Sarah earns her stripes in Capital win
BY NIALL SHERRY, SPORTS EDITOR
SPORTSEDITOR@KILKENNYOBSERVER.IE
Glen Dimplex Senior Camogie Championship
Group 2, Round 2, Parnell Park
Dublin 1-12
Kilkenny 2-16
Kilkenny made it two from two in Group 2 of this season’s Glen Dimplex Senior Camogie Championship when they travelled to take on the Dubs last Saturday in Parnell Park. Building the opening day win over Limerick was crucial; and Jimmy Meagher’s young side put in a decent performance to condemn Dublin to a second straight defeat and leave them in a very precarious position in the group. Sarah Barcoe was in sparkling form during the second half as her personal tally of 2-2 helped the Stripeywomen claim victory in the Capital. Our senior ladies will take on Offaly in round 3 this weekend where they will hope to take another step towards a quarter-final berth.
It was Bill McCormack’s ladies that opened the scoring in the Donnycarney venue, thanks to a placed ball effort from the experienced Aisling Maher. One of the Noresiders Dicksboro contingent, Asha McHardy got things moving for the visitors and her clubmate Aoife Prendergast registered a quickfire brace of placed balls to give the travelling side a 2-point lead after 7 minutes of action in Parnell Park. The home side reduced the lead, thanks to a tidy score from one of the Gannon trio; this time it was wing back Claire that raised a white flag, but this would be the last score taken by the girls in blue for some eleven minutes, as Kilkenny took control of the group 2 clash. ‘Boro’s Prendergast fired over her second placed ball of the afternoon, and this would be the first of a 6-point unanswered blitz from Meagher’s side.
Thomastown’s Sarah Barcoe opened her account in the 17th minute, and the black and amber clad side built on this with a lovely score from Clara’s Emma Shortall a minute later. Wing forward Asha McHardy added to her tally soon after with two well taken points either side of a sweet strike from Young Irelands Steffi Fitzgerald as the Marble City side opened up a 7-point lead in Parnell Park after 21 minutes. Dublin, beaten by The Banner County in round one were struggling, got a couple of badly needed scores from vice-captain Aisling Maher and talented Cuala player, Sinead Wylde before the former split Aoife Norris’s posts with a cracking effort from play to reduce the deficit to four points. The last score of an opening period dominated by Kilkenny was a third of the day from the very impressive Asha McHardy as the visitors headed for the changing rooms with a deserved 5-point lead at the short whistle sounded by Derry referee EP Cassidy.
When play resumed, the Stripeywomen got the scoreboard moving, courtesy of Caoimhe Keher Murtagh, the Rower-Inistioge clubwoman showing her class with the finish two minutes into the second half. St Vincents Aisling Maher was doing her level best to keep her side in the contest and added to her tally with another placed ball before the game became a little scrappy. We would go five minutes without a score before this lull was broken by a lovely point from Ballinteer St John’s Grace O’Shea. Kilkenny ended a nine-minute baron spell with a well taken score from Sarah Barcoe to leave the Noresiders lead at 5 points. Bill McCormack’s charges were awarded another free, and this was duly converted by top-scorer Maher. The hard-working Laura Murphy then got on the scoresheet, the O’Loughlin Gaels player, one of the young teams’ more experienced heads.
Then came a major moment in the round two encounter. The pacey Sarah Barcoe collected possession, and despite the attention of two Dublin defenders, the Thomastown attacker fired her shot beyond Kilmacud netminder Ciara Jones in the Dubs goal to the corner of the net. Kilkenny now in complete control in the Capital, leading by eight points as the midway point of the second period approached. You sensed that the ladies in blue would need to raise a green flag of their own to get back into the game, but it would be white flags that the umpires would continue to raise for the home side. Two further placed balls from Aisling Maher left two majors between the sides, but again Kilkenny responded, another Laura from O’Loughlin Gaels, this time Greene splitting the opposition posts for a sweet score.
Dublin’s taliswomen, Aisling Maher kept the scoreboard ticking over for the hosts, again with an accurate free and they struck another score shortly after, thanks to a lovely effort from their captain, St Jude’s Niamh Gannon who joined sister Claire on the scoresheet with about six minutes of normal time remaining in Parnell Park. Kilkenny’s placed ball expert, Aoife Prendergast got the next two points of the game, both from frees, in the 25th and 30th minutes of the game as Jimmy Meagher’s outfit held a commanding eight-point lead as the contest entered additional time. Cuala’s Sinead Wylde got her second of the game, but it appeared nothing more than a consolation score for the metropolitans. There would still be time for two more scores in the tie, and both would raise green flags. First up was a second major of the afternoon for Thomastown’s Sarah Barcoe, who having been denied minutes earlier by a super stop from Ciara Jones in the Dublin goal, made no mistake to seal her Player of the Match award. As the final whistle approached, Oak Leaf whistler Cassidy awarded a penalty to Bill McCormack’s side which St Vincent’s Aisling Maher dispatched beyond Piltown’s Aoife Norris in the Kilkenny goal to leave the full-time score in Parnell Park, Dublin 1-12 Kilkenny 2-16.
SHERRY SAYS….
So far so good for Kilkenny’ senior camogs. Jimmy Meagher’s side have recorded two wins from the opening two rounds in Group 2 of the Glen Dimplex Senior Camogie Championship. Having defeated The Treaty County by some 14-points in UPMC Nowlan Park a week earlier, The Stripeywomen never looked in danger when they travelled to the Capital last Saturday. Let’s not forget, this is one of the youngest sides operating in this year’s campaign, but they appear to be playing with little or no fear this season.
Sarah Barcoe took the plaudits, finishing her day’s work with a personal tally of 2-2 as she showed her attacking prowess. But for a brilliant save by Dubs netminder Ciara Jones, the Thomastown forward would have had a hat trick of goals on the day. With the likes of Katie Power and Miriam Walsh no longer plying their trade in the stripes, it is the likes of Barcoe and Dicksboro duo, Asha McHardy and Aoife Prendergast to provide the cutting edge to the side. There is still a strong spine in the side, Aoife Norris, Michelle Teehan, Niamh Deely, Laura’s Greene and Murphy behind the vastly experienced Steffi Fitzgerald are the more experienced heads, helping and supporting the ‘young guns around them.
Next up for the Stripeywomen is the visit of Offaly. The Faithful County have a narrow win over Wexford and a defeat away to Limerick in the group so far. Securing a third win of the campaign will be the target for the management team as they look to secure a last eight berth.
