Seniors crush Tipperary to make semis at their ease.

Kilkenny 8-15     Tipperary 0-04

The Kilkenny senior Camogie team made it four wins from four in there All Ireland Championship campaign when they easily accounted for Tipperary in Freshford on Saturday on a 8-15 to 0-04 point score line and in doing so qualified for the All Ireland semi finals in a month’s time.

The victors made a rip roaring start and raced into a 1-01 to no score lead in the opening five minutes. Katie Power got in for a Kilkenny goal after thirty seconds after latching onto a Miriam Walsh pass to hand pass home from close range. Power then tapped over a point in the fifth minute after latching onto an excellent cross field pass from Denise Gaule to tap over from twenty one meters.  Megan Ryan opened Tipperary’s account in the eight minute after latching onto a breaking ball after Kilkenny didn’t clear there lines. Katie Power responded for Kilkenny with a point in the fourteenth minute after latching onto a Denise Gaule pass to make it 1-02 to 0-01. Michelle Quilty then got in for Kilkenny second goal in the sixteenth minute after latching onto a Katie Power pass to tap home from close range. Nicole Walsh responded for Tipperary with a point in the eightieth minute to cut the gap to six 2-02 to 0-02.  Kilkenny then took complete control of the game and got 2-05 without reply. Denise Gaule started the run with a goal in the nineteenth minute after latching onto a rebound after Aisling Dunphy’s goal bound shot was saved to tap home.  Miriam Walsh then tapped over a point a minute later after latching onto an Aisling Dunphy pass. Denise Gaule then got in for Kilkenny’s fourth goal after latching onto a breaking ball after Michelle Quilty’s initial effort was saved to make it 4-03 to 0-02. Michelle Quilty then tapped over a point from twenty one meters in the twenty third minute after latching onto an Ann Dalton pass. Miriam Walsh then tapped over a point a minute later after latching onto an Aisling Dunphy pass. Denise Gaule then tapped over a free in the twenty ninth minute from forty meters before Ann Dalton tapped over a point in injury time to make it 4-07 to 0-02 points at the break.

Kilkenny began the new half where they left off in the first and opened there second half account with a Denise Gaule free after Anna Farrell was fouled within forty seconds of the resumption.  Megan Ryan responded for the Premier with a point from forty five meters a minute later.  Kilkenny bounced back with another devastating scoring burst with 2-05 on the trot. Katie Power who was just out of her sickbed and put in a player of the match display started the run with a point in the thirty second minute from twenty one meters to make it 4-09 to 0-03. She then got in for Kilkenny’s fifth goal in the thirty fifth minute after latching onto a Michelle Quilty pass to rattle the net from fourteen meters.  Denise Gaule then tapped over a point a minute later before she tapped over a free in the fortieth minute after Katie power was fouled from twenty one meters. Katie power who finished with 3-03 from play then got in for her third and Kilkenny’s sixth goal in the forty third minute after latching onto a Michelle Quilty pass to tap home from the edge of the small square. Aine Gannon who took over the free taking duties then tapped over a free a minute later to make it 6-12 to 0-03. Anna Farrell then got an outstanding score in the forty seventh minute when she made an excellent high field catch just inside the half way line cut through the Tipperary defence to tap over from thirty meters. Nicole Walsh then got a point for Tipperary from a free from forty meters in the forty ninth minute which was there last score in the tie. Kilkenny closed out the contest with 2-02 on the spin. Ann Dalton got in for Kilkenny’s seventh goal in the fiftieth minute when she brilliantly dispossessed a Tipperary defender to tap home from close range to make it 7-13 to 0-04.  Aisling Dunphy then pointed in the fifty fourth minute after latching onto a Meighean Farrell pass to tap over from twenty one meters. Ann Dalton then got in for Kilkenny’s eighth goal in the fifty seventh minute after latching onto a Katie Power pass to tap home from the edge of the small square. Aine Gannon closed out Kilkenny’s scoring with a free in the fifty eight minute after Miriam Walsh was fouled to round off a terrific performance for the Cats and secure a semi final spot on the 15th August on an 8-15 to 0-04 point score line.

In other camogie news the Kilkenny under 16 camogie team were very unlucky to come up short against Clare in their second group game. Trailing by 0-05 points to 0-03 at half time, Kilkenny began the second half brightly and equalised the tie after forty five minutes. Clare finished strong and got three unanswered points in the closing stages and ran out 0-08 point to 0-05 victors. Kilkenny still have a lot to play for in the campaign and a victory over Cork on Sunday next might be enough to secure a semi final spot.

Scorers – Kilkenny:  Katie Power 3-03, Denise Gaule 2-03 (2f), Ann Dalton 2-01, Michelle Quilty 1-01, Aine Gannon 0-03(3f), Miriam Walsh 0-02, Anna Farrell 0-01, Aisling Dunphy 0-01. Tipperary: Megan Ryan 0-02, Nicole Walsh (2f)

Kilkenny: Emma Kavanagh, Stacey Quirke, Edwina Keane, Catherine Foley, Claire Phelan, Colette Dormer, Davina Tobin, Aine Gannon, , Edel Maher, Denise Gaule, Anna Farrell, Aisling Dunphy, Michelle Quilty, Miriam Walsh, Katie Power.

Sub: Siobhan Murphy, Jacqui Frisby, Ann Dalton Aine Connery, Mary O’Connell, Catherine Doherty, Kate McDonald (Capt), Mairead Power, Meighean Farrell Shelly Farrell, Aoife Neary.

Tipperary: Orla McEniry,  Ciannait Walsh, Sabrina Larkin, Louise McLoughlin, Karen Kennedy, Ereena Fryday, Clodagh Quirke, Joanne Ryan, Mairead Teehan, Gemma Grace, Nicole Walsh, Roisin Howard, Alice Fogarty, Megan Ryan, Aoife Moloughney.

Subs – Caoimhe Bourke, Julie Ann Bourke, Roisin Cahill, Ann Eviston, Karen Fox, Sarah Fryday,  Caoimhe Kennedy, Keely Lenihan, Andrea Loughnane, Ciardha Maher, Orla O’Dwyer, Lorna O’Dwyer, Shauna Quirke, Mary Ryan, Courtney Ryan.

Referee: Owen Elliott (Antrim)