It was an emotional atmosphere at Kilbride on Sunday morning when the hosts returned to the playing field for the first time since the sad passing of their former colleague Rochelle Mullaney.
Clann na nGael where the visitors to the mid-Roscommon venue for the round three Dermot Hughes Cars senior championship fixture.
Despite the ongoing absence of Kilbride’s Fiona Tully and Aisling Hanly, the hosts were quite competitive and will take heart from an improved performance.
Their hopes of a fairytale win didn’t materialise as Clann ran out 5-15 to 3-5 winners. Picking up their first victory of this year’s campaign.
Casey Keane led the way for Kilbride with 1-5, including a first-half goal. While Aisling and Niamh Shanagher also found the net for Con Moynihan’s side.
Clann were simply too powerful, running-up 37 scoring chances, firing 5-12 from play.
Róise Lennon shot 0-6, while there were five different goal scorers, including Hope Glynn, who showed immense promise on her second senior appearance.
Fiona Scally registering a goal, with Kara Earle (1-2), Therese Lennon (0-3) and Ruth Finlass (1-2) also impressing.
Also at senior level, the tie of the round was at Knockcroghery, where St. Dominic’s shot the last four points of their clash with Shannon Gaels to pick up an 0-12 to 1-8 win.
St. Dominic’s first of the campaign. A string of missed frees haunted St. Dominic’s in the early exchanges as they fell into a 0-4 to 0-1 deficit.
A missed penalty led to a shift in momentum and St. Dominic’s drawing level by half-time.
Three points from Sorcha Bruen and a Sarah Boyd penalty left Shannon Gaels in the driving seat coming into the closing minutes.
Two goals in the space of a minute for St. Brigid’s midway through the second-half of their victory over Éire Óg were the vital scores. Laura Harrison’s side made it three wins from three, prevailing by 5-9 to 0-13 in Loughglynn.
Lucy Sheffield got the game’s first goal, Abby Curran and Áine O’Brien also scored goals making it 3-4 to 0-7 at half-time.
Éire Óg had the better of the third-quarter, back-to-back goals from Sarah O’Rourke and O’Brien allowed them ease over the finish line.
