Clanmaurice too strong for Ahascragh/Caltra in intermediate decider

Clanmaurice (Kerry) 2-16 Ahascragh/Caltra (Galway) 1-01

Jackie Horgan plundered the goals but Clanmaurice were too strong all over the field as they cantered to a second AIB All-Ireland intermediate club camogie title at Croke Park to ensure an historic shot at senior fare in 2025.

Ahascragh/Caltra struggled to get any sort of a grip on proceedings and while Aoibhe Glynn's scintillating goal in the 24th minute gave them hope, as it brought them to within three points of their distinguished opponents, with the interval approaching, that hope was extinguished by Horgan’s two ruthlessly taken goals.

The second of those arrived seven minutes after the resumption to make it an 11-point game and there was no way back from that.

Clanmaurice are well accustomed to playing in Croke Park and in national finals, in club and county colours, and that showed as they flew out of the traps to score four points without replay in the first nine minutes.

Ahascragh/Caltra hadn’t made it inside the opposition 45 by this stage and when they finally did in the 11th minute, Emma Reaney’s shot was adjudged by Hawk-Eye to have drifted just the wrong side of the posts.

Horgan had already been wide of the mark with a speculative shot when she sourced Amy O’Sullivan with an astute low delivery in the fourth minute. O’Sullivan, who missed last year’s successful campaign through injury, had her jersey tugged by Denise Kelly and when Kelly blocked the forward’s shot after Gavin Donegan had allowed advantage, the referee rightly called play back for a penalty.

Patrice Diggin’s piledriver thundered off the crossbar but Horgan gathered and though bottled up, found enough space to kick over off her left peg.

Diggin, the classy, long-serving midfielder who is