Minors Leinster Champions after proving too strong for Offaly

Kilkenny 3-06 Offaly 1-05

Goals were the key as the Kilkenny Minor team finished the year off in style when they secured the Leinster title to add to their All Ireland title won in April when they defeated Offaly in Rathdowney on Saturday.

The victors began the game well and raced into a 2-01 to no score lead. Sarah Kent opened the scoring with a forty five in the second minute. Sarah Walsh then got in for Kilkenny’s first goal in the seventh minute when she hand-passed to the net from the edge of the small square when she latched onto Jenny Clifford pass. Marguerite Hoynes continued Kilkenny’s good start when she got in for Kilkenny’s second goal in the thirteenth minute when she latched onto a rebound from an Edel Coonan effort that was saved to tap home from close range to put Kilkenny 2-01 to no score ahead.  Offaly bounced back well with two Mairead Jennings points from place balls. She started the run with a forty five in the fifteenth minute and then from a free from twenty one meters in the nineteenth minute. Kelly Ann Doyle responded for the victors with an excellent on the run point from play in the twentieth minute. Offaly responded with two points on the trot before the break from Roisin Egan from fifty meters in the twenty third minute and Teri Delaney from twenty one meters in the twenty fifth minute to see them trail 2-02 to 0-04 points at the break.

Kilkenny began the second half well and got 1-01 on the trot. Laura Murphy started the run with a point in the thirty third minute from thirty five meters. Kelly Ann Doyle then got in for Kilkenny’s third goal in the thirty ninth minute when her free from fifty meters deceived the Offaly defence and went to the roof of the net, to Put Kilkenny 3-03 to 0-04 points ahead. Offaly responded brilliantly and got in for a goal of their own when a Roisin Egan free from thirty meters caught the Kilkenny defence off guard and the sliotar went to the back of the Kilkenny net. Kelly-Ann Doyle tapped over a free in the forty third minute from twenty one meters to make it 3-04 to 1-04. Sarah Harding then tapped over point for Offaly from twenty one meters in the forty fifth minute in what turned out to be there last score of the contest.  Kilkenny closed out the contest with two points on the trot. Kelly – Ann Doyle tapped over free from twenty one meters in the fifty third minute after jenny Clifford was fouled. Sarah Kent closed out the scoring for the victors with a forty five in the fifty eight minute. Try as they might Offaly couldnt get the crucial scores to get back into the game and Kilkenny held firm to record a  3-06 to 1-05 score line, to round off a terrific year for the Kilkenny side, that saw them claim the All Ireland and Leinster Titles.

In other camogie news, the under 12 finals took centre stage last week. In the Group 5 final Clara proved too strong for a brave St Lachtains on an 8-02 to 0-00 score line. In the Group four final Rower Inistioge defeated Carrickshock 3-02 to 1-00. In the Group one final O’Loughlin Gaels proved too strong for John Lockes on a 1-03 to 0-01 score line. Also on Tuesday last in the under 14 B shield final St Brigid’s edged out Mooncoin 3-08 to 2-04 to claim the title. In the senior camogie league Mullinavat defeated St.Lachtains/Lisdowney on the third time of asking on a 0-17 points to 1-07 score line to set up a league final berth against Thomastown on Sunday next the 20th of September, time and venue to be confirmed.

Scorers – Kilkenny: Kelly-Ann Doyle 1-03 (1-02f), Marguerite Hoynes 1-00, Sarah Walsh 1-00, Sarah Kent 0-02 (1-45), Laura Murphy 0-01. Offaly:  Roisin Egan 1-01 (1-00f), Mairead Jennings 0-02 (1-45, 1F), Teri Delaney 0-01, Sarah Harding 0-01.

Kilkenny: Kirsty Maher (Joint capt), Roisin Phelan, Nicole Garvey, Miriam Bambrick Sarah Kent, Eilish Regan, Ciara Murphy, Kelly-Ann Doyle,   Laura Murphy, Sarah Walsh, Jenny O’Neill, Marguerite Hoynes, Edel Coonan, Ciara Phelan (Joint Capt), Jenny Clifford.

Sub: Aoife Norris, Chloe Blackmore, Michelle Teehan, Aoife Farrell, Sophie O’Dwyer, Roisin Breen, Eimear Corr, Megan Walsh, Mia Griffin, Deirdre Purcell, Tara Lacey, Heather Doyle, Laura Tennyson, Shannon Doyle, Laura Greene, Katie Nolan, Caoimhe O’Shea, Aoife O’Carroll.

Offaly:  Shannon Tuohy, Aoibhe Whelahan, Aisling Feeney, Megan King, Orla Gorman, Aisling Brennan, Ciara Brennan, Cailin Fitzgerald, Roisin Egan, Gillian Irwin, Sarah Walsh, Grainne Dolan, Teri Delaney, Sarah Harding, Mairead Jennings.

Sub: Aideen Freeman, Ann Daly, Meabh Doorly, Aoife McLoughlin, Niamh Killeen, Rachel Dermody, Niamh Gath, Hannah Plunkett, Sinead Flannery, Sinead Moran, Aoife Sweeney, Siobhan Killeen.

Referee: Brockan O’Reilly