Clare advanced to the All-Ireland Intermediate Final for the first time since 2016 when they overcame the stiff challenge of Antrim at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park in Longford.

In what was a fantastic game of football Clare made a whirlwind start to the game but credit to Antrim they came back at them. The Banner put in a fine performance in the second half despite losing substitute Ciara McCarthy through a sin bin. 

Straight from throw-in Antrim had a chance to open the scoring but kicked a wide. Clare went up the field and six attacks yielded six scores. Chloe Moloney got their first point in the second minute.

Antrim created the first chance of the game but kicked a wide. Clare went down the field and from six attacks they got six scores to open up an eight point lead in the seventh minute. 

Chloe Moloney kicked over a good point in the second minute and that was followed with a fantastic goal from Aisling Reidy, after she received the ball from Moloney.

Two points from Moloney (one free) and one apiece from Laura Grifey and Fidelma Marrinan put the Banner County ahead by eight after seven minutes of play. 

Antrim finally opened their account in the ninth minute when Orlaith Prenter kicked over a fine point. Theresa Mellon and Maria O’Neill added further scores to cut the gap to five points in the 12th minute.

Clare replied with good scores from Marrinan and Reidy but then the game swung in Antrim’s favour. McLaughlin kicked over a free and then the Saffrons got a goal. The ball was overturned, Cathy Carey played the ball to O’Neill and she fisted it to the net. 

Points from Prenter, McLaughlin and Carey drew Antrim level in the 28th minute. Clare got two points just before the break through Marrinan and Reidy to lead by two going in at half-time - 1-9 to 1-7.

An excellent point from Marrinan and another pointed free from Moloney extended Clare’s lead to four points in the 36th minute.

Antrim went on the attack in the 37th minute but Clare full-back Siofra Ní Chonaill did superbly to dispossess McLaughlin. 

Clare extended their lead to seven points in the 44th minute when substitute Ciara McCarthy pulled a high ball into Moloney, she turned before hitting a stunning strike to the top corner of the net.

One minute later McCarthy was sin binned. Lara Dahunsi followed with a point for Antrim. Clare tried to manage the clock while McCarthy was off but Antrim got points through Prenter (2, one free) and Dahunsi to close the gap to three in the 52nd minute.

It was end to end stuff. Substitute Megan Downes got a much needed point in the 54th minute to stem Antrim’s attack. Marrinan followed with a free for her fifth point of the game to extend the lead to five points in the 56th minute. McLaughlin kicked over a late point for Antrim but Clare held on.

Despite Grainne Rafferty scoring a late penalty, Clare booked a home tie in the Quarter-Finals via the head to head rule, as they played out a draw with Tyrone in Longford.

The top two in group 2, were always going to put on a show, the weather caused issued but we were treated to a great game of football, Clare may feel they should have held onto a four point lead going into the last minutes, but the prize of a home tie, travels with them back to Munster this evening.

They performed well, Siofra Ni Chonaill at the back was solid, their forward’s again potent, while Laurie Ryan covered every blade of grass at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, Tyrone no slouches either, will be a force in the knockout stages.

It was a slow start to proceedings as the elements played a part in both sides missing some early scores, Tyrone however settled come the right minute, in a sixty second burst Maria Canavan found the opening score with a free before Emma Jane Garvin flicked home the opening goal, the midfielder quick to tap the loose ball home.

Caitlin Campbell made it a five point lead at the end of the opening quarter, before Aisling Reidy and Fidelma Marrinan got the Banner on the board, 0-5 to 0-2. Aoife Horisk was quick however to notch a further score for the Red Hand County.

Lizzy Roche got Clare’s third point, but after the score was forced off with injury after colliding with a Tyrone player, Aisling Reidy then drew Clare level with a fine worked goal on the half hour mark, Chloe Moloney and Maria Canavan swapped frees in added time to leave it 1-4 a piece at the break.

Sasha Byrne nudged Tyrone ahead with a point in the opening seconds of the second half, but scores from Amy Sexton and Marrinan had the Banner back in the lead minutes later, Marnian and Moloney kept up the scoring, with ten elapsed in the second half they built a lead, 1-8 to 1-5.

Megan Downes then hit the back of the Tyrone net and from that the lead was out to six points, but seven minutes later a high ball in from a long way out, saw Emma Jane Gervin grab her second goal, the midfielder was the one who played the pass, it was looking for Byrne inside, but bounced over her and Amy Lenihan in the Clare goal and into the net.

Back to a three point game, Laurie Ryan made it four as she kicked a late point, looked like a goal was on her mind but she fired over from close range, Tyrone stayed chasing and Grainne Rafferty pointed a late free to make it a three point game in the dying embers.

Drama late as Marrinan brought down Bryne in the area, the referee pointed for a penalty and Rafferty stepped up to dispatch the spot kick, a stalemate at half time, a stalemate at full time, but on head to head Clare will be happy to have secured their home status for the quarter final.

A strong second half performance from Westmeath saw them record their first win in the All-Ireland Ladies Intermediate Championship against their neighbours Longford at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park.

After losing to Antrim in their opening game the pressure was on Westmeath coming into this game. Longford are a side re-building with just a number of experienced players available to them. They had to call in members of the Minor panel for this game. They battled hard but Westmeath were just too strong.

Westmeath made the perfect start and within the opening 10 minutes were three points in front; three points from the boot of Sarah Dillon. Longford got their first score in the 12th minute through Grace Shannon. Her sister Kate fired over her first point one minute later to cut the gap to one.

The Lake County responded with points from Dillon, Ciara Blundell and Vicky Carr to extend the lead to four points in the 21st minute. Despite Westmeath looking strong in attack, Longford’s Leanne Keegan was excelllent. 

Kate Shannon kicked over two great points for Longford while Dillon’s effort just went wide as Westmeath looked for a goal as half-time approached.

The goal eventually came in the 30th minute; Blundell played the ball to Aoife Connolly and she made no mistake to leave her side ahead 1-07 to 0-04 at the break.

A free from Kate Shannon and a fine effort from Edel Sheehy cut the gap to four points in the 33rd minute but they were to be Longford’s final scores in the game. In the 41st minute Sarah Dillon’s shot came off the crossbar and Anna Jones finished it to the net.

Westmeath kept the scoreboard ticking over. Points from Sarah and Rachel Dillon, Connolly and Blundell extended their lead to 11 in the 50th minute. Blundell scored her third point in the 54th minute as Michael Finneran’s side finished the game well.

Connolly grabbed her second goal and Westmeath third in the 57th minute and the same player who scored the first ‘45 that was worth two points for her side, scored a ‘45 right at the end to leave 17 points between the sides in the end