Clann Eireann beaten in All-Ireland semi-final
- Published
Niamh Murray scored all Clann Eireann's points as they were beaten on home turf by 10-time champions Ballymacarbry
Clann Eireann's hopes of reaching a first ever All-Ireland Senior Ladies Club Football Final were dashed as they lost 1-10 to 0-5 against Waterford side Ballymacarbry in Lurgan on Sunday.
Aileen Wall's superb goal early in the second half was a blow the Ulster Champions couldn't recover from.
Free-taker Niamh Murray hit all Clann Eireann's first-half points as they trailed 0-3 to 0-4 at the break.
But Wall's goal put Ballymacarbry four ahead and they dominated thereafter.
The Munster Champions advance to the Croke Park decider in a fortnight's time, appearing in the showpiece for the first time since 1998, looking to win a record extending 11th All-Ireland title.
The Lurgan club had been appearing in the All-Ireland series for the first time in their history.
It took eight minutes for the first score to arrive, both sides guilty of wayward shooting with early nerves evident before Murray fired over a free for the home team.
Ballymacarbry registered their first score on eleven minutes, Brid McMaugh shooting over after a strong run. McMaugh had the Waterford side ahead three minutes later with her second score of the day.
Murray added frees either side of scores from Kelly-Ann Hagan and Summer Peters, the visitors holding a slender advantage at the break.
Football is a game of inches and the margins early in this one were indeed fine.
The first play of the second half saw Clann Eireann carve through the Ballymacarbry defence, only for Murray to fire the goal chance wide.
From the resulting kick-out, Wall gathered possession carrying the ball all of 80 metres before jinking past Catherine Lawless and shooting into the roof of the net.
Muireann Boyle added a point not long after and all of a sudden the Waterford side led by five points.
Murray stopped the rot with the Armagh sides first from play on 39 minutes but, the experience of the visiting team would tell as they rattled off four scores in as many minutes with Hagan and McMaugh on target once again to lead 1-8 to 0-4 entering the final 10 minutes.
Clare Walsh added two further scores from difficult angles either side of a fifth from Murray who kicked all of the Clann Eireann tally in a fine individual performance.