Thurles Sarsfields overcome the elements and injury-hit Clanmaurice

CAMOGIE: AIB Munster Senior Club Championship Preliminary Round

Clanmaurice (Kerry) 0-0

Thurles Sarsfields 0-11

Report: Murt Murphy in Ballyheigue

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Caoimhe Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields)

SCORERS – Clanmaurice: None

Thurles Sarsfields: Caoimhe Stakelum 0-10 (5 frees, 2 ‘45’s); Lucy Purcell 0-1.

An injury hit Clanmaurice side suffered a heavy defeat in their Munster Senior Club Championship debut, when Caoimhe Stakelum inspired newly crowned Tipperary champions Thurles Sarsfields side proved too good in atrocious weather conditions on Sunday.

Clanmaurice, who won back to back All-Ireland Intermediate Club titles, opted to move up a grade to senior but without a club championship in Kerry, it was always going to be a big ask.

To compound the Kerry side’s woes, they had to field without their top three scorers, Patrice Diggin, Jackie Horgan and Amy O’Sullivan plus star defender Aoife Behan.

In fact, they had just sixteen players available with the retired corner back Liz Houlihan coming back to play at corner forward while Elaine Ryall also returned along Kerry senior football star Danielle O’Leary.

But anyone who has been following Clanmaurice for a decade or so will know that Patrice and Jackie usually account for about 80% of the teams scores so having to play without them on a day when free-taking was going to be crucial in the heavy conditions was never going to end well for the Kerry side.

This is not meant to take away from Thurles Sarsfields who came to Ballyheigue and did a very professional job. Ideally, they would prefer a better spread of scorers and a few more from play but it was not a day for expansive play and with the ball sticking on the surface there were far too many rucks.

But overall manager Conor Stakelum will be happy with how his side coped with conditions and the unerring accuracy of his young full forward Caoimhe Stakelum. Karen Kennedy was the playmaker in chief and on a dry sod; she would surely have inflected more damage.

In fact, Sarsfields were denied a number of goal scoring chances thanks to home goalkeeper Sara Murphy who really put her body on the line.

But this was a game where defences were on top and there were only two scorers in the game, with Caoimhe Stakelum contributing ten of her sides total while Lucy Purcell got a single point. In fact, there was only four points from play in the sixty-plus minutes.

Sarsfields who won the Tipperary Senior final the previous weekend, had the strong wind and rain to their backs in the opening half but conditions militated against flowing play despite the excellent work-rate of Tipp senior Karen Kennedy, who tormented Clanmaurice all afternoon and were forced to foul her regularly.

Caoimhe Stakelum punished the Clanmaurice indiscretions’ converting three frees, plus two 45’s and a fine effort from play. The only non Stakelum score was a Lucy Purcell effort from play after a Karen Kennedy assist in the 24th minute.

Clanmaurice did not have a recognised free-taker, so their fullback Sara Murphy had a busy afternoon up and down the pitch but the wind ensured she would not score in the opening half.

It also frustrated Sarsfields who probably suspected it was a bit of gamesmanship on Clanmaurice’s behalf when playing against the wind, but seeing Murphy continue to take frees in the second half and a big lead, led to more relaxed viewing by a sizable Thurles Sarsfields band of supporters.

Sars had Leanne Coppinger and Niamh McCormack outstanding in their fullback line while Ciara Cummins from Ireland’s Fittest Family fame was in the thick of everything for the Tipp champions.

They led 0-7 to 0-0 at half time and though Clanmaurice worked tirelessly in the second half with Sara Murphy and Niamh Leane defiant at the back with Murphy taking the sliotar off the goal line to deny Laura Loughnane a goal.

Clanmaurice just could not get going up front without Diggin, Horgan and O’Sullivan while Caoimhe Stakelum added four points for the visitors but only one was from play.

So not great quality in this contest, with the elements a huge factor but Thurles Sarsfields will be happy to advance to the next round.

TEAMS - Clanmaurice: Aoife Fitzgerald (8); Rachel McCarthy (7), Sara Murphy (6), Michelle Costello (6); Elaine Ryall (7), Niamh Leen (7), Aine O’Connor (7); Edel Slattery (6), Danielle O’Leary (6); Laura Collins (6), Caoimhe Spillane (6), Anne Marie Leen (6); Julianne O’Keeffe (6), Kate Lynch (6), Liz Houlihan (6).

Sub: Ciara Moloney (6) for O’Keeffe (HT inj).

Thurles Sarsfields: Siobhan Hennessy (6); Leanna Coppinger (8), Niamh McCormack (8), Rebecca O’Mara (7); Emma Carey (7), Emer Kennedy (7), Marie Creedon (7); Ciara Cummins (8), Aoife Dwyer (7); Andrea Loughnane (6), Lucy Purcell (7), Sarah Stakelum (6); Karen Kennedy (8), Caoimhe Stakelum (8), Laura Loughnane (6)

Subs: Nicola Loughnane (6) for S Stakelum (56), Kate Stakelum (NR) for Creedon (60), Maria Ralph (NR) for A Loughnane (60).

Referee: Joe Mullen (Clare)