Kilkerrin-Clonberne remain on course for third All-Ireland Senior title in a row after dramatic win

currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Senior Club Championship semi-final

Kilkerrin-Clonberne 0-15

Kilmacud Crokes 1-10

(after extra-time)

By DAIRE WALSH

Defending champions Kilkerrin-Clonberne will face Ballymacarbry in the currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Senior Club Championship decider as points from Meave Flanagan and Olivia Divilly helped them to overcome Kilmacud Crokes after extra-time in a pulsating semi-final encounter at Parnell Park.

Inseparable from their Dublin counterparts at the end of normal time, Kilkerrin-Clonberne – whose manager Willie Ward was absent for the game due to illness – had that little extra in reserve during the additional periods to keep their dreams of a third consecutive All-Ireland crown alive.

Following traded frees between Kilkerrin-Clonberne’s Eva Noone and Kilmacud half-forward Niamh Cotter in the early stages, the title holders created some daylight with quickfire points courtesy of Eva Noone and Miskell. Crokes were eager to outline their intent, however, and their midfielder Grace Kos bagged an 11th minute goal after her initial strike was saved by opposition netminder Lisa Murphy.

This left Paddy O’Donoghue’s Metropolitan charges with a slender cushion, which remained intact following traded scores between Eva Noone and Crokes inside forward Eabha Rutledge.

Yet Kilkerrin-Clonberne didn’t panic and found themselves two points ahead as a result of Hannah Noone, Louise Ward and Olivia Divilly kicking unanswered scores. However, Crokes duo Rutledge (free) and centre half-back Kate Murray also found the range to leave the sides on level terms (1-4 to 0-7) at the interval.

The Stillorgan women got the second half scoring underway on 39 minutes when Julia Buckley split the posts and while Lynsey Noone responded at the opposite end, Cotter (free) and Mia Jennings were on target to leave Crokes 1-7 to 0-8 in front on the third-quarter mark.

Although this threw down the gauntlet to Kilkerrin-Clonberne, they dug deep in the spirit of true champions and moved back into the driving seat when Eva Noone, Olivia Divilly and Louise Ward raised white flags in quick succession. The Tribeswomen looked set to prevail by the skin of their teeth when Eva Noone broke through a gap for a point off her weaker right foot, only for Cotter to display nerves of steel to convert a free deep into stoppage-time.

The teams appeared on course to remain inseparable at the end of the opening period of extra-time – Eva Noone and Murray both adding to their tallies – but a fine point from substitute Flanagan gave Kilkerrin-Clonberne a 0-14 to 1-10 lead on the stroke of 70 minutes.

The Galway side held onto this buffer as the final whistle approached, until Olivia Divilly’s free on 82 minutes left them with two points to spare.

Scorers – Kilkerrin-Clonberne: E Noone 0-6 (5f), O Divilly 0-3 (2f), L Ward 0-2, H Noone, L Noone, C Miskell, M Flanagan 0-1 each. Kilmacud Crokes: N Cotter 0-3 (3f), E Rutledge 0-3 (2f), G Kos 1-0, K Murray 0-2, M Jennings, J Buckley 0-1 each.

KILKERRIN-CLONBERNE: L Murphy; C Costello, S Gormally, C Dunleavy; K Mee, N Ward, L Finnegan; S Divilly, H Noone; O Divilly, L Ward, L Noone; E Noone, C Miskell, N Divilly. Subs: A Madden for Miskell (40), M Flanagan for Finnegan (50), Caoimhe Boyle for S Divilly (84).

KILMACUD CROKES: R Fleming; P Greene, E Sweeney, C Regan; S O’Donoghue, K Murray, A Kane; L Magee, G Kos; N Cotter, A Davoren, M Jennings; J Buckley, M Davoren, E Rutledge. Subs: C Sultan for O’Donoghue (54), A Conroy for Buckley (57), E Kane for A Davoren (65), A Bedford for Greene (73), A Davoren for M Davoren (74-77),

Referee: Patrick Smith (Waterford).