Kilkenny Seniors get off to winning start

Kilkenny 0-22

Clare 0-16

Kilkenny began their quest to retain the O’Duffy Cup when they defeated Clare in the opening round of the Senior All Ireland Championship last Saturday in Sixmilebridge

Denise Gaule top scored for the All-Ireland champions with ten points as Brian Dowling’s side overcome the Banner County

Kilkenny were fastest out of the blocks when Katie Nolan gathered possession and got the first score of the game after less than a minute. Chloe Morey equalised for the Banner County with a pointed free. Nolan put Kilkenny back into the lead with her second point. Clare midfielder, Orlaith Duggan equalised when her shot squeezed between the posts

2020 player of the year Denise Gaule pointed her first three frees of the game to put Kilkenny into a three point lead after 10 minutes, Kilkenny 0-5 to Clare 0-2

DOMINANVE

Kilkenny showed their dominance as the first half progressed, when O’Loughlin Gaels Laura Murphy snatched the sliotar off a Clare midfielder and scored from her own ‘65

Another Gaule free saw Kilkenny five ahead at the waterbreak, 0-7 to 0-2. Kilkenny sharpshooter, Gaule got her fifth from placed balls when the game resumed after Kate Nolan had been through on goal but was fouled

Clare responded when Clooney Quin player Orlaith Duggan got her second score of the game

Steffi Fitzgerald and Miriam Walsh linked up in the 20^th minute to extend the Cats lead to six points

Chloe Morey converted two close range frees over the bar, as Clare attempted to narrow the gap, Kilkenny 0-9 Clare 0-5

Katie Nolan added her 3^rd point in the 25^th minute for Kilkenny. Morey and Aine O’Loughlin reduced the deficit to three points before Gaule got her first point from play

Morey and Fitzgerald exchanged points before half time as the scoreboard read Kilkenny 0-12 Clare 0-8

Walsh and Morey exchanged early points in the new half and Morey’s first free of the second half left three between the sides, 0-13 to 0-10

Kilkenny replied with two Gaule pointed frees and a Katie Nolan point after Miriam Bambrick found the corner forward with a well-placed pass

Morey scored a pointed free for Clare. Gaule added her second point from play before Katie Power scored a great point from play after a lovely pass by Steffi Fitzgerald, leaving the score KK 0-18 Clare 0-11 at the second waterbreak

Power got her second point after the sliotar was played into the full forward line and she slotted over the bar. Mary O’Connell scored a fine point for Kilkenny before Morey narrowed the gap to 8 points

IMPACT SUBS

Aoife Prendergast scored a point for Kilkenny shortly after entering the fray. C Morey got two unanswered points to bring her personal tally to 11 points, Kilkenny 0-21 Clare 0-14

Gaule pointed Kilkenny’s last point after Power had picked her out on the wing, before Rebecca Foley and Niamh O’Dea scored points for Clare to finish out the scoring, Kilkenny 0-22 Clare 0-16

Kilkenny will now make the trip to the Lake County to take on Westmeath in Round two this Saturday at 2pm in TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar

Scorers – Kilkenny – Denise Gaule (0-10, 7f), Katie Nolan (0-4), Miriam Walsh, Katie Power (0-2 each), Laura Murphy, Mary O’Connell, Steffi Fitzgerald, Aoife Prendergast (0-1 each)

Clare – Chloe Morey (0-11, 9f), Orlaith Duggan (0-2), Aine O’Loughlin, Rebecca Foley, Niamh O’Dea (0-1 each)

Kilkenny – Emma Kavanagh, Michelle Teehan, Claire Phelan, Davina Tobin, Laura Murphy, Meighan Farrell (Capt), Miriam Bambrick, Niamh Deely, Grace Walsh, Denise Gaule, Mary O’Connell, Michaela Kenneally, Katie Nolan, Miriam Walsh, Steffi Fitzgerald

Subs – Katie Power for Michaela Kenneally, Aoife Prendergast for Mary O’Connell, Kellyann Doyle for Laura Murphy, Laura Norris for Steffi Fitzgerald

Clare – Doireann Murphy, Susan Daly, Clare Hehir, Ciara Grogan, Alannah Ryan, Niamh O’Dea, Sinead Conlon, Orlaith Duggan, Zi Yan Spillane, Aoife Keane, Aine O’Loughlin, Rebecca Foley, Eimear Kelly, Chloe Morey, Robyn Conway

Subs – Siofra Ni Chonail for Aine O’Loughlin, Maire McGrath for Zi Yan Spillane, Roisin McMahon for Susan Daly, Bridin Dinan for Robyn Conway

Referee – Andrew Larkin