Comeragh Rangers end historic season with Munster Final defeat to county Kerry team

Comeragh Rangers 1-10 Castleisland Desmond’s 3-8

There was no fairy tale finish to Comeragh Rangers first entry in the Munster Senior Ladies Football Club Championship as they had to give second best to a stronger Castleisland Desmonds side at Mallow in the Munster Final on Sunday. 

The recently crowned champions for the first time in the Déise County had the worst possible start to this game conceding three goals in the opening 11 minutes.

Another team may well have given up after such a start, but not Comeragh Rangers. All too often they could have thrown in the towel down the years believing they could never get the better of Ballymacarbry, the queens of the game in Waterford for so long, but they didn’t. They always believed that they would get their chance and would take it, and that same belief was on show here.

Emma Murray opened the scoring for Comeragh Rangers inside a minute of the game throwing in, but the floodgates soon were to open at the other end.

Andrea Murphy responded with a goal for the Kerry side following a good pass from Cait Lynch. Moments later inter-county player Lorraine Scanlon found Amy Curtain in space and she fired home a second goal for the Kerry side with just four minutes played.

After misses from Ava Connolly and Aoibhe Shankey, the hero from their Munster semi-final win over Aghada, Aoife Murray pointed for Comeragh Rangers, but two points from Lorraine Scanlon at the other end opened the gap to six (2-2 to 0-2).

The Kerry side hit their third goal of the game on 11 minutes, Andrea Murphy worked the ball to Amy Curtain who finished past Amy Norris to put her side ten points up and things were not looking good for Comeragh Rangers.

Comeragh Rangers won the second quarter of this game which gave them much hope going into the second half if tweaks could be made to the team at the break.

Aoibhe Shankey hit a point from a free before they raised a green flag on 18 minutes as Eibhlin Power and Emma Murray helped set up Katie Murray who saw her effort fall just short of the target. But Ava Connolly was on hand to finish to the net finishing low past Jennifer Drumm.

An exchange of scores by Julia Curtain and Ava Connolly meant the Kerry side went to the dressing rooms at the break leading 3-4 to 1-4.

Ava Connolly created a great chance early in the second half to reduce the difference further but Leah Griffin produced a timely block on the ball and when the Kerry champions worked the ball up field, they won a free which Amy Curtain converted.

Comeragh Rangers continued to create chances and Ciara O’Sullivan did well to deny Katie Murray a second Comeragh Rangers goal. She would add to her side's tally on the scoreboard shortly after when she put over a free.

Aoife Murray reduced the Kerry side’s lead to five with a fine score for her side, but it was soon cancelled out with a fine effort from the impressive Lorraine Scanlon at the other end.

Áine Power pointed for Comeragh Rangers with less then ten minutes to play. Julia Curtin put over a free at the other end, but Comeragh Rangers were still not giving up as points from Katie and Emma Murray followed but it was goals that they needed at this stage.

Áine Power rounded off the scoring for Comeragh Rangers. While the Rathgormack side will be disappointed with the final result, they will learn from it. If they  represent the county again in the competition, they will have learned a great deal from this year and will be looking to go that one step further.

Comeragh Rangers: Abbey Norris; Nora Dunphy, Trish Kelly, Orlaith Kennedy; Caoimhe Hassett, Cora Murray, Aoife Murray; Emma Murray, Keeley Corbett Barry; Aine Power, Katie Murray, Mairead Power; Aoibhe Shankey, Eibhlin Power, Ava Connolly

Subs: Shauna Dunphy for Aoibhe Shankey (HT); Ellen Bolger for Caoimhe Hassett (44); Sarah Connolly for Eibhlin Power (44); Clodagh Power for Mairead Power (51) 

Scorers: Ava Connolly (1-1); Katie Murray, Emma Murray, Aoife Murray and Aine Power (0-2 each); Aoibhe Shankey (0-1; 0-1f)

Castleisland Desmond’s: Jennifer Drumm; Saoirse Murphy, Eilis Lynch, Ciara O'Sullivan; Gemma Kearney, Kayla O'Connor, Cait Lynch; Lorraine Scanlon, Amy Curtin; Aishling Leonard, Andrea Murphy, Leah Griffin; Julia Curtin, Labhaoise Walmsley, Kate O'Connor

Subs: Hanna Herlihy for Saoirse Murphy (HT); Hazel Bourke for Hanna Herlihy (51); Rachael Cronin for Kate O'Connor (59) 

Scorers: Amy Curtin (2-0); Andrea Murphy (1-1); Julia Curtin (0-4); Lorraine Scanlon (0-3)

Referee: Conor McCarthy (Cork)