AIB All-Ireland Senior Club Championship final
Kilkerrin-Clonberne (Galway) 0-13, Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin) 0-9
Chloe Miskell kicked four points at Croke Park on Saturday as Kilkerrin-Clonberne held off a strong challenge from Kilmacud Crokes to claim their fourth consecutive AIB All-Ireland Senior Club Championship title.
In a repeat of last year’s semi-final clash between the same two teams – which was won by Kilkerrin-Clonberne after extra-time – Miskell was ably-assisted in the scoring stakes by Olivia Divilly and Eva Noone as Willie Ward’s Tribeswomen tightened their grip on the Dolores Tyrrell Memorial Cup in style.
TG4 All Star Olivia Divilly and Miskell were on hand to cancel out both of Niamh Cotter's early scores for Kilmacud to keep Kilkerrin-Clonberne on level terms.
The title holders were awarded a penalty in the 12th minute, but Dearbhla Gower superbly turned away the resulting spot-kick from Ailish Morrissey.
The dynamic attacking duo of Miskell and Eva Noone found the range to leave Kilkerrin-Clonberne in a healthy 0-8 to 0-4 lead at the break.
The four-point gap between the sides remained in place after the in-form Miskell and Eva Noone traded scores with Aoife Kane and Cotter on the resumption, but the latter was joined on the scoresheet by Éabha Rutledge as Crokes kept themselves well in contention moving towards the final-quarter.
Crokes were throwing down the gauntlet to the westerners, but Kilkerrin-Clonberne eased the pressure on their shoulders with points from two of the Divilly sisters – Olivia and Siobhan – in the space of just 30 seconds.
Olivia Divilly added another point to her tally in direct response to Cotter’s seven of the game and while Crokes did their level best to forge a late fightback, Kilkerrin-Clonberne – for whom TG4 Senior Players’ Player of the Year Nicola Ward was once again an influential presence – dug deep to hold onto their crown for a fourth successive season.
AIB All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship final
Bennekerry/Tinryland (Carlow) 2-10, Annaghdown (Galway) 1-7
Cliodhna Ní Shé amassed an impressive haul of 2-4 at Croke Park as a magnificent Bennekerry/Tinryland made history by defeating Galway’s Annaghdown in the AIB All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship final.
Already in the record books as the first Carlow outfit to reach a ladies football club showpiece at national level, Bennekerry/Tinryland created further headlines in GAA headquarters by overcoming the challenge of Annaghdown – who had previously secured an All-Ireland title at this grade in 2016.
In a bright opening to the contest, Ní Shé (free) and Lauren Dwyer kicked unanswered points to give Bennekerry/Tinryland an early advantage over their Connacht counterparts.
Annaghdown initially struggled to find their feet at the Jones’ Road venue but the Tribeswomen edged in front when Ciara McCarthy rifled a low shot to the opposition net just shy of the first-quarter mark.
Carlow inter-county star Ní Shé eventually had a goal to her name courtesy of a clinical finish in the 19th minute.
The dynamic centre-forward also registered a point from play in advance of bagging a major for her side, before successive points by Dwyer and Sinead Hayden helped to propel Bennekerry/Tinryland towards a 1-5 to 1-1 interval lead.
Despite Annaghdown cutting their deficit to three with a Ciara Hegarty point just 15 seconds after the restart, Bennekerry/Tinryland established a powerful platform when Dwyer, Hayden and Ní Shé all split the uprights in quick succession.
The latter brought her personal tally up to 1-4 through a routine free on 38 minutes and while Annaghdown eventually responded with a similar score from Hegarty inside the final-quarter, Bennekerry/Tinryland reinforced their authority with Dwyer’s fourth point of the action.
