Intermediates cruise to big win over Wexford rivals

Leinster Intermediate Championship Semi Final 2023

Kilkenny V Wexford

By Assistant PRO Mark Flynn.

Referee Ray Kelly started the match in a sunny UPMC Nowlan Park and Wexford went straight at Kilkenny with a shot towards goal.

Both sides got equal share of play in the first few minutes, Kilkenny attacked the Wexford goal only to be defended well and turned over by Wexford, both teams battled hard bit Wexford opened the scoring with a point from play by Sal Doyle.

Kilkenny got woken up by Wexford and went on the attack with first point for Afton Grace from play and a poor puck out by Emma Kiely was punished by Afton Grace who sent the sliotar over the bar for her second point.

Kilkenny took charge of the midfield area when Laura Greene and Therese Donnelly linked up to give Donnelly a point from play.

With the sliotar back in the Wexford hands they pushed forward with an attack, Cliona Murphy in the Kilkenny goal forced to make a save.

Roisin Phelan defended well against another push from the Wexford forwards, she cleared the ball up field when Danielle Quigley and Laura Greene made great ground to open up the Wexford midfield and captain Hannah Scott got on the end of a ball to score a point from play.

Wexford came back strong with 3 points from play from Sal Doyle, Siobhan Sinnott and Caoimhe Byrne

Kilkenny under a bit of pressure came back straight away with two points from Claire Doheny.

Kilkenny then went on an impressive attack formation, when a point from a free for Afton Grace after Wexford goal stopper stepped out of her area.

Afton Grace put 3 more points on the score board before half time, all the points from frees after some tough battling from both sides which saw Kilkenny leave the field at half time ahead on points, 0-10 to 0-4

The Second half got underway with Kilkenny on the attack from the whistle, Afton Grace stepped up for a free around the half way line and popped over another point.

Emma Kiely in the Wexford goal got in on the action with a save against a Kilkenny free from Hannah Scott.

Still in control Kilkenny advanced again when Hannah Scott and Danielle Quigley gave the Wexford players problems towards the sideline, Wexford gained a free which got turned over by Kilkenny this resulted in a point for Laura Greene.

Both sides got really intense as the clock ticked away with several changes to both teams throughout the match changing the formation of proceedings.

Wexford put another point on the board from Sal Doyle, but that spurred on the Kilkenny team who went on a point scoring rampage.

Two fast points from Ellen Gunner and a Therese Donnelly point really opened up the scoreline as the Cats piled on the pressure against a hard fighting Wexford team who didn’t give up.

Kilkenny were running at Wexford and driving long balls around the field, this really opened up the chances for the winners

Afton Grace scored another point, Laura Greene followed up shortly with a well worked score as they moved the ball out from their own goal line.

Afton and Laura still hadn’t finished with the scoring, Afton put a point over from a free and Laura got the final point from play to leave the final score Kilkenny 0-19 Wexford 0-5

Kilkenny now play Carlow in the Leinster Intermediate Final next Saturday 20^th May in SETU Carlow at 2.30pm

Kilkenny scores – Afton Grace 0-9 (0-8f), Laura Greene 0-3, Therese Donnelly, Claire Doheny, Ellen Gunner 0-2 each, Hannah Scott 0-1

Wexford scores – Sal Doyle 0-3, Siobhan Sinnott 0-1, Caoimhe Byrne 0-1

Kilkenny – Cliona Murphy, Niamh Leahy, Jenni O’Dea, Jane Cass, Katie Byrne, Roisin Phelan, Hannah Scott (Captain), Laura Greene, Kate McCluskey, Danielle Quigley, Tara Ronan, Claire Doheny, Therese Donnelly, Caroline Kennedy, Afton Grace

Subs – Ellen Gunner for Tara Ronan, Emma Mulhall for Caroline Kennedy, Rachel Brennan for Katie Byrne, Eimear Leahy for Claire Doheny, Sinead Farrell, Aoife Cantwell, Ava Shefflin, Rachel Whelan, Aine Doyle, Keara Ryan

Wexford – Emma Kiely, Sinead Furlong, Loren Doyle, Karen Tomkins, Lorna Fortune, Derbhla Doyle, Grace Roche, Ciara Butler, Siobhan Sinnott, Oonagh Doyle (Captain), Sal Doyle, Sadhbh Buttle, Caoimhe Byrne, Lettie Whelan, Grace Donovan

Subs – Orla Redmond for Ciara Butler, Kellyanne Dempsey for Lorna Fortune, Aoife Doyle for Oonagh Doyle, Cathy O’Connor for Grace Donovan, Kate Butler, Aoife McCrea, Ellie O’Connor, Anna Byrne, Eabha Farrell, Emma Walsh, Emer Hunt, Shauna Kelly, Ciara O’Connor, Donna Delahunty, Nora Higgins

Referee – Ray Kelly (Kildare)