Minor’s All Ireland Champions Again After Edging Tipperary in Birr Thriller

Kilkenny Minor Camogie Team All Ireland Champions 2015

Kilkenny 3-09 Tipperary 1-12

A 52nd minute goal from Ciara Phelan prove the difference as Kilkenny secured the All Ireland minor title for the first time since 2013 when they edged Tipperary in a thriller in Birr on Saturday.

Kilkenny started the game well with a strong breeze and raced into a three point to no score lead in the opening seven minutes.  Sarah Kent opened the scoring for the victors with a forty five in the first minute. Sarah Walsh doubled Kilkenny’s advantage with a point from fourteen meters, after a latching on to a Marguerite Hoyne’s pass; it could so easily of being a goal. Sarah Kent then tapped over a massive free from fifty meters in the seventh minute to end a good opening period for the Cats. Tipperary responded with two points on the trot from Niamh Treacy from fourteen meters after she latched onto a Miriam Campion pass. Treacy then tapped over a free from forty meters to cut the gap to a single point 0-03 points to 0-02 after eleven minutes.  Kilkenny responded with their first goal of the game when Jenny Clifford latched onto a Sarah Walsh pass to blast home from close range in the twelfth minute.  Orla O’Dwyer responded for the premier county with a point from forty five meters in the fifteenth minute. Sarah Walsh then got in for Kilkenny’s second goal when Jenny Clifford returned the favour and set up Walsh to goal from fourteen meters, this put Kilkenny 2-03 to 0-03 ahead.

Niamh Tracey responded for Tipperary with a free from forty five meters in the seventieth minute.  Kellyann Doyle responded with a brilliant score from thirty five meters after brilliant link up play with Jenny O’Neill and showed exceptional skills to tap over.  Ciara Phelan then tapped over an excellent point from out near the sideline from twenty one meters and Kilkenny were on a roll. Jenny Clifford then pointed from thirty meters in the twenty third minute to make it 2-06 to 0-04 points.  Orla O’Dwyer responded for Tipperary with a point from thirty five meters in the twenty fourth minute before Sarah Kent tapped over a forty five in the twenty sixth minute. Tipperary closed out the half with two Niamh Treacy frees. The first in the twenty seventh minute from fifty meters and the second in the first minute of injury time from twenty five meters after she was fouled to see them trailed by 2-07 to 0-07 at the break. Kilkenny would of being happy with their performance in the first half but would of being expecting a backlash from the premier county in the second half.

The Kilkenny Defense Keeping the Tipperary Forwards at Bay

Tipperary set out there stall early in the second half and opened the scoring in the thirty first minute from a Niamh Tracey free from twenty one meters. Kellyann Doyle responded with a free in the thirty fourth from thirty five meters. Tipperary then scored 1-03 on the trot. Niamh Tracey started the burst with a forty five in the thirty sixth minute. Orla O’Dwyer then got in for a Tipperary goal after latching on to a breaking ball from fourteen meters to blast home in the thirty eight minute and it was game on. Cardha Maher continued Tipperary’s good run with a point from thirty meters in the forty first minute to cut the gap to a point.  Roisin Howard then equalised the contest at 2-08 to 1-11 with a point from fourteen meters and Tipperary were on a roll.  Sarah Kent responded with a massive free in the forty sixth minute. Tipperary responded instantly with a point from Orla O’Dwyer from thirty meters in the forty seventh minute which prove to be Tipperary’s last score. Ciara Phelan then got in for Kilkenny’s third goal in the fifty second minute after latching onto a Jenny Clifford pass rounded her marker to blast home from fourteen meters to the roar of the Kilkenny support. Kilkenny had to endure a nervy final seven minutes as Tipperary threw everything at Kilkenny and their efforts were nearly awarded in the twenty ninth minute when second half sub Grace O’Brien latched onto a breaking ball fourteen meters from goal, but she couldn’t connect right and Kilkenny cleared the ball out for a forty five. Niamh Tracey dropped the resulting forty five into the square but Kilkenny brilliantly cleared there lines. Referee Ray Kelly then blew the full time whistle to the massive roar of the Kilkenny support. This victory rounded off a terrific year for the Kilkenny side having suffered the pain of some narrow losses last season to run through this year undefeated really showed the talent that this side contained and bodes well for the  Leinster championship that begins in July. Kilkenny will begin their Leinster Championship campaign away to Wexford on the 15th July .

Kilkenny Minor Management Team at Final Whistle

Scorers – Kilkenny: Sarah Kent 0-04 (2f, 2-45), Sarah Walsh 1-01, Jenny Clifford 1-01, Ciara Phelan 1-01, Kellyann Doyle 0-02 (1f),. Tipperary:  Niamh Tracey 0-07 (5f, 1-45), Orla O’Dwyer 1-03, Cardha Maher 0-01, Roisin Howard 0-01.

Kilkenny: Kirsty Maher (Joint capt), Roisin Phelan, Katie Nolan, Miriam Bambrick Sarah Kent, Eilish Regan, Michelle Teehan, Laura Murphy, Kellyann Doyle,  Marguerite Hoynes, Jenny O’Neill, Edel Coonan, Ciara Phelan (Joint Capt), Sarah Walsh, Jenny Clifford.

Sub: Aoife Norris, Ciara Murphy, Chloe Blackmore, Eimear Corr, Roisin Breen, Aoife O’Carroll, Mia Griffin, Deirdre Purcell, Megan Walsh, Aoife Farrell, Laura Greene, Eimear Donnelly, Sophie O’Dwyer, Nicole Garvey, Laura Tennyson, Heather Doyle, Shannon Doyle, Tara Lacey, Caoimhe O’Shea.

Tipperary:  Caoimhe Bourke, Karen Fox, Caitriona Skehan, Eimear Murphy, Maureen Ryan, Karen Kennedy, Lorna O’Dwyer, Roisin Cahill, Courtney Ryan, Orla O’Dwyer, Roisin Howard, Cardha Maher, Miriam Campion, Niamh Tracey, Keely Lenihan.

Sub: Sarah Quigley, Carol Casey, Claire Stakelum, Sarah Stakelum, Sinead Meagher, Emma Cleary, Caroline Mullaney, Eimear Loughman, Caoimhe Condon, Nicola Loughnane, Rachel Quinlan, Rachel Maher, Grace O’Brien, Leanne O’Kelly, Sarah Kinnane.

Referee: Ray Kelly

Kilkenny Minor Camogie Team and Management All Ireland Champions 2015