Comerford point at death rescuses draw for Kilkenny

Kilkenny 1-06 Wexford 0-09

An injury time equaliser from Emma Comerford ensured Kilkenny’s Leinster dream continues as they drew with Wexford 1-06 to 0-09 in Thomastown on Saturday.

Wexford began the game well with a strong breeze behind them and raced into a 0-02 point to no score lead after three minutes. Ellen Kelly opened the scoring with a free in the second minute from twenty one meters. Sarah O’Connor doubled Wexford’s advantage with a free from forty five meters a minute later.  Sarah Ann Quinlan opened Kilkenny’s account with a free from twenty one meters in the sixth minute.  Ellen Roche put two points in it again with a point for the Model County in the sixteenth minute from twenty one meters to make it 0-03 points to 0-01.  Niamh Bambrick responded for Kilkenny with an excellent point in the twenty fourth minute from twenty one meters. Wexford responded with four points on bounce before half time. Clodagh Fitzhenry started the run with a point from thirty five meters in the twenty fifth minute. Sarah O’Connor then tapped over a free from twenty one meters after Marie Morrissey was fouled. Ellen Roche then pointed from play in the twenty eight minute from twenty one meters to ensure they went in with a four point advantage at the break 0-06 points to 0-02. Kilkenny would of being disappointed with their first half performance as they just didn’t strike form in the opening half. They were unlucky that they found themselves four points behind as they had a good percentage of possession in the opening half, but couldn’t covert their chances. Kilkenny would of being confident that they could get something from the game with the the wind to come in the second half.

Wexford began the second half where they left off in the first and opened there account from a Sarah O’Connor free from forty five meters in the thirty fourth minute.  Kilkenny were getting more possession in the early stages of the second half but were guilty of hitting four wides on the trot and did not score for twenty three minutes in the game.  Sarah Ann Quinlan opening Kilkenny’s account with two frees on the bounce.  She tapped over her second free of the game in the forty seventh minute from thirty meters before she tapped over a further free in the forty ninth minute with an excellent effort from out near the sideline from thirty five meters.  Clodagh Fitzhenry responded with a point from play after taking advantage of a lapse in the Kilkenny defence from forty five meters in the fifty third minute to make it double scores 0-08 points to 0-04.  It was beginning to look like it may not of being Kilkenny’s day but Sarah Ann Quinlan had different things on her mind as she scored 1-01 on the bounce. She got in for the first goal of the contest in the fifty fifth minute when she latched onto an excellent Jenny Clifford pass to blast to the back of the net from fourteen meters. Quinlan then tapped over the equalising score of the game at 1-05 to 0-08 points in the fifty fifth minute when she brilliantly latched onto a breaking ball twenty one meters from goal to tap over to the roar of the Kilkenny support. Kilkenny were hit a cruel blow in the last minute of normal time when Wexford were awarded a free after lively corner forward Marie Morrissey was fouled. Sarah O’Connor tapped over the resulting free from twenty one meters to edge Wexford ahead 0-09 points to 1-05. It was beginning to look like Kilkenny after a storming come back may of coming up short. Second half sub Emma Comerford thought differently and equalised the contest in the third minute of injury time after brilliantly tapping over from out near the sideline from twenty one meters with the last puck of the game.  Referee Ray Kelly then blew the full time whistle and both sides must do it again. The Kilkenny team deserve great credit for the character shown to grab a draw away from the jaws of defeat. The replay is fixed for Sunday week the 30th May in a Wexford venue.

Scorers – Kilkenny: Sarah Ann Quinlan 1-04 (3f), Niamh Bambrick 0-01, Emma Comerford 0-01. Wexford: Sarah O’Connor 0-04 (4f), Ellen Roche 0-02, Clodagh Fitzhenry 0-02,  Ellen Kelly 0-01.

Kilkenny: Noelle Murphy, Vivienne Forristal, Michaella Kenneally, Miriam Bambrick, Ruth Jones, Rebecca Cleeere,  Edel Frisby, Sarah Crowley, Laura Norris (capt), Aisling Butler, Sarah Ann Quinlan, Claire Aylward, Niamh Bambrick,  Sarah Walsh, Jenny Clifford.

Sub: Ann Marie Lennon, Laura Hegarty, Emma Comerford, Marguarite Hoynes, Brigid Grennan, Ailish Butler, Sonia Buggy, Maggie Simpson.
Wexford: Geraldine Curtis, Nancy Dunphy, Farren Byrne,  Aisling O’Connor (capt), Bridin Doyle, Sarah O’Connor, Marie Claire Morrissey, Louise Sinnott, Louise Stafford, Ellen Roche, Deirdre McMahon, Clodagh Fitzhenry,  Marie Morrissey, Ellen Kelly , Amy Ryan.
Subs: Laura Dempsey, Shauna Kelly, Nessa Wickham, Olivia Lambert, Victoria Burke, Aisling Higgins, Michelle Martin, Aideen Howlin, Anna Whitty, Katie Lillis, Louise Hore.
Referee: Ray Kelly (Kildare)