Kilkenny 4-14 Clare 1-8
By Aoife Lanigan, PRO
Kilkenny secured their place in the Quarter Finals of the Glen Dimplex All Ireland Senior Championship after they cruised to a home win over Clare last Saturday in UPMC Nowlan Park.
It took eight minutes for the opening score, and it came from Clare’s substitute Caoimh Carmody who had been introduced early for Danielle Griffin who went off injured after just four minutes. Sixty seconds later, Kilkenny struck for the first goal with Sarah Barcoe getting onto a pass from Steffi Fitzgerald and blasting the ball to the net. Fitzgerald slotted over a point and Kilkenny lead by three on a 1-1 to 0-1 scoreline. The Banner responded immediately with an Andrea O’Keeffe delivery into the square met by Roisin Begley, flicking the sliotar into the Kilkenny net levelling the game for the one and only time.
Aoife Prendergast converted a 45’ after Clare’s goalkeeper Doireann Murphy made a great save from a goal bound shot from Sarah Barcoe. In the eighteenth minute, Aoife Prendergast hit a shot towards the O’Loughlin Gaels end of the Stadium and Steffi Fitzgerald made an amazing double on the ball in the air, and it flew into the back of the net. Fitzgerald followed this with a white flag, the Kilkenny lead was back to five.
Clare then showed character and hit three unanswered points, a fine Ziyan Spillane score from play, a converted Roisin Begley free and a long range Clare Hehir free. Kilkenny hit the closing two points of the half, from Caoimhe Keher Murtagh and Sarah Barcoe, as the teams headed to the dressing rooms, with Kilkenny leading by four points, 2-5 to 1-4.
On the resumption of play, the visitors stormed out of the blocks and fired over the first two scores inside the opening three minutes and suddenly the deficit was down to just two. Kilkenny steadied the ship though and from there to the finish it was all the home side.
Taking complete ownership of the contest with six unanswered points, five of them from play (Sarah Barcoe, Aoife Prendergast (f), Laura Greene (2), Claire Doheny & Emma Shortall) with only a Roisin Begley free in reply, the Cats lead stood at seven by the end of the third quarter on a 2-11 to 1-7 scoreline.
Any notions of a Banner fightback were ended soon after with substitute Katie Nolan needing just thirty seconds after her introduction to blast to the net, this coming after a Laura Greene’s point attempt cannoned off the upright and fell to Nolan. Roisin Begley slotted over the Banner’s last score from a placed ball in the 52nd minute.
Kilkenny then hit 1-3 unanswered, the goal coming from Steffi Fitzgerald and points from Laura Greene, Laura Murphy (f) and substitute Emma Mulhall, winning out on a score line of 4-14 to 1-8, to make it four wins out of four for the inform Cats.
Kilkenny head to Chadwick Wexford Park next Saturday 27th June to face Wexford in the last Group game. Throw in is at 3.30pm
SCORERS
Kilkenny, Steffi Fitzgerald 2-2, Sarah Barcoe 1-2, Laura Greene 0-3, Kate Nolan 1-0, Aoife Prendergast 0-2 (2f), Laura Murphy 0-1 (f), Caoimhe Keher Murtagh, Emma Shortall, Claire Doheny, Emma Mulhall 0-1 each
Clare Roisin Begley 1-3 (3f), Caoimhe Carmody 0-2, Clare Hehir 0-1 (f), Ziyan Spillane, Roisin McMahon 0-1 each
TEAMS
Kilkenny: Aoife Norris, Ava Brett, Tiffanie Fitzgerald, Caoimhe Dowling (Captain), Angela, Carroll, Niamh Deely, Laura Murphy, Laura Greene, Rachel Dowling, Aoife Prendergast, Caoimhe Keher Murtagh, Asha McHardy, Emma Shortall, Steffi Fitzgerald, Sarah Barcoe.
Subs, Claire Doheny for Rachel Dowling, Katie Nolan for Aoife Prendergast, Aisling O’Sullivan for Asha McHardy, Emma Mulhall for Emma Shortall, Miriam Bamrick for Caoimhe Dowling, Ellen Gunner, Maria Brennan, Laura Phelan, Emily Smith, Rachel Phelan, Sofia Kerr, Ciara Dunne, Leah Brett, Ciara O’Shea, Una Duggan.
Clare: Doireann Murphy, Muireann Scanlon, Sinead O’Keeffe, Niamh Mulqueen, Lynda Daly, Abby Walsh, Clare Hehir, Roisin McMahon, Danielle Griffin, Jennifer Daly, Andrea O’Keeffe, Aoife Anderson, Clare McNamara, Roisin Begley, Ziyan Spillane
Subs, Caoimhe Carmody for Danielle Griffin (inj), Ellen Casey for Jennifer Daly, Aine O’Loughlin for Clare McNamara, Aisling Cooney for Ziyan Spillane, Laoise Ryan for Roisin McMahon, Sophie Cullen, Ciara Grogan, Michelle Powell, Meave Millea, Susan Daly, Aoibhin McNamara, Cliodhna Queally, Caoimhe Lally, Caoimhe Ryan, Lorna McNamara.
Referee: Cathal McAllister, Cork
