Slick Cats advance to Leinster decider

Leinster Minor A Semi Final by Aoife Lanigan, PRO

Kilkenny 1-19 Offaly 0-8

Kilkenny Minor A team are through to the Leinster Final after a hard fought win over Offaly in Thomastown on Sunday

Caoimhe Donovan opened Offaly’s account straight from the throw in when she split the posts with a fine point. Ciara Dunne equalised for Kilkenny straight from the puck out

Caoimhe Keher Murtagh scored a great point after fielding a Rachel Dowling free and Molly Hogan equalised for Offaly with a point from play to leave the score 0-2 a piece after 3 minutes of play. Rachel Dowling added two points for Kilkenny before Molly Hogan pointed for Offaly

Straight from the puck out, Caoimhe Keher Murtagh fielded the sliotar, she ran towards the Offaly goal and slotted it over the bar

Teamwork

Rachel Dowling converted a point from a free for Kilkenny in the 19^th minute and Ava Brett added another point for Kilkenny after great team work from Lauren Ronan and Caoimhe Keher Murtagh

Roisin Kinsella converted a point from a free for Offaly and this was followed by a great point from play from the 65m line from Amy Sullivan (O)

Heading towards the half time whistle, there was only two points between the teams

Katie Brennan took a shot towards the Offaly goal, but it was blocked, Lauren Ronan was the quickest to react and planted the sliotar in the back of the net to leave the score at the interval 1-7 to 0-5

On the resumption of play, Kilkenny added three points through Katie Brennan, Ava Brett and Rachel Dowling

Molly Hogan converted a free for Offaly before Dowling and Keher Murtagh added two points a piece for Kilkenny to leave Kilkenny 1-14 to 0-6 ahead in the 47^th minute

Caoimhe Donovan got a point back for Offaly a minute later, before Kilkenny scored five unanswered points through Julie Lennon, Caoimhe Keher Murtagh, Ava Brett (2) and Rachel Dowling

Roisin Kinsella converted a free over the bar for Offaly on the stroke of full time to leave the score 1-19 to 0-8

Kilkenny will now play Dublin in the Leinster Final on Sunday 5^th March

Kilkenny Scorers – Rachel Dowling 0-6 (1f), Caoimhe Keher Murtagh, Ava Brett 0-5 each, Lauren Ronan 1-0, Ciara Dunne, Katie Brennan, Julie Lennon 0-1 each

Offaly Scorers – Molly Hogan 0-3 (1f), Roisin Kinsella 0-2 (2f), Caoimhe Donovan 0-2, Amy Sullivan 0-1

Kilkenny – Ali Kennedy, Cliodhna Murphy, Angela Carroll, Sophia Kerr, Tara McGrath, Laura Phelan, (Vice-Captain), Anna Doheny, Ava Brett, Caoimhe Keher Murtagh, Lauren Ronan, Ciara Dunne, Rose Kelly, Katie Brennan, Rachel Dowling, Aine Aylward

Subs – Jess Cuddy for Aine Aylward, Jenna Larkin for Katie Brennan, Lucy Walsh for Sophia Kerr, Grace Buggy for Tara McGrath, Julie Lennon for Ciara Dunne,  Ruth Phelan, (Captain), Orlaith Kirwan, Niamh Galway

Offaly – Sophie James, Elizabeth Kilmartin, Aoife Liffey (Joint Captain), Ciara Maher, Aoife Donovan, Grainne Kennedy, Katie Hennessy, Amy Sullivan, Caoimhe Quinn, Caoimhe Donovan, Fianait Dooley, Aoife Byrne, Molly Hogan, Roisin Kinsella, Orla Kilmartin (Joint Captain)

Subs – Cait Hickey for Aoife Byrne, Aine Kennedy for Caoimhe Quinn, Alannah Dooley, Amy Carroll, Meabh Nolan, Taylor Mahon, Louise O’Brien, Caoimhe Ginty, Sorcha Hickey, Ellen Gleeson, Molly Hogan, Sarah O’Rourke, Allie Butler, Rachel Standish, Laoise Regan, Nicole Bennett, Emma Buggy, Emily Conlon, Nicola Cleary