Roche Emmets 1-16 Clan na Gael 4-9

Eighty minutes. Thirty scores. Five goals. But, unfortunately, just one winner. Sunday’s 2020 Division Two league semi-final was a thriller at Páirc de Róiste with Clan na Gael edging a titanic tussle after extra-time.

It had looked as though the Ecco Road XV were going to ease to victory by the three-quarter mark, but a resurgent Roche dominated the closing exchanges and Sarah McArdle’s goal was the tonic they needed to recover from five points behind.

Aoife Halligan knocked over the leveller and Emmets had opportunities to even win the game having ended the encounter with a player extra following Lauren Meehan’s return from the sin bin – Clans’ Denise McKenna’s spell in exile would continue into extra-time.

The matchwinner, though, would prove to be the town team’s lethal former Louth star Ciara Woods, the youngster bagging two goals, her second coming during the first half of the additional period.

Playing at No14, she would finish with 2-4, albeit Roche’s dead-ball specialist, McArdle, registered an impressive 1-7, missing just one of eight frees in what was her most clinical display of the campaign.

FAMILY AFFAIR

Clans led 2-6 to 0-7 at half-time – Woods and county captain Shannen McLaughlin bundling balls by Tracey Rogers – leaving Emmets managers Gerry Curran and Brian Duffy, who were coaching against their home clubs, with much to ponder at halfway.

Indeed, it was a family affair for the Roche supremos – Gerry’s daughter, Therese, was at full-back for the Castletown charges, while Brian’s father, Johnny, a regular at matches in Rathduff these days, stood on the other side of the divide.

The pair’s chief cause for concern, however, would have been their side’s struggles in attack, Jennifer McCourt, Seona Halligan and Abi Keenan their sole scorers from play during the opening half-hour.

It was, in fact, their inability in front of the posts which would cost Roche so dearly in the end. Having lost by two points, their tally of 11 wides to three underlines a story of what might have been.

A comprehensive reverse looked on the cards when Alannah McLaughlin’s dropping shot found its way into the net for Clans’ third major before Meehan was yellow carded, though the girls in blue, from somewhere, came roaring back.

McArdle’s goal gave them an injection of belief and having drawn on terms, McCourt’s strike from distance looked over all the way until cracking the post at the last second, a slight deflection off a Clans tackler being the cruel, if crucial, twist.

A scoreless start to extra-time meant Roche trailed by four at the 70-minute mark. Relentless Seona Halligan cut the gap with a good point before McCourt chipped over a free, but time ran out with Roche on top.

Goals win games, as they say, and Clans had the key offensive players. It is, however, perfect preparation for next weekend’s senior championship opener against Stabannon Parnells.

Roche: Tracey Rogers; Anna Murphy, Aoife Savage, Aisling Sloane; Lauren Meehan, Niamh Callan, Caoimhe Treanor; Jennifer McCourt (0-3, one free), Claire McDonald; Ellie Grant, Aoife Halligan (0-1), Louise Byrne; Abi Keenan (0-3), Seona Halligan (0-2), Sarah McArdle (1-7, 0-7 frees)

Subs: Aoife O’Connell for Grant, Lauren Briscoe for McArdle, Fiona Levins for Meehan

Clan na Gael: Mia Rogers; Tina McKeever, Therese Curran, Kelly Hughes; Sinead McGill, Dearbhla Tinnelly, Sadhbh McCann; Shannen McLaughlin (1-0), Pamela Campbell; Cara McKeever (0-1), Alannah McLaughlin (1-0), Denise McKenna (0-3, frees); Ify, Ciara Woods (2-4), Kerry Clinton (0-1)

Sub: Amy Smith for McGill

Referee: Stephen Murphy (Naomh Máirtín)