Cork finish stronger to edge out Kilkenny

Kilkenny 0-05 Cork 0-09

Orla Cotter finished with 0-07 points as Cork defeated the reigning league champions Kilkenny 0-09 points to 0-05 in the UCC sportsground in Cork on Sunday.

In a low scoring first half it was Kilkenny who started the brighter and got off the mark in the second minute when Aoife Neary tapped over from twenty one meters. Orla Cotter responded for the hosts with two frees, the first in the seventh minute. She followed this up with a further free in the fiftieth minute from forty five meters to make it 0-02 points to 0-01. Denise Gaule equalized for the cats with a free from thirty meters in the sixteenth minute, before Orla Cotter tapped over a massive free from fifty meters in the nineteenth minute. Kilkenny responded with two points on the trot. Meighean Farrell equalized the game with a point from thirty five meters in the twentieth minute. Aoife Neary put Kilkenny ahead with her second point of the contest when she tapped over from thirty five meters to make it 0-04 points to 0-03 after twenty three minutes. Cork were awarded a penalty in the twenty eight minute when Amy O’Connor was taken down on her passage on goal by Emma Kavangh for which she was booked. Orla Cotter stood up to take the resulting penalty but her effort was brilliantly save and Kilkenny cleared there lines to ensure they went in 0-04 points to 0-03 ahead at half time. Kilkenny would of being happy with there first half. performance, having three new starters in the side and missing some key players due to injury. Cork on the other hand would be disappointed with there first half escapades as there scores came from three frees and they had no opportunities from play.

Kilkenny began the new half well and opened the scoring from a Denise Gaule free from twenty one meters there last score of the contest. Cork were getting more and more into the game and opened there second half account with a Katriona Mackey point from play in the thirty seventh minute. Orla Cotter then tapped over a free in the forty fifth minute from forty meters to equalize the game. Julia White put the Rebelettes into the lead with a point from twenty one meters in the forty eight minute to make it 0-06 points to 0-05. Cork were beginning to enjoy more and more possession in the game and it became evident the extra weeks training and extra game they had under there belt. Cork went two clear with a further Orla Cotter free in the fifty third minute her fifth of the contest from twenty one meters. Kilkenny had a goal chance in the fifty sixth minute when Aoife Neary latched onto a breaking ball, fourteen meters from goal but her ground puck effort went narrowly went wide. Orla Cotter pushed Cork three clear with a further free in the fifty seventh minute from fifty meters an excellent score. Kilkenny’s day got worse in the sixty second minute when Ann Dalton was dismissed on a second yellow card and she can feel hard done by as both cards seemed harsh and may not be given on another day. Cork closed out the game with a further Orla Cotter free to see them home on a 0-09 points to 0-05 point scoreline. They are a lot of positives to be taken from this defeat, especially the performances of debutants Davina Tobin, Edel Maher, Catherine Foley and Anna Farrell. Also with very little hurling under there belt, it seemed that Kilkenny just ran out of steam. Kilkenny will now focus there attention on Derry next Sunday, at a Kilkenny venue.

In other Camogie news, the Kilkenny Intermediate team enjoyed a comprehensive 3-16 to 0-03 point victory over Tipperary in The Ragg to make it two from two in the league. They will entertain Down at a Kilkenny venue next Sunday. The Under 16 teams had contrasting fortunes in the Leinster Championships. The A side were unlucky to be edged out by Dublin on a 3-08 to 0-12 point scoreline. The U16 B team ran out comprehensive victors over Wicklow on Saturday afternoon.

Scorers –Kilkenny: Aoife Neary 0-02, Denise Gaule 0-02 (2f),Meighean Farrell 0-01.Cork: Orla Cotter 0-07 (7f), Katriona Mackey 0-01, Julia White 0-01.

Kilkenny: Emma Kavanagh, Catherine Foley, Edwina Keane, Jacqui Frisby, Davina Tobin, Colette Dormer, Kate McDonald (Capt), Meighean Farrell, Ann Dalton, Denise Gaule,

Edel Maher, Aisling Dunphy, Anna Farrell, Aoife Neary, Michelle Quilty.

Sub: Siobhan Murphy, Mairead Power, Claire Phelan, Shelly Farrell, Aine Connery, Miriam Walsh, Stacey Quirke, Catherine Doherty,Niamh Leahy,Katie Power.

Cork: Jessica Kavanagh Lauren Callanan, Laura Tracey, Leanne O’ Sullivan, Eimear O’Sullivan, Pamela Mackey, Meave Cahalane, Rena Buckley, Aisling Thompson, Orla Cotter, Briege Corkery, Hannah Looney, Amy O’Connor, Finola Neville, Katriona Mackey.

Subs: Amy Lee, Niamh O’Keeffe, Sarah Buckley, Jennifer Hosford, Orla Cronin, Joanne Casey,

Katelynn Hickey, Caroline Sugrue, Julie Mulcahy, Julia White.

Referee: Ray Kelly