Shamrocks have no luck against dominant Knockmore
Claire Duffy of Kilmovee Shamrocks is challenged by Knockmore’s Nina McVann during last Sunday's Mayo LGFA Senior Championship semi-final at St Joseph’s Park, Knockmore. Pictures: David Farrell Photography
Current league champions Knockmore will appear in their third Mayo LGFA senior championship final in three years after seeing off the challenge of a valiant Kilmovee Shamrocks side, in their home semi-final on Sunday morning.
The North Mayo side started the game strongly and after winning the throw-in, patient build up saw the ball worked to Amy O’Connor for the game’s opening score. Kilmovee were finding the going difficult early on but a foul on Leah McHugh allowed Sinéad Cafferky to draw the sides level. Parity was shortlived however, as Knockmore were about to hit what looked like a huge score, given the tight nature of the contest. A long ball in from Sarah Mulvihill was parried by Kilmovee goalkeeper, Elaine Duffy, straight to the waiting Lara Sweeney for the simplest of finishes.
Such was the Knockmore pressure, the Shamrocks were struggling to get their dangerous inside forward line into the game, but another free from Cafferky helped to keep them in touch. However, Cormac Reape’s charges were starting to move through the gears. Good work by Clodagh Keane to win the ball ahead of her marker, saw her play in O’Connor, for her second point of the half. A foul on Lara Sweeney then saw county star Shauna Howley open her account from the resultant free. Shauna Golden eventually got Kilmovee’s first point from play after all of 25-minutes, as Cafferky picked her out with a short free and she split the posts.
The final five minutes of the half were all Knockmore and they would hit four points on the spin. First, Sweeney played a clever one-two with Keane and fired over, before more patient build up saw the ball eventually worked to sharpshooter O’Connor, who made no mistake in raising another white flag. This was quickly followed by a brace of frees from Sweeney, to leave Knockmore with a commanding seven-point lead at the break.
The girls in Green and Gold started the new half brightly and Golden got them up and running inside the opening minute, by converting a self-won free. Things almost got much better for the East Mayo side but calls for a penalty were waved away by referee Pat Conlon, after Lisa Cafferky appeared to have been fouled inside the square. It came to naught and Howley steadied the Knockmore ship once again, by sending over from distance.
The game was about to be blown wide open however, when Lisa Cafferky collected possession inside the Knockmore half, raced through, leaving several defenders in her wake, before finishing superbly to the back of the net. This was added to by a free from her younger sister Sinéad, to bring Kilmovee back to within three. But the 2021 county champions refused to panic and a free apiece from Howley and Sweeney gave them a bit more breathing space.
It looked as if the game was set for a grandstand finish however, as a slick Kilmovee move saw Leanne Foley play in Lisa Cafferky, who left goalkeeper Deirdre Devine with no chance, to raise her and her side’s second green flag. Lesser teams would have wilted but Knockmore showed all of their experience to see out the game and dominate possession in the final minutes. A trio of late points from the ever-dangerous Sweeney, Howley and O’Connor saw Knockmore close the game out comfortably and advance into the county final, where a replay of this year’s league final against Westport awaits next weekend.
