Senior’s too strong for Dublin and claim opening win

Kilkenny 3-13 Dublin 1-10

Denise Gaule finished with 1-07 as the Kilkenny senior camogie team defeated Dublin in their opening round All Ireland Championship group game in Parnell Park on Saturday.

Kilkenny began the game well and raced into a 0-04 point to no score lead. Anna Farrell opened Kilkenny’s account with a point in the second minute after latching onto a Michelle Quilty pass. Denise Gaule doubled the victor’s advantage with a free a minute later after Miriam Walsh was fouled. Katie Power put Kilkenny three ahead with a point from twenty one meters after latching onto an Ann Dalton pass. Michelle Quilty then pointed in the ninth minute after latching onto a Katie Power pass to put Kilkenny 0-04 points to no score ahead. Dublin responded with an Alison Maguire free from forty five meters in the tenth minute. Denise Gaule responded for Kilkenny with 1-01. She started the burst with a free in the eleventh minute after Aisling Dunphy was fouled. She got Kilkenny’s goal a minute later when her free from all of eighty meters deceived the Dublin defence and went straight to the roof of the Dublin net in the sixteenth minute and Kilkenny were flying. Miriam Walsh then tapped over a point from twenty one meters in the twenty first minute to push Kilkenny 1-06 to 0-01 ahead. Dublin responded well and got the last three points of the half. Aisling Maher started the run with a free in the twenty third minute. Dublin were nearly in for a goal in the twenty fifth minute when Louise O’Hara gained possession on the edge of the small square but her effort was brilliantly deflected out for a  45 which Alison Maguire tapped over.  Aisling Maher tapped over a further free in the first minute of injury time to see Dublin trail at the break 1-06 to 0-05 points.

Dublin began the second half brightly and opened there account with a Aisling Maher free in the thirty first minute to cut the deficit to four points 1-06 to 0-05. Sensing that Dublin were getting momentum in the game, Kilkenny pounced for their second goal in the thirty third minute when Michelle Quilty latched on to a rebound from a Denise Gaule goal bound free to coolly dispatch the sliotar to the net from close range to make it 2-06 to 0-05. Denise Gaule then tapped over a free in the thirty fifth minute after Aisling Dunphy was fouled from forty meters. Credit to the Dubs they bounced back to this concession with a goal. Siobhan Kehoe gained possession fifty meters from goal cut through the Kilkenny defence to coolly dispatch the sliotar to the corner of the Kilkenny net and it was game on again 2-07 to 1-05. Kilkenny responded brilliantly getting 1-03 on the bounce to finally put the game to bed. Miriam Walsh started the run with a goal in the fortieth minute after she latched onto an Anna Farrell pass to blast the ball to the net from twenty one meters to make it 3-07 to 1-05. Denise Gaule then tapped over three frees on the trot in the forty second, forty eight and fifty second minute to make it 3-10 to 1-06. Dublin responded with three points on the trot. Siobhan Kehoe started the run with a point in the fifty third minute from forty meters. Aisling Maher then tapped over a free in the fifty fifth minute from twenty one meters before Alison Maguire tapped over a free from sixty meters a minute later to make it 3-10 to 1-09. Dublin’s hopes of a comeback were dashed in the fifty seventh minute when Siobhan Kehoe who had 1-02 up to that point was dismissed on a second yellow card after a dangerous tackle on Denise Gaule, Gaule tapped over the resulting free to put Kilkenny 3-11 to 1-09 clear.  Michelle Quilty was nearly in for Kilkenny’s fourth goal in the fifty eight minute, but was unlucky to see her effort come back of the crossbar.  Kilkenny closed out the game with two points on the trot from Anna Farrell in the fifty ninth minute and from Aine Gannon in the sixtieth minute. Dublin responded with a further Alsion Maguire free in the sixty first minute, but it was too little too late and Kilkenny secured there opening round O’Duffy cup win on a 3-13 to 1-10 score line. Kilkenny will play Clare in round two in Freshford next Saturday afternoon.

Scorers – Kilkenny: Denise Gaule 1-7F, Michelle Quilty & Miriam Walsh 1-1 each , Anna Farrell 0-2, , Aine Gannon & Katie Power 0-1 each Dublin: Alison Maguire 0-5 (4F), Siobhan Kehoe 1-2. Aisling Maher 0-3 (3F).

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

Sub: Siobhan Murphy, Kate McDonald (Capt), Aoife Neary, Aine Gannon, Mary O’Connell, Claire Phelan,  Catherine Doherty, Mairead Power, Shelly Farrell, Aine Connery, Meighean Farrell.

Dublin: Kate Whyte, Catriona Power, Rose Collins, Deirdre Johnstone, Miriam Twomey, Alison Maguire, Elaine O’Meara, Laura Twomey, Aisling Carolan, Laoise Quinn, Sarah O’Donovan, Louise O’Hara, Siobhan Kehoe, Aisling Maher, Orlaith Durkan.
Subs: Aine Fanning,  Aoife Bugler, Claire Rigney, Emma Flanagan, Grainne Quinn,   Helen Cosgrave, , Jane Tully , Leah Butler, Mairi Moynihan, Martha O’Donoghue, Rachel Noctor, Rebecca Doherty,Sile Nic Coitir, Siofra Walsh, Ali Twomey

Referee: Alan Lagrue (Kildare)