Kilkenny finish the stronger and claim Leinster Intermediate title

Kilkenny 1-13 Meath 1-09

Kelly Ann Doyle finished with eight points as the Kilkenny Intermediate team proved too strong for Meath and claimed the Intermediate Leinster title in Nowlan Park on Sunday.

It was Meath who started the game the stronger and opened the scoring within forty second of the throw in when Jane Dolan tapped over from twenty one meters. Kelly Ann Doyle responded for the victors with a free from forty five meters in the second minute. She followed this up with a free a minute later after Sarah Ann Qunilan was fouled to push Kilkenny 0-02 points to 0-01 ahead. Aoife Minogue equalised for the Royals in the fourth minute.  Kelly Ann Doyle who was flawless all afternoon from place balls  nudged Kilkenny ahead again with a free in the fifth minute from forty five meters.  Kate Hackett equalised for the Royals again for the second time when she latched onto a Jane Dolan free from thirty five meters.  Kilkenny then scored 1-05 on the trot. Jenny Clifford started the run with a goal in the seventh minute when she latched onto a breaking ball on the edge of the small square to blast to the back of the Meath net. Laura Norris then tapped over a massive point from out near the sixty five meter line to push Kilkenny 1-03 to 0-03 ahead. Aisling Butler then got in on the scoring act with a point from twenty one meters in the eleventh minute.  Kelly Ann Doyle then pointed a free from forty five meters in the thirteenth minute after Sarah Crowley was fouled. Laura Norris who was playing a real captains roll, tapped over another massive score from sixty meters in the eightieth minute.  She followed this up with a further point thirty seconds later after latching onto the resulting Meath puck out to push Kilkenny 1-08 to 0-03 points clear.  Meath bounced back from this scoring burst with one of their own, scoring 1-02 on the bounce to get right back into the game.  Aoife Minogue started the run with a point from forty five meters in the nineteenth minute. She followed this up with a goal when her effort from thirty meters deceived the Kilkenny defence and went straight to the roof of the net.  Jane Dolan concluded the run with a point from twenty one meters in the twenty six minute. Kelly Ann Doyle steadied the ship for Kilkenny before the break with a free from thirty five meters after Sarah Walsh was fouled to see Kilkenny lead 1-09 to 1-05 at the interval.

Meath raced out of the traps at the start of the second half and got two points on the bounce. Aoife Maguire opened there second half account with a point from the edge of the small square in the thirty first minute. Meath were then awarded a penalty a minute later after Megan Thynne was fouled on her passage on goal. Jane Dolan steped up to it and tapped it over the bar to cut the gap to two points 1-09 to 1-07.   Kilkenny responded with two on the bounce from Kelly Ann Doyle. She started the run with a free from forty five meters after Laura Norris was fouled in the fortieth minute. She then tapped over a point from play in the forty second minute from forty meters, to push Kilkenny four clear again. Aoife Minogue responded with a free from forty five meters in the forty seventh minute. Meath had a great opportunity to equalise the game when Edel Guy gained possession fourteen meters out, but Kilkenny net minder Ann Marie Lennon pulled off a terrific save and Kilkenny cleared there line.  Aoife Minogue narrowed the gap to two points again 1-11 to 1-09 with a free from twenty five meters in the forty ninth minute.  Aoife Minogue had a opportunity to cut the gap further in the fifty seventh minute but her effort from twenty one meters went wide.  Kilkenny punished this miss by Meath with two late points. Emma Comerford got the first of the points  from an awkward angle when she latched onto a Catherine Connolly pass that showed great determination to gain possession to set up the score. Kelly Ann Doyle closed out the scoring for Kilkenny from fifty meters in the third minute of injury time to ensure Kilkenny couldn’t be caught and ran out 1-13 to 1-09 winners.

Scorers – Kilkenny: Kelly Ann Doyle 0-08 (6f, Jenny Clifford 1-00, Laura Norris 0-03, Aisling Butler 0-01, Emma Comerford 0-01. Meath: Aoife Minogue 1-04, Jane Dolan 0-03, Katie Hackett 0-01, Aoife Maguire 0-01.

Kilkenny: Ann Marie Lennon, Ruth Jones, Brigid Grennan, Therese Muldowney, Ciara Farrell, Rebecca Cleere, Edel Frisby, Sarah Crowley, Kelly Ann Doyle, Aisling Butler, , Laura Norris (capt), Sarah Ann Quinlan, Claire Aylward, Sarah Walsh, Jenny Clifford.

Sub: Noelle Murphy, Michaella Kenneally, Vivienne Forristal, Catherine Connolly, Niamh Leahy, Ailish Butler, Niamh Bambrick, Maggie Simpson, Emma Comerford, Miriam Bambrick, Laura Hegarty, Deirdre Walsh, Ciara Murphy, Laura Murphy, Danielle Kenny.

Meath: Emily Mangan, Laura Maguire, Claire Coffey, Grace Coleman, Aine Keogh, Christina Troy, Emma McGill, Jane Dolan, Marie Keogh, Aoife Minogue, Sinead Hackett, Katie Hackett, Lizzie Oakes Brennan, Edel Guy, Aoife Maguire.

Subs: Noreen Sheridan, Megan Thynne, Amy Gaffney, Ellen Burke, Fiona O’Neill, Aoife Thompson, Cheyenne O’Brien, Blanaith Keogh, Fia O’Brien, Siobahn Whitty, Anna Fagan, Emma Coffey.

Referee: Jenny Byrne (Dublin)