Knockmore’s best isn’t enough against All-Ireland kingpins
Knockmore’s Emily Reape contests the ball on the ground with Kilkerrin-Clonberne’s Eva Noone during last Sunday's Connacht LGFA senior club championship final at Swinford Amenity Park. Pictures: David Farrell Photography
For twelve years running Kilkerrin-Clonberne have not lost a championship match in Galway. For six years running they have not lost a championship match in Connacht.
In 2022, they won their first and second All-Ireland senior club titles, one in January, one in December.
In six championship matches prior to last Sunday’s Connacht final, the average winning margin of Kilkerrin-Clonberne was 24.5 points. Knockmore lost by eleven – and it was probably a fair reflection.
It was also quite some improvement on Knockmore’s behalf considering when they encountered the same opposition in 2021, they had lost by 20 points.
But there’s just no getting away from the sheer class of Kilkerrin-Clonberne, who aptly bear the name Crushers on their jersey; the sponsor specialises in quarry equipment, the team specialises in demolition. This well-oiled, finely-tuned machine will take some stopping in their search for a third straight All-Ireland victory.
Credit to Knockmore, however. As the opposition’s manager Willie Ward admitted afterwards, this was toughest challenge – and best footballing team – that Kilkerrin-Clonberne have encountered to date this year. Knockmore were right in this match at half-time but conceding the opening five points of the second-half was the rock upon which they perished, when it was Cormac Reape’s side who really needed to make the brighter start.
There were positives for the Mayo champions though, like an absolutely stunning goal by Amy O’Connor fit to grace any stage, glimpses of brilliance from Ciara Durkan, at corner-back, and from Clodagh Keane, at full-forward, while Shauna Howley, as you’d expect from the 2022 All-Star, was tireless in her effort at taking the fight to Kilkerrin-Clonberne from her centre-forward berth. Indeed her battle with the equally inspirational Nicola Ward was worth the admission alone but in an overall context, the Galway girls were quite simply a stronger, better balanced outfit.
The opening exchanges were evenly contested, with Knockmore’s Amy O’Connor quickly negating a third minute Eva Noone point, but an eleventh minute goal was to give Kilkerrin/Clonberne a lead they never relinquished. Knockmore will be disappointed at the manner of the concession; Hannah Noone ran directly at their defence and although the ball was knocked from her grasp, the Kilkerrin/Clonberne midfielder was still able to fire the loose ball past goalkeeper Deirdre Devine.
Hannah Reape hit a swift point in reply but the reigning All-Ireland champions reeled off six of the next seven points, one of which was a goal chance for Olivia Divilly who opted to fist the ball over the bar instead. Divilly kicked over a free as well, while Eva Noone, twice, Louise Ward and full-forward Chloe Miskell were also on target, with some excellent work at the other end by Knockmore captain Nina McVann, Clodagh Keane and Amy O’Connor resulting in an opening point from play for Shauna Howley.
It was O’Connor’s pinpoint delivery that also allowed Clodagh Keane to catch, turn and split the uprights, to leave Knockmore 0-4 to 1-7 behind after 24-minutes, and while Miskell picked off her second point for Kilkerrin-Clonberne, a pair of frees by Shauna Howley, both of them self-won after some hard running, meant that Knockmore had reduced their arrears to five points at the turnaround, 0-6 to 1-8.
The Saffron and Blue had also struck four wides during the opening thirty minutes, a sign of the ample possession they enjoyted, whereas Kilkerrin-Clonberne hadn’t missed a single shot until Eva Noone was off target a minute into the second-half. It was a rare blip from the Red and White who would only kick one more wide over the course of the match.
A crucial intervention by Ciara Durkan, snuffing out a goal chance for Eva Noone who had ghosted in behind the full-back line to receive an excellent Nicola Ward pass, for a moment looked like it might be the spark to ignite a second-half fightback from the Saffron and Blue, who were being roared on by a large and vociferous support. However, Kilkerrin-Clonberne are a team that has travelled many the byroad and been around several blocks and knew how to quieten the locals; on the scoreboard.
Olivia Divilly hit the opening three points of the second-half, from frees in the 33rd and 34th minutes, and from play in the 36th, and that preceded singles from Eva Noone, a free, and Siobhan Divilly, which meant the gap had stretched out to ten points by the 45th minute.
A goal opportunity presented itself to Knockmore two minutes later when Sarah Mulvihill drove diagonally from left to right before popping a handpass into the lap of Lara Sweeney who was unfortunate to see her shot fly over the crossbar. It was a hammer blow then, when practically a minute later, Kilkerrin-Clonberne rose their second green flag of the day to move a dozen points clear.
Hannah Noone, who had scored her side’s first, was creator of the second, powerfully running through the middle and hand-passing over the last defender into the lap of Olivia Divilly who rifled the ball into the top left corner.
It was an impressive finish, but not as impressive as when Knockmore hit back in the 52nd minute with their first and only goal. Clodagh Keane, who had displayed glue-like hands all game off what limited ball had come her way, intercepted a kickout by Kilkerrin-Clonberne goalkeeper Lisa Murphy and offloaded to Shauna Howley whose pass released Amy O’Connor. Unleashing a rocket off her left boot, O’Connor’s finish into the top right corner from 13-metres was akin to what Brogan or O’Neill in their Knockmore heyday would have been proud of.
Unfortunately, Cormac Reape’s side was unable to generate any momentum off their breakthrough and Kilkerrin-Clonberne weathered the storm with late points by Noone, a free, and substitute Aisling Madden, to make safe their place in the All-Ireland semi-final against Kilmacud Crokes.
Scorers – Kilkerrin-Clonberne: Olivia Divilly 1-5 (0-3f), Eva Noone 0-5 (2f), Hannah Noone 1-0, Chloe Miskell 0-2, Louise Ward, Siobhan Divilly and Aisling Madden 0-1 each.
Knockmore: Amy O’Connor 1-1, Shauna Howley 0-3 (2f), Hannah Reape, Clodagh Keane and Lara Sweeney 0-1 each.
Knockmore: Deirdre Devine; Siofragh Kelly, Emily Hughes, Ciara Durkan; Ninan McVann (c), Roisin Flynn, Emily Reape; Katie Munnelly, Hannah Reape; Emma Lowther, Shauna Howley, Sarah Mulvihill; Amy O’Connor, Clodagh Keane, Lara Sweeney. Subs: Rachel Fox (for Hughes 53), Mia Traynor (for Kelly 59).
Kilkerrin-Clonberne: Lisa Murphy; Chloe Costello, Sarah Gormally, Claire Dunleavy; Katelyn Mee, Nicola Ward, Lisa Finnegan; Siobhan Divilly, Hannah Noone; Olivia Divilly, Louise Ward, Lynsey Noone; Eva Noone, Chloe Miskell, Niamh Divilly. Subs: Aisling Madden (for Mulvihill 51), Caoimhe Boyle (for L Noone 53), Meave Flanagan (for Miskell 56), Caitlin Boyle and Leah Petit (for N Divilly and Mee 59).
REF: Gus Chapman (Sligo)
