Goal hungry Kilkenny prove too strong for Derry

Kilkenny 8-22     Derry 2-10

The Kilkenny senior camogie team recorded their third victory of the All Ireland championship campaign in impressive style when they easily disposed of Derry in Swatragh on Saturday on a 8-22 to 2-10 score line with a whopping 7-19 coming from play.

The victors began the game well and opened the scoring in the first minute through Edel Maher. Derry responded with two Karen Kelt frees in the third and fifth minutes to go 0-02 points to 0-01 ahead.  Kilkenny responded with two Denise Gaule frees in the seventh and ninth minutes to go 0-03 points to 0-02 ahead. Derry responded with two further Karen Kelt frees in the tenth and 11th minute to go ahead again in the contest.   Kilkenny bounced back with 1-02 on the trot. Ann Dalton started the run with a point in the twelfth minute from thirty five meters. Miriam Walsh then tapped over a point to put Kilkenny into the lead again 0-05 points to 0-04.  Denise Gaule then got in for Kilkenny’s opening goal of the game a minute later from a 21 metre free after Ann Dalton was fouled. Karen Kelt responded for Derry with a point from a free in the fifteenth minute from twenty one meters. Kilkenny responded and closed out the half with a devastating 5-06 without reply.  Katie Power got in for Kilkenny second goal in the sixtieth minute when she latched onto an Edel Maher pass to slot home from twenty metres. Denise Gaule got in for Kilkenny’s third goal in the eighteenth minute when she latched onto a rebound to bat the sliotar home from close range.  Kate Power then tapped over a point a minute later to make it 3-06 to 0-05. Michelle Quilty then got in for Kilkenny’s fourth goal in the twenty first minute when she latched onto a Katie Power pass to blast home from close range. She then tapped over a point in the twenty second minute when she latched onto a Davina Tobin pass. Denise Gaule then tapped over a massive point from fifty metres to make it 4-08 to 0-05. Edel Maher then got in for Kilkenny’s fifth goal a minute later when she latched onto a breaking ball to bat home from close range.  Collette Dormer then tapped over a point in the twenty ninth minute before Claire Phelan popped over a point a minute later. Denise Gaule closed out the first half scoring for Kilkenny with a 45 in the thirty first minute to see Kilkenny lead 6-11 to 0-05 at the break.

Katie Power opened Kilkenny’s second half account with a point within thirty seconds of the resumption. Derry responded with two Karen Kelt frees in the thirty first and second minutes to make it 6-12 to 0-07. Aine Connery then tapped over a point in the thirty fifth minute, before Katie Power tapped over a point a minute later. Denise Gaule then tapped over a point in the thirty seventh minute. Miriam Walsh then tapped over a point in the thirty ninth minute to make it 6-16 to 0-07 points. Derry responded well with a Mary Kelly goal when she latched onto a breaking ball to blast home from close range.  Kilkenny hit back with two points on the trot. Anna Farrell started the run with a point in the forty second minute before Katie Power tapped over a point a minute later. Karen Kelt responded with a point in the forty sixth minute to make it 6-18 to 1-08.  Edwina Keane then tapped over a point for Kilkenny in the forty seventh minute, before Miriam Walsh got in for Kilkenny’s seventh goal thirty seconds later after latching onto an Edwina Keane pass to tap home from close range.  Credit to Derry they kept fighting in the game and got there second goal in the forty ninth minute when Karen Kelt blasted home a twenty meter free. Katie Power responded with a point for Kilkenny a minute later.  Derry then got two on the trot with an Emer McGugian point from play in the fifty first minute before Karen Kelt tapped over a further free in the fifty sixth minute. Kilkenny closed out the contest with 1-02 on the trot. Anna Farrell tapped over a point in the fifty ninth minute before Michelle Quilty tapped over a point a minute later. Katie Power closed out the contest with a goal in the first minute of injury time to see Kilkenny recorded their third victory of the campaign on an 8-22 to 2-10 score line. Kilkenny close out their campaign with their final game against Tipperary next Saturday where a victory would secure a semi final spot.

In other camogie news the Kilkenny intermediate and U16 teams were unlucky in there their All Ireland championship openers where Kildare and Galway edged them out. Kildare proved too strong for the Intermediate side when they record a 3-07 to 1-06 victory over the cats. The under 16 side staged a gallant second half comeback when they found themselves 11 points down at the break, but were very unlucky just to come up a point short against  the tribeswomen on a 3-08 to 2-10 score line.

Scorers – Kilkenny: Denise Gaule  2-05  (1-02f, 1-45), Katie Power  2-05, Miriam Walsh 2-02, Michelle Quilty 1-02, Edel Maher 1-01, Anna Farrell 0-02, Ann Dalton  0-01, Colette Dormer  0-01, Claire Phelan  0-01, Aine Connery 0-01, Edwina Keane 0-01.  Derry: Karen Kelt 1-08 (1-06f), Mary Kelly 1-00, Maureen Heneghan 0-01, Emer McGugian 0-01

Kilkenny: Siobhan Murphy, Stacey Quirke, Edwina Keane, Catherine Foley, Claire Phelan, Colette Dormer, Davina Tobin, Aine Gannon, , Edel Maher, Denise Gaule, Anna Farrell, Ann Dalton, Michelle Quilty, Miriam Walsh, Katie Power.

Sub: Emma Kavanagh, Jacqui Frisby, Aisling Dunphy Aine Connery, Mairead Power, Kate McDonald (Capt), Mary O’Connell, Catherine Doherty, Meighean Farrell Shelly Farrell, Aoife Neary.

Derry:  Niamh McQuillian, Danielle McCrystal Josie McMullan, Grainne O’Kane, Ciara McNabb, Aoife Ni Chaiside, Brona Ni Chaiside, Meabh McGoldrick (capt), Maureen Heneghan, Aoife Shaw, Louise Dougan, Karen Kielt (v-capt), Dervla O’Kane,  Mary Kelly, Eilis McNamee.

Subs – Sinead Mellon, Shauna Murphy, Mairead McNicholl, Aoife McNabb, Maeve Quinn, Mary Heggarty, Eimear McGugian, Lauren McKenna, Caroline Rafferty, Orlaith Mullan, Caoimhe Lynch, Dania Donnelly.

Referee: Karl O’Brien (Dublin)