Kilkenny Defeat 14 Player Laois in Division 2 League

Littlewoods Ireland Division 2 National League

Kilkenny 1-10
Laois 0-7

By Máirtín Ó Caoillte

Kilkenny got their division two national league campaign last Saturday (22^nd May) with a six point victory over Laois in John Locke Park in Callan. The pitch in JLP was in excellent condition in a game played in Baltic conditions. Having lost to Wexford the previous weekend it was important for John Scott’s side to get the victory under their belt.

It was Laois who started with a free from Aimee Collier after just twenty-seven seconds of play. Kilkenny responded and three points from the impressive Eva Hynes saw the kittens go into an early lead by the tenth minute. Laois responded with a free from centre back Clodagh Tynan before Aimee Collier levelled matters in the thirteenth minute when she converted a free. Kilkenny were playing well and had lots of possession in the first quarter but weren’t converting the chances and were keeping Laois in the game by giving away needless free’s which Collier was deadly on. Kilkenny would go into the water break a point ahead 0-4 to   0-3 thanks to a Sarah Crowley point after some very neat inter play with herself and Eva Hynes saw the Mooncoin native raise a white flag. Pat O’Neill was rallying the troops at the water break and asking for more intensity from his chargers.

Turning Point
just after the water break Therese Donnelly got an audacious point from almost on the side-line on the far side of the pitch in Callan. The turning point in the game came in the twenty sixth minute of the half, after consultation with his officials Laois had corner forward Alice Walsh sent off for an off the ball incident. The match officials took their time in deliberating and were sure of what was seen and the Laois player was given her marching orders. The resulting free saw Aoife Prendergast play a long ball into the square, Danielle Quigley got onto the breaking ball, handpassed the ball across to Sarah Crowley and with a tennis volley “Spud” rattled the Laois net, it was a goal of opportunism and one Kilkenny deserved for their dominance Kilkenny lead 1-5 to 0-3 but laois tagged on two further points from a free by Collier and a rare point from play by Jessie Quinlan. Half Time score KK 1-5, LS 0-5

Kilkenny now with the advantage of an extra player were expected to push on and Aoife Prendergast did just that when she ran up the sideline from wing back before cutting in field to slot over the opening point of the second half. It was quickly cancelled out by a Collier free. Kilkenny then went on to score three unanswered points from Curtis, Greene and Hynes. Kilkenny would lead by the third quarter 1-9 to 0-6. Laois however didn’t give up and one can say that their hunger was far greater than the Kilkenny girls for the duration of the second half and made life very uneasy for the Kittens. Kilkenny moved Ciara Phelan from wing back to the forwards as Kilkenny went 10 minutes without scoring it had the desired effect as Ciara got on much ball running the the Laois defence and making plays but despite having loads of possession in the forwards Kilkenny couldn’t register scores on the scoreboard. The home side actually went sixteen minutes in total not scoring before Ciara Phelan finished the scoring getting a lovely point from play to leave the final score Kilkenny 1-10, Laois 0-7

I spoke to John Scott after the game he said, “we played better last week against Wexford but he was delighted to get the win today. He said he thought the girls today in some parts upped their game especially in our backs, we were very strong. I’m pleased with that he added”.

Kilkenny can still make the quarter as group runners up in Wexford defeat Laois next weekend.

Teams

Kilkenny: Sinead Farrell, Ciara Murphy, Roisin Phelan, Niamh Leahy, Ciara Phelan, Leann Fennelly, Aoife Prendergast, Aisling Curtis, Laura Greene, Eva Hynes, Hannah Scott, Danielle Quigley, Roisin O’Keeffe, Sarah Crowley, Therese Donnelly
Subs: Jane Cass for Hannah Scott, Shauna Treacy for Eva Hynes, Shannon Feehan for Therese Donnelly, Caoimhe Dowling for Danielle Quigley

Laois: Aedin Lowry, Sarah Fleming, Roisin Kilmartin, Katie Dunican, Laura Finlay, Clodagh Tynan, Sarah Creagh, Jessie Quinlan, Alison McEvoy, Casey Conroy, Aimee Collier, Cathy Galbraith, Alice Walsh, Laura Marie Maher, Aisling O’Dea
Subs: Sarah Cuddy for Aisling O’Dea, Grainne Hyland for Cathy Galbraith, Andrea Scally for Jessie Quinlan, Kirsten Keenan for Aimee Collier

Scorers:

Kilkenny:- Sarah Crowley 1-1, Eva Hynes 0-4 (0-3f), Aoife Prendergast, Therese Donnelly, Aisling Curtis, Laura Greene, Ciara Phelan 0-1each
Laois:- Aimee Collier 0-5 (0-4f), Clodagh Tynan 0-1 (0-1f), Jessie Quinlan 0-1

Referee: Mike Ryan (Galway)