Staunton bags 4-13 in draw

CONNACHT SNR LADIES F’BALL FINAL DEFENDING champions Carnacon of Mayo and Kilkerrin-Clonberne of Galway will have to do it all again following a thrilling draw in the Connacht GAA Senior Ladies Club Championship final at Ballyhaunis yesterday.

Cora Staunton, due to head for Australia to play Australian rules, scored 4-13 for the Mayo champions in a game which produced seven penalties.

Ailish Morrissey was the hero of the day for the Galway champions as her point, three minutes into injury-time, earned her side a reprieve. Annette Clarke top-scored for the Galway girls on 3-4 in a robust game which saw both teams lose a player to a red card – Claire Egan of Carnacon and Olivia Divilly of Kilkerrin-Clonberne failing to see out the game.

Staunton scored a hat-trick of penalties and 1-10 from play in a riveting encounter. KilkerrinClonberne led by 4-4 to 2-9 at half-time.

SCORERS – Carnacon: C Staunton 4-13; A Dowling 1-2; L Dowling and M Carter 0-1 each. Kilkerrin-Clonberne: A Clarke 3-4; L Ward 2-0; O Divillly 0-6; L Noone 1-0; H Noone 0-2; N Ward and A Morrissey 0-1 each.

CARNACON – M Higgins; S McGing, M Carter, S Larkin; M Corbett, C Egan, L Dowling; F McHale, D Hughes; M McGing, A Dowling, E Flannery; A Brennan, C Staunton, M Larkin. Subs: B. Bruton for M Larkin.

KILKERRIN- CLONBERNE – L Murphy; A McStay, S Gormally, S Mee; L Noone, C Dunleavy, C Costello; S Divilly, L Gannon; O Divilly, A Clarke, C Miskell; N Ward, L Ward. H Noone. Subs: A Morrissey for Noone.

REF – J Niland (Sligo).