Presentation’s All Ireland Dream Lives on

Presentation Secondary Kilkenny 1-13 St Brendan’s Birr  2-08

Jenny O’Neill finished with 0-10 points as Presentations dream of claiming back to back All Ireland titles remained on track as they claimed their second Leinster title in a row over a brave Birr outfit in Nowlan Park on Saturday.

It was the faithful side that started the game the stronger and opened the scoring in the third minute from a Mairead Jennings forty five. Jennings doubled their advantage with a free in the tenth minute. Birr  were enjoying the majority of the possession in the opening minutes but weren’t converting this into scores. Presentation settled in the game and got there opening score in the thirteenth minute from a Jenny O’Neill free from twenty one meters.  Aoife Farrell continued the victors good run when she pounced for a terrific opportunist goal in the sixteenth when she latched onto a breaking ball to tap home from fourteen meters. Jenny O’Neill then tapped over two frees on the trot, the first in the ninetieth minute after Blathnaid Galway was fouled and then another free a minute later after Orla Conlan was fouled to put them four clear 1-03 to 0-02. Birr bounced back well and got two points on the trot from Mairead Jennings. The first from a forty five in the twenty forth minute, and then a free a minute later from thirty five meters to cut the gap to two. Jenny O’Neill responded with a free in the twenty eighth minute from twenty meters after Orla Conlan was fouled to ensure the Pres girls went in with a three point lead at half time 1-04 to 0-04 points.

The victors were quick of the mark at the start of the second half and were on target within thirty seconds from a Sarah Walsh point. Birr responded well and got in for their first goal in the game in the thirty third minute when a Mairead Jennings free from thirty five meters went straight to the roof of the Presentation net, to cut the gap to the minimum 1-05 to 1-04.  The teams then traded points with Jenny O’Neill on target for the Presentation with a free in the thirty eighth minute and Rachel Brennan on target for the faithful side with an excellently curled point from twenty meters a minute later. Jenny O’Neill pushed the city side two clear again in the forty second minute with a forty five, before Rachel Brennan got her second point on the trot a minute later from twenty one meters. Jenny O’Neill then converted three frees on the trot for the victors in the forty fifth from forty meters, the second from a twenty one meters a minute later, before a further free in the forty eight minute to push them 1-10 to 1-06 clear.  Aisling Brennan stopped the rot for the losers with a free from thirty five meters in the fifty sixth minute.  The teams then traded scores with a Sarah Walsh point for the Presentation from twenty one meters before Callin Fitzgerald tapped over a point a minute later for the Birr girls to cut the gap to three points 1-11 to 1-08.  Presentation then got two points on the trot from a further Jenny O’Neill point from a penalty after Blathnaid Galway was fouled in the sixtieth minute, before Eimear Donnelly tapped over a point from thirty five metres a minute later to push them 1-13 to 1-08 clear, and it looked like they were home and hosed. They were one bit of drama left in the contest as with the last puck of the game, Birr got there second goal in the second minute of injury time from another Mairead Jennings free from forty meters, just to prove lighting can strike twice,  her long range free went straight to the roof of the victors net. Presentation held on and recorded a 1-13 to 2-08 victory.

Scorers: Presentation Secondary Kilkenny – Jenny O’Neill 0-10 (9f, 1-45), Aoife Farrell 1-00, Sarah Walsh 0-02, Eimear Donnelly 0-01. St Brendan’s Birr – Mairead Jennings 2-04 (2-02F, 2-45), Rachel Brennan 0-02, Aisling  Brennan 0-01, Callin Fitzgerald 0-01.

Presentation Secondary Kilkenny – Aoife Walsh, Hannah Scott, Lucy Power, Aoife B Farrell, Eimear Corr, Ciara Murphy, Aobha O’Gorman, Ciara Phelan, Eadaoin Murphy, Sarah Walsh, Jenny O’Neill, Eimear Donnelly, Blathnaid Galway, Orla Conlon, Aoife T Farrell.

Subs – Ciara Treacy, Grainne Walsh, Aine McDonald, Marita Butler, Jackie Rainy, Aoife Whelan, Sinead Phelan, Sarah Bergin, Caoimhe Treacy, Aoife Glynn, Margaret O’Connell, Ciara Delaney, Carrie Randle, Megan Randle.

St Brendan’s Birr – Alanna McHugh, Aoibhe Whelahan, Laura Hogan, Shiofre Ryan, Deirdre Cashen, Aisling Brennan, Grace Teehan, Gillian Irwin, Ciara Brennan, Mairead  Jennings, Cailin Fitzgerald, Clodagh McCormack, Sarah Harding, Rachel Brennan, Dara Hanamy.

Subs: Leah Gath, Ciara Ryan, Aideen Freeman, Rachel Dermody, Aoife Plunkett, Ciara Maloney, Niamh Gath, Lisa Hoctor, Orlaith Plunkett.

Referee – Pat Murphy (Carlow).