Weekend Report- Intermediates prove too strong for Kildare and secure All Ireland final date

All Ireland Intermediate Camogie Championship Semi Final

Kilkenny 1-15    Kildare 0-07

The Kilkenny Intermediate team put in a gallant second half display scoring 1-07 and keeping Kildare scoreless in the second period to secure an All-Ireland final berth against Cork on September 11^th after defeating the Lilywhites 1-15 to 0-07 points in Nenagh on Saturday.

Playing against a very strong breeze, it was the victors who opened the scoring after twenty seconds through an Aine Fahy point after latching onto a Ciara Holden pass. Susie O’Carroll responded for Kildare with a pointed free from twenty-one meters in the fourth minute. Ciara Holden edged Kilkenny ahead with a free from twenty-one meters in the sixth minute after Aine Fahy was fouled. Noelle Earley equalized the contest again with a point for Kildare in the seventh minute from twenty-one meters. Keeva Fennelly put Kilkenny 0-03 points to 0-02 ahead with a point from twenty-one meters in the tenth minute. Susie O’Carroll equalized the contest with a well-taken point from thirty meters in the twelfth minute. Kilkenny responded with a brace of points through Ciara Holden. The first in the thirteenth minute after latching onto a Jenny Clifford pass from twenty-one meters and a free from twenty-one meters after the aforementioned Jenny Clifford was fouled in the seventeenth minute to put Kilkenny 0-05 points to 0-03 ahead. Susie O’Carroll cut the deficit to a point in the nineteenth minute when she tapped over a free from thirty meters. Jenny Clifford responded for Kilkenny with an excellent long range point from sixty-five meters in the twentieth minute to make it 0-06 points to 0-04. Deirbhille Byrne responded for Kildare with a point from twenty-one meters in the twenty-second minute before Ciara Holden who was in outstanding form for the Cats tapped over a well taken long range point from fifty-five meters in the twenty-third minute to make it 0-07 points to 0-05. Kildare responded with a brace of points to equalize the contest. Louise Keatley started the run with a point from twenty-one meters in the twenty-fifth minute after latching onto a Deirbhille Byrne pass. Deirbhille Byrne then equalized the contest with a point from twenty-one meters in the twenty-ninth minute at 0-07 points apiece after latching onto an Emer Reilly pass. Sarah Walsh edged Kilkenny ahead again with the last score of the half heading into first-half injury time from twenty meters after latching onto an Aine Fahy pass to see Kilkenny shade the first half 0-08 points to 0-07.

Kilkenny put in a phenomenal second half display with their defense completely on top and kept Kildare scoreless for the entire second half period, even though they had a gale force breeze at their faces. Kilkenny opened their second half account with a brace of Ciara Holden points. She started the run with a long range free from fifty meters in the thirty first minute after Keeva Fennelly was fouled. She followed this up with a forty five in thethirty-fifthh minute after intense Kilkenny pressure. Jenny Clifford then tapped over a point in the forty fifth minute from twenty one meters to make it 0-11 points to 0-07. Ciara Holden then tapped over her seventh point of the afternoon from a free in the forty sixth minute from twenty one meters after she was fouled. Jenny Clifford continued the Cats good run with a point from twenty one meters after latching onto a Ciara Holden sideline in the fifty first minute to make it 0-13 points to 0-07. Kilkenny closed out the contest with 1-02 on the spin through Keeva Fennelly. She started the run by getting in for the games opening goal in the fifty fifth minute in a brilliant passage of play. Jenny Clifford gained possession from a Kilkenny sideline puck, forty five meters from goal, went on a trademark defence splitting run, spotted Keeva Fennelly free on the edge of the small square who coolly dispatched the sliotar home to make it 1-13 to 0-07. She followed this up with a brace of well taken points. The first from twenty one meters in the fifty ninth minute and a further point from the same distance in the sixty first minute to see Kilkenny secured there All Ireland final berth against Cork in three weeks time on a 1-15 to 0-07 point score line. Cork secured the showdown after defeating Laois 0-19 points to 2-06 in the day second semi final.

Scorers- Kilkenny- Ciara Holden 0-7(4fs, 1 45); Keeva Fennelly 1-3; Jenny Clifford 0-3; Aine Fahy 0-01, Sarah Walsh 0-01. Kildare– Susie O’Carroll 0-3(2fs); Deirbhille Byrne 0-2; Louise Keatley 0-01, Noelle Earley 0-01.

Kilkenny- Kirsty Maher, Lydia Phelan, Jennifer Norris, Niamh Sweeney, Niamh Leahy, Katie Nolan, Edel Frisby, Angela Kenneally,  Edel Coonan, Sarah Walsh, Laura Greene, Aine Fahey (Capt), Ciara Holden, Jenny Clifford, Keeva Fennelly,.

Subs- Aoife Norris, Mary Corcoran, Miriam Bambrick, Sabrina Walsh, Roisin Phelan, Catherine Walsh, Aisling O Farrell, Eimear Corr, Ciara Murphy,  Megan Walsh, Sophie O Dwyer, Roisin Kealy, Noelle Maher.

Kildare: Roisin O’Connell, Clodagh Flanagan, Carol Nolan, Fiona Trant, Sarah Cribben, Aoife Trant, Angela Lyons, Mary Murtagh, Emer Reilly, Noelle Earley, Siobhan Hurley, Louise Keatley, Deirbhille Byrne, Susie O’Carroll,  Regina Gorman.

Subs: Tanya Johnson, Niamh Hegarty, Melissa Lyons, Aine Conway, Chanice Corcoran, Cliodhna  McSweeney, Hannah McDonnell, Erica Dempsey, Sinead Gormley, Leah Sutton, Ciara Egan, Sinead Healy, Lorna Murray.

Referee: Eamon Cassidy (Derry)