derail the Saffron and Blue train who were too strong for the senior championship debutants.
After a quiet opening quarter with both sides sizing each other up, it was Knockmore who settled fastest from the impressive Shauna Howley. Claremorris were coming to grips with their first senior championship rodeo and found the going tough in the top tier.
Amy O’Connor was a constant thorn for the home side and swivelled over after good work from Roisin Flynn. Claremorris got their first score of the day from the fist of Aine Lynn after Bree Hession’s free dropped short on 12 minutes.
Knockmore skipper Lara Sweeney turned provider for Howley who swept over before, a powerful sprint forward from Sarah Mulvihill led to the midfielder being dragged down and Rory Courell awarded a penalty on 13 minutes. Sweeney stepped up and cooly converted past Naoise Heffernan. Howley backed up the Sweeney placed ball with a booming point to leave the home side in trouble.
Hannah Reape was next to get her name on the scoresheet with a beautiful score. Howley then added another gambit after a wonderful turnover. Síomha McNulty led the charge for the Blues and finished off a surging run through the Knockmore defence to crash over.
Grace Naughton was getting away pinpoint restarts and was finding her teammates who, ran at the Claremorris rearguard and won a free which Howley slotted over.
Hession added to her account before, Reape laid off a perfectly timed pass to O’Connor who drove through and raised a green flag on 26 minutes.
Barely a minute passed and Knockmore retrieved possession and sent in a looping high ball which bounced kindly to Cliodhna Flynn assisted the deadly O’Connor who screamed home her second major of the game.
O’Connor added the gloss to a magnificent Knockmore half with a point which whistled over the bar to leave the home side facing a 12-point deficit at the break.
Claremorris started brightly in the second half and Ashleagh Salmon fired over after shrugging off a challenge. Just as the Blues were winning turnovers and defending better, Howley reinforced the away side dominance with a brilliant score.
Naughton was called into action by Sinead O’Brien and thwarted the attacker superbly and was resolute in keeping a clean sheet as Claremorris began hunting for goals.
Mary Ann Ward found her way past the backline and aimed a shot at Naughton, who saved brilliantly as time began to tick away for a comeback. Ward then raised a white flag after her persistence.
Sweeney swung over another free for the Saffron and Blues who were in no mood to take their foot off the gas. O’Connor followed suit with another kick over the black spot.
Howley found the target again and the busy Nina McVann sailed the ball over through the rain to keep the scoreboard ticking over in favour of the two-time county champions.
O’Connor added the cherry to the top of the cake by rounding Heffernan and completing her hat-trick. Sweeney then converted the final point of the opening championship day with a free.
A brilliant start to the championship for Knockmore who will be hungry for another tilt at the title. Claremorris found their first examination in the senior ranks too tall a task this time and will hope to bounce back stronger in the coming weeks.
Scorers - Claremorris: Bree Hession 0-0-3 (2f), Aine Lynn, Síomha McNulty, Mary Ann Ward and Ashleagh Salmon 0-0-1 each.
Knockmore: Amy O’Connor 3-0-3, Shauna Howley 0-0-6 (1f), Lara Sweeney 1-0-2 (1pen, 2f), Nina McVann and Hannah Reape 0-0-1 each.
Claremorris: Naoise Heffernan; Aishling Cummins; Eilis Higgins; Emma Fallon; Alanna Fitzpatrick; Isobel Phillips; Amy Cummins; Síomha McNulty; Emma Higgins; Sienna Kelly; Bree Hession; Amy McNulty; Ashleigh Salmon; Roisin Horkan; Aine Lynn.
Subs: Sinead O’Brien (for Kelly ht), Mary Ann Ward (for Lynn 42), Sive Flanagan (for Amy McNulty 49), Zainab Naeem (for Salmon 54).
Knockmore: Grace Naughton; Caitlin Bourke; Emily Hughes; Siofragh Kelly; Emily Reape; Roisin Flynn; Nina McVann; Sarah Mulvihill; Hannah Reape; Katie Langan; Shauna Howley; Sarah Dempsey; Cliodhna Flynn; Amy O’Connor; Lara Sweeney.
Subs: Marie Breslin, Clodagh Breslin and Roisin Langan (for Flynn, K Langan and Howley 52), Sadhbh Staunton (for H Reape 56), Emily Duffy (for Hughes 59).
REF: Rory Courell (Islandeady).
