Seniors overcome brave Kildare to secure Offaly final showdown

Kilkenny 3-18    Kildare 1-08

The Kilkenny senior camogie team secured safe passage to the Leinster final against Offaly in two weeks time when they defeated a brave Kildare side 3-18 to 1-08 in Newbridge on Sunday.  .

Kildare started the game well and opened there account in the fourth minute when Melissa Lyons taped over a point from forty five meters. Kilkenny responded with two points on the bounce. Denise Gaule started the run with a free from twenty one meters  after Katie Power was fouled in the fifth minute. Ann Dalton then tapped over a well taken point on the run in the tenth minute. Emer Reilly  equalised for the Lilywhites  with a point after latching onto a breaking ball in the eleventh minute. Denise Gaule tapped over a further free to push Kilkenny ahead again in the fourteenth minute from out near the sideline. Susie O’Carroll responded to equalised the contest at 0-03 points apiece in the twenty first minute.  Kilkenny then got two on the trot. Miriam Walsh started the run with a point after latching onto a Katie Power pass in the twenty first minute. Denise Gaule then tapped over a further free after Michelle Quilty was fouled in the twenty ninth minute to push Kilkenny 0-05 0-03 ahead.  Siobhan Hurley responded with a free in the thirtieth minute, before Miriam Walsh tapped over a point a minute later after latching onto a Denise Gaule pass. Melissa Lyons responded with a free for the last point of the half in the second minute of injury time  to see them trail 0-06 points to 0-05 at the interval.

Kilkenny started the second half well and opened there account within thirteen seconds of the resumption from Michelle Quilty. Kildare bounced back with 1-01 on the bounce. Susie O’Carroll goaled for them in the thirty third when her long range free from sixty meters went straight to the roof of the Kilkenny net. She followed this up with a point in the thirty seventh minute to push Kildare 1-06 to 0-07 ahead.  This run by Kildare awoke Kilkenny from there slumber as they bounced back with 2-06 on the spin. Claire Phelan started the run with a point in the thirty eight minute.  Miriam Walsh then tapped over a point a minute later to equalise the contest.  Katie Power continued the good run with a point in the forty third minute after Michelle Quilty brilliantly kept in a Denise Gaule free that was heading wide. Denise Gaule then tapped over a further free in the forty fifth minute after Ann Dalton was fouled. Michelle Quilty then tapped over a point a minute later to make it 0-12 points to 1-06.   Ann Dalton then tapped over a point in the forty eight minute after latching onto a Denise Gaule pass. Michelle Quilty then got in for Kilkenny’s first goal a minute later when she latched onto a Katie Power pass to tap home from the edge of the small square. Denise Gaule then goaled in the fiftieth minute to end the game as a contest when she latched onto a Aoife Neary pass to blast home from fourteen meters.   Kildare bounced back with two points on the trot from Louise Keatley in the fifty first minute and a Susie O’Carroll free a minute later to make it 2-13 to 1-08. Kilkenny closed out the contest with 1-05 without reply. Ann Dalton tapped over a point in the fifty fourth minute after latching onto a Michelle Quilty pass.  Katie Power then got in for Kilkenny third goal a minute later when she latched onto a Michelle Quilty pass to blast to the roof of the Kildare net from close range.  Michelle Quilty then tapped over a brilliant over shoulder effort in the fifty eight minute. Ann Dalton then tapped over a point after latching onto an excellent flick from Michelle Quilty to tap over in the sixtieth minute.  Ann Dalton then followed this up a point in the first minute of injury time. Denise Gaule closed out the scoring with a free from fifty five meters a minute later to ease Kilkenny through to a Leinster final showdown against Offaly in a fortnight’s time.

In other camogie news the Kilkenny intermediate team secure safe passage through to the Leinster final against either Laois or Meath when they defeated  Wexford in there replay in New Ross on Sunday. Kilkenny made the most of the opening half leading 2-06 to 0-05 at the break with goals from Kelly Ann Doyle who finished the game with a hat trick.  Kilkenny continued where they left off at half time and close out the game with further goals from Kelly Doyle and Sarah Ann Quinlan to run out 4-07 to 2-07 winners and secure the final berth and round off a great day for Kilkenny camogie.

Scorers – Kilkenny: Denise Gaule 1-05 (5f), Ann Dalton 0-05, Michelle Quilty 1-03, Katie Power 1-01,Miriam Walsh 0-03, Claire Phelan 0-01.  Kildare:  Susie O’Carroll 1-03 (1-02f), Melissa Lyons 0-02 (1f), Emer Reilly 0-01, Siobhan Hurley 0-01 (1f), Louise Keatley 0-01.

Kilkenny: Emma Kavanagh, Stacey Quirke, Edwina Keane, Catherine Foley, Ann Dalton, Colette Dormer, Jacqui Frisby, Claire Phelan, Aisling Dunphy, Michelle Quilty, Miriam Walsh, Davina Tobin,  Edel Maher, Denise Gaule, Katie Power.

Sub: Siobhan Murphy, Kate McDonald (Capt), Aoife Neary Anna Farrell, Catherine Doherty, Shelly Farrell, Aine Connery, Mairead Power, Meighean Farrell.

Kildare:  Roisin O’Connell, Clodagh Flanagan, Carol Nolan, Fiona Trant, Clodagh Farrell, Louise Keatley, Angela Lyons, Noelle Earley, Emer Reilly, Caroline Forde, Siobhan Hurley, Regina Gorman, Cliodhna MacSweeney, Susie O’Carroll (Capt), Melissa Lyons.

Sub: Aishling Delaney, Laura Sheahan, Hannah McDonnell, Niamh Breen, Niamh Hegarty, Hazel Mulligan, Niamh Concannon, Deirbhile Byrne, Kathleen Daly, Ciara Egan, Orla Bambury.

Referee: Peter Dowd (Meath)

Leinster Final Details

The Leinster Senior, Intermediate and Junior Final’s will take place on Sunday the 7th of June in Nowlan Park Kilkenny.

12.30 pm Junior
Carlow V Meath

2.15pm Intermediate
Kilkenny V Laois or Meath

4pm  Senior
Kilkenny V Offaly.