Cats make great use of wind as they power to win

Kilkenny 2-14

Carlow 1-5

All action Kilkenny worked a 16 point turn around when wind assisted during the second half to sweep to a good victory over Carlow in the Leinster Intermediate camogie Final in Portlaoise last Sunday

Carlow enjoyed a good opening half and they hit the break leading by 4 points. However, Kilkenny let rip after that and they were easy winners in the end

When opening against the wind the stripy girls were first off the mark when Caoimhe Dowling pointed a free in the 4^th minute

Scores were hard to come by, but Carlow levelled the score when Eleanor Tracey pointed in the 8^th minute

The same player added a similar score in the 13^th minute. She increased the lead further when she added a goal from a 50m free

Ciara Quirke fired over a point from play a minute later to leave Carlow ahead 1-3 to 0-1 on the 20^th minute

Neither side managed to register a score over the 10 minutes as defences were on top and it was into injury time before Caoimhe Dowling fired over a pointed free which was quickly followed with Katie Nolan reducing the arrears to a goal

However, Rachel Sawyer had the last score of the half to leave Carlow ahead 1-4 to 0-3

With the wind in their favour Kilkenny charged into the game. Lydia Fitzpatrick fired over a point from play to get them going

Katie Nolan brought the sides level in the 38^th minute when she shot to the net

Caoimhe Dowling (1) and Katie Nolan (2) added further points from frees while Carlow failed to add to their first half tally by the 45 minute, when the score read 1-7 to 1-4 in favour of the Cats

It was practically one-way traffic from there until the end with Caoimhe Dowling (3), Lydia Fitzpatrick, Katie Nolan, Eadaoin Murphy & Ciara Phelan adding a point apiece to the Cats total

Eleanor Tracey pointed a free well into injury time to bring the final score to 2-14 to 1-5

Player of the Match: Katie Nolan

Scorers – Kilkenny – Katie Nolan (1-5, 2f), Caoimhe Dowling (1-5, 3f), Lydia Fitzpatrick (0-2), Eadaoin Murphy, Ciara Phelan (0-1 each)

Carlow – Eleanor Tracey (1-3, 1-3f), Ciara Quirke, Rachel Sawyers (0-1 each)

Kilkenny – Aoife Walsh, Niamh Sweeney, Hannah Scott, Aobha O’Gorman, Niamh Leahy, Ciara O’Shea, Aoife Prendergast, Laura Greene, Aisling Curtis, Ciara Phelan, Eadaoin Murphy, Katie Nolan, Christine Lyng, Lydia Fitzpatrick, Caoimhe Dowling

Subs – Kelly Hamilton for Christine Lyng, Afton Grace for Laura Greene, Claire Nolan for Hannah Scott, Aisling Carey (C) for Katie Nolan, Margaret Purcell, Nicole Carter, Rebecca Cleere, Eimear Naddy, Darcy Bolger, Sarah Ann Quinlan, Ciara Murphy, Marie Doheny, Gillian Costello, Clodagh Hanlon, Jenni O’Dea, Laura Murphy

Carlow – Niamh Doyle, Mairead O’Shea, Niamh Canavan, Shannon Kavanagh, Breege Nolan, Tara Wilson, Emma Cody, Caoimhe O’Neill, Eleanor Tracey, Emma Coogan, Eve Sinnott, Eibhe Lawler, Ciara Kavanagh, Ciara Quirke, Rachel Sawyer

Subs – Emma Byrne for Emma Coogan, Michelle Nolan for Emma Cody, Anna Breen for Ciara Kavanagh, Ali Ruschitzko for Eibhe Lawler, Kate Kinsella for Mairead O’Shea, Sarah Foley, Orla Kavanagh, Aine Behan, Aine Ryan, Keeva Collins, Kate Murphy, Katie Garry Murphy, Niamh Quirke, Natalie Flynn