Heartbreak for Claremorris as O’Donavan Rossa clinch All-Ireland junior glory

Currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Ladies Junior Club Championship Final

Claremorris 0-11 O’Donavan Rossa 2-7

Oisín McGovern in Parnell Park

A HEROIC effort was not enough for Claremorris to become the first Mayo team to win the most prized trophy in junior club football this afternoon.

Goals in either half won it for an O’Donavan Rossa team who outlasted some incredible pressure from a Claremorris team that were in contention right until the end.

The Mayo champions had heroines in every line of the field, but their inability to take some key opportunities ultimately came back to haunt them.

There were just ten minutes gone when out O’Donvan Rossa’s attacking danger woman Éabha O’Donavan – who finished with 2-5 - found the net after Claremorris goalkeeper Claire Keane gave the ball straight out to her.

It was to be their last score for the next fifteen minutes as a Claremorris hit four points on the bounced through Ashleagh Sammon, Bree Hession, Rebecca Kean (a free) and a fine effort from Laura Kelly.

Down 1-5 to 0-6 at the break, Claremorris nearly took an early lead when the excellent Alana Fitzpatrick played a lovely ball into her captain Laura Kelly, who rolled her finish just to the right and wide.

In the face of relentless pressure, a besieged O’Donavan Rossa only managed one score before Síomha McNulty gave Claremorris the lead for the first time in the 55th minute.

However, disaster struck two minutes later when Éabha Donavan goaled for the Cork opposition against the run of play with minutes to go.

Ashleagh Sammon and O’Donavan swapped scores before the end as Claremorris saw their All-Ireland dreams crumble in the form of red wave that emerged from one last Mayo bombardment with the ball in hand.

There will be a full report plus post-match reaction carried in Tuesday’s print edition of The Mayo News.