Ladies Football - Senior Championship semi-final West Clare Gaels 2-11 Fergus Rovers 0-8 At Cooraclare West Clare Gaels from the catchment that takes in Kilkee and the greater Loophead peninsula are a coming force in ladies Gaelic football every bit as much as The Banner Ladies are in the county capital. They showcased their talents in Cooraclare on Saturday when they came between Fergus Rovers and a great weekend. Later that Saturday night Rovers' past and present gathered in Fanny O'Deas to celebrate 25 years of Gaelic football in the Lissycasey and Clondegad. They didn't celebrate as county finalists for 2008, as the Gaels put paid to those chances thanks to a five-star display from Majella Griffin. Her clinical edge in front of goal and the brilliance of Tracey Downes in goal were the main reasons why the Gaels triumphed. By the end, however, Fergus Rovers had things other than the result on their minds - their day was marred somewhat when captain Catherine O'Loughlin was carried off the field near the end and then taken away to hospital in an ambulance. O'Loughlin, who played in all of Fergus Rovers' nine senior championship wins from 1986 to 2000, received an accidental injury to the head and was brought to hospital as a precautionary measure. The injury came in the closing stages of the game, by which time the Gaels had done enough to reach the final. They had nine points to spare in the end, but the game wasn't as one-sided as the scoreline suggests. Rovers had their chances, especially towards the end of the first half when they started to dominate. The half was a shoot-out between Majella Griffin for the Gaels and Nollaig Griffin for Rovers. Nollaig registered all of Rovers' six points, while Majella scored five out of six for the Gaels. However, the real turning point of the game came when Rovers spurned too great goal chances before half-time. 11 dragged the ball just wide in the 27th minute, while two minutes later Tracey Downes made a brilliant save to thwart Claire Arthur. Indeed, Downes one of the stars of the show, along with Michelle Downes and Majella Griffin. She made two more point blank saves in the second half. Meanwhile, down the other end the Gaels never looked back after Maria Kelly lobbed Aoife Clohessy for 30 yards to goal in the 37th minute. Majella Griffin chipped in with four second half points to bring her tally to 0-9 while substitute Lisa Harte killed off the game in the fourth minute of the eight minutes of injury time allowed when she rolled home the second goal. West Clare Gaels Tracey Downes, Suzi O'Gorman, Ciara Harvey, Sinead Kelly, Saoirse McMahon, Michelle Downes, Rita Boland, Deirdre Troy, Maria Kelly (1-1), Niamh Lardner, Leane Lynch (0-1), Lauren McMahon, Denise Geaney (Capt), Majella Griffin (0-9, 5f), Katie Geoghegan. Subs Lisa Harte (1-0) for Geoghegan, Megan McGrath for Saoirse McMahon Fergus Rovers Aoife Clohessy, Paula Donnelly, Edel Carmody, Claire Hester, Mairéad Hayes, Cliodhna Talty, Teresa Meaney, Lorraine Kelly, Claire Arthur, Cliona Cleary, Orla Griffin, Clodagh McNeilus, Aine Kelly, Nollaig Griffin (0-7, 5f), Catherine O'Loughlin (Capt). Subs Myra Daly for Hayes, Carmel McGuane for Arthur, Laura Hanrahan for Nollaig Griffin, Triona Melican for O'Loughlin. Player of the Match Majella Griffin (West Clare Gaels) Referee Fergal O'Shea (Shannon Gaels) Tweet

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