Minors show their strength to come through tough Tipp test

Kilkenny V Tipperary by Aoife Lanigan, PRO

Electric Ireland Minor A Championship

Kilkenny 1-11

Tipperary 2-7

The Kilkenny Minors made a winning start to their All Ireland Championship campaign but had to come through a stern Tipperary test before taking the spoils

Sunday’s clash played in Thomastown last Sunday, saw the hosts make a bright start as they looked to continue their winning run

Julie Lennon created the first scoring chance when she hit the sliotar across the goal, but no other Kilkenny forward was near the goal to connect with it and convert the chance

A relieved Tipperary cleared their lines, moving the ball up to Lucy Purcell who was fouled. Caithlin Treacy converted the placed ball over the bar for the game’s opening score

Rachel Dowling levelled the tie when she struck Kilkenny’s first point in the 8^th minute however Lucy Purcell hit back with 1-1 to give Tipperary the advantage again

Narrowed Gap

Dowling scored a free from the 20m line after Lauren Ronan was fouled. She then narrowed the gap to two points, scoring an excellent pointed free from the 65m line only for Danielle Ryan to score a point for Tipperary

The Premier County had multiple shots on the Kilkenny goal, but Ali Kennedy and the defence cleared their lines

Dowling scored two points for Kilkenny heading towards the half time interval, the second one from the 65m line, a real beauty from play. That left the score 0-5 to 1-3 at the break in favour of Tipperary

On the resumption of play, Dowling continued to add to her tally, with a 45m free to level the match. Rose Kelly then put Kilkenny in the lead with a point from play

Caithlin Treacy quickly equalised for Tipperary from a 45m free, but Dowling converted a free for the Kittens to put them back ahead again by a point

The game continued in a nip and tuck manner, with the sides sniping scores. Tipperary picked off the next three points through Caithlin Treacy (2 frees) to put them 2 points ahead before substitute Louise Hickey scored a lovely point to keep Kilkenny in the hunt

Unstoppable shot

The visitors hit back again and moved a step ahead when Kate Ferncombe blasted an unstoppable shot past Ali Kennedy in the Kilkenny goal

Kilkenny were behind but they didn’t panic. Dowling stepped up to the mark, converting a 45m to leave three points in it with 57 minutes on the clock – however the real drama was yet to unfold

Stepping up the pace, two Kilkenny substitutes combined to turn the game on its head. Louise Hickey and Laura Doherty did the damage, the latter releasing an unstoppable shot that flew past the Tipperary netminder – the hosts were level again!

Spurred on by that strike the Kittens’ tails were up and they went for the jugular. They had multiple shots blocked by the Tipperary defence, but eventually Dowling laid the sliotar off to Ava Brett, who slotted over the bar

Chance

Kilkenny had another chance for a score but the sliotar rebounded off the upright. Goal scorer Laura Doherty pulled first time but the Tipperary ‘keeper came off her line quickly, clearing the sliotar to safety

The Referee blew the full time whistle to the relief of the Kilkenny team and management to come out on the right side with a one point win

Kilkenny will be hoping to add another win to their name when they play Galway in the second round of the Championship in Duggan Park, Ballinasloe on Sunday at 2pm

Teams and Scorers

Kilkenny – Rachel Dowling (0-8, 0-3 frees, 2 45); Laura Doherty (1-0), Rose Kelly, Louise Hickey, Ava Brett (0-1 each)

Tipperary – Caithlin Treacy (0-5, 4 frees), Lucy Purcell (1-1), Kate Ferncombe (1-0), Danielle Ryan (0-1)

Kilkenny – Ali Kennedy; Cliodhna Murphy, Angela Carroll, Sofia Kerr; Tara McGrath, Laura Phelan, Anna Doheny; Ava Brett, Caoimhe Keher-Murtagh; Lauren Ronan, Julie Lennon, Orlaith Kirwan; Rose Kelly, Rachel Dowling, Katie Brennan.

Subs: Ciara Dunne for Julie Lennon, Louise Hickey for Orlaith Kirwan, Laura Doherty for Katie Brennan, Muireann Gannon for Tara McGrath, Ruth Phelan (Capt), Áine Aylward, Jess Cuddy, Lucy Walsh, Jenna Larkin, Niamh Galway, Grace Buggy, Leah Cooney, Aoife Kavanagh, Eva Sumner, Brionadh Barragry, Rachel Moloney, Aisling Fitzpatrick, Cady Boyle, Louise Hearne, Cara Clune

Additional panel: Aoife Kavanagh, Molly Burke, Aoife Shealy, Ciara Bryan, Emily Smith, Tara Roche, Sophie Meagher, Rachel Phelan, Holly Begley, Eimear Phelan, Una Duggan (injured), Marie O’Keeffe (injured), Amy Cody (injured)

Tipperary – Kacey Meehan, Aoife Bourke, Alison Fitzgerald, Paula Quirke, Shauna Heffernan, Sarah Corcoran, Niamh Franks, Kate Ferncombe (Joint Capt), Kate Ralph (Joint Captain), Danielle Ryan, Celine Guinan, Danielle Ryan, Anna Murphy, Caithlin Treacy, Lucy Purcell

Subs: Aine Finn for Danielle Ryan, Ali O’Regan for Caithlin Treacy, Molly O’Dwyer, Aoife Mellerick, Eabha Dolan, Rebecca O’Mara, Hazel Brennan, Ciara Shelly, Emer Dwan, Ellen Browne, Sophie Maher, Lisa Blair, Robyn Fitzgerald, Meabh Ryan, Jennifer Heffernan, Orla Ryan, Ellie Franklin, Helen Cleere, Bronagh Keneally, Hazel Ryan