Agony as under16s fall short in final with Cork

Kilkenny: 2-10

Cork: 2-12

Kilkenny’s brilliant U16 team went very close to snatching the All Ireland from the mighty Rebels of Cork after a fantastic contest in the scorching heat at St Brendan’s Park, Birr last Sunday

Kilkenny started best with points from Lauren Ronan and Rachel Dowling but Grainne Finn and Caoimhe Sheehan brought Cork level

Rachel Dowling added another point for Kilkenny in the 6^th minute before Grainne O’Mahony equalised for Cork

Sinead Hurley put Cork ahead in the 10^th minute, Amy Cody converted a 40m free for Kilkenny to equalise again in the 14^th minute.

After the first waterbreak, Ava Brett scored a fantastic point for Kilkenny from a very tight angle. Fiona Twohig then scored two points for Cork to put them ahead.

Kilkenny hit the front again with a superb Rose Kelly goal after Caoimhe Keher-Murtagh had played in a fantastic ball, pin point straight in front of the inrushing Kelly & the latter hit a rasper of a shot passed the Cork goalie but from the puckout, Fiona Twohig blasted to the net for Cork

Amy Cody and Ava Fitzgerald swapped pointed heading towards the interval. Advantage Cork at the break, 1-8 to 1-6

Kilkenny won a penalty inside two minutes of the restart, but a poor effort from Rachel Dowling saw Cork weather the storm and points from Finn and Hurley edged them further ahead

Ava Brett added her second point for Kilkenny to bring it to a 3 point game. Twohig converted a point for Cork, before a point each from Rachel Dowling and Lauren Ronan to leave just two points between the teams

Just before the waterbreak, Julie Lennon ran towards the Cork goal, was fouled, advantage was played, Julie played the sliotar to Caoimhe Keher-Murtagh who was also fouled, the sliotar rebounded off the post and out to safety before Cork were awarded a free out

Just after the waterbreak Emily O’Donoghue scored a goal for Cork putting them 5 ahead, but Kilkenny were not going to die easily

FANTASTIC POINT

Ava Brett scored another fantastic point for Kilkenny from a very tight angle over on the sideline. Emily O’Donoghue added a point for Cork to push it out to five again, but Kilkenny applied huge pressure.

Kilkenny grabbed a goal. Julie Lennon setting up Lauren Ronan who blasted to the net

Now it was Cork that were under pressure and they certainly had to stand tall as Kilkenny pushed for a winner and they were awarded a close in free and they went for it but the Cork defence cleared their lines

As the sides played out injury time, Kilkenny laid a siege to the Cork goal, Aoife Coverdale taking a shot towards goal, only to see Cork goalie Jill Connaughton stretch to pluck the ball out of the air, cleared the danger and the full time whistle blew, Cork winning 2-12 to 2-10

A devastating loss in the end for the Kilkenny girls after going so close but it was a superb performance by the team in Black and Amber to get to close to a Cork side that had emphatically swatted aside any opposition in the build up to the decider

For Kilkenny, there was many stars of the future on show that will no doubt grace Minor, Senior & Intermediate sides in the coming years

Kilkenny: Lauren Ronan (1-2, 2f), Rachel Dowling, Ava Brett (0-3 each), Rose Kelly (1-0), Amy Cody (0-2)

Cork: Fiona Twohig (1-3, 1f), Emily O’Donoghue (1-1), Grainne Finn (0-3, 3f), Sinead Hurley (0-2, 1f), Caoimhe Sheehan, Grainne O’Mahony, Ava Fitzgerald (0-1 each)

Kilkenny: 1. Ali Kennedy; 2. Síofra Meegan, 3. Marie O’Keeffe, 4. Laura Phelan; 17. Angela Carroll, 6. Sofia Kerr (Capt.), 7. Lucy Walsh; 8. Rose Kelly, 9. Anna Doheny; 10. Amy Cody, 11. Ava Brett, 12. Rachel Dowling; 13. Lauren Ronan, 14. Caoimhe Keher-Murtagh, 15. Ciara Dunne

Subs – 5. Emma Corr for 7. Lucy Walsh, 18. Julie Lennon for 5. Emma Corr, 24. Aoife Coverdale for 14. Caoimhe Keher-Murtagh, 29. Leah Cooney for 10. Amy Cody, 27. Muireann Gannon for 8. Rose Kelly; 16. Ruth Phelan, 19. Niamh Galway, 20. Robin Delaney, 21. Cliodhna Murphy, 22. Erin Morrissey, 23. Sarah Dooley, 25. Molly Burke, 26. Ella Middleton, 28. Ciara Bryan, 30. Cady Boyle, 31. Aideen Ryan, 32. Becky Peters, 33. Emily Murphy, 34. Denise Foley, 35. Grainne Comerford, 36. Eva Summer, 37. Katie Maher

Cork: 1. Jill Connaughton, 2. Amy O’Sullivan, 3. Sinead Hurley, 4. Caoimhe O’Donoghue, 5. Millie Condon (Joint Captain), 6. Keeley Goulding, 7. Edel Sheehan, 8. Ellen Crowley, 9. Ava Fitzgerald, 10. Grainne O’Mahony, 11. Fiona Twohig (Joint Captain), 12. Shauna Sheehan, 13. Caoimhe Sheehan, 14. Emily O’Donoghue, 15. Grainne Finn

Subs – 26. Eimear Duignan for 8. Ellen Crowley, Aoibhinn O’Neill for 12. Shauna Sheehan, 17. Maedhbh de Burca for 3. Sinead Hurley, 25. Amy Sheppard for 6. Keeley Goulding; 16. Andrea Brislane, 18. Bronagh O’Shaughnessy, 19. Aoibhe Daly, 20 Grainne O’Neill, 22. Amy McCarthy, 23. Jennifer Sheehy, 24. Emma Cantillon, 27. Alex Cashman, 28. Kate Nolan, 29. Rachael Roche, 30. Kate Fennessy

Referee: John Dermody (Westmeath)