Kilkenny’s struggles continue in home defeat against Tipperary

Very League Division 1A Round 4

Kilkenny 1-6

Tipperary 2-11

By Aoife Lanigan, PRO

The Premier County came away with the spoils as they beat Kilkenny on a double score result (2-12 to 1-6) in last Saturday’s Very Camogie League clash in UPMC Nowlan Park

The visitors took the lead in the 3^rd minute when Eimear McGrath opened the scoring with a pointed free

But from the puckout, Katie Nolan laid off a lovely pass to Katie Power who ran like a thunder bolt towards the Tipperary goal and she hit a rasper of a shot past goalkeeper Nicole Walsh

Aoife Prendergast then slotted over a pointed free for Kilkenny, stretching their lead to three points (1-1 to 0-1)

Over the next 11 minutes, both team failed to register a score until wing back Caoimhe McCarthy stormed forward and scored a fine point for the visitors before Asha McHardy scored a point in response for Kilkenny

ROAMED FORWARD

Tipperary fired 1-1 heading to the interval where Eimear McGrath slotted over a pointed free before Karen Kennedy who had roamed forward from the defence, fielded a sideline ball, turned and riffled a shot past Roisin Breen in the Kilkenny goal

This left the score 1-4 to 1-2 in favour of the Premier County at the half time interval

On the resumption of play, Tipperary blitzed Kilkenny with 1-5 without reply. The points came from Niamh Treacy, Casey Hennessy, Eimear McGrath (2f) and Roisin Howard. The goal was scored by Casey Hennessy after she raced from midfield and blasted the sliotar to the back of the net to put Tipperary 2-9 to 1-2 ahead

Steffi Fitzgerald stopped the rot when slotting over a point from play for the homeside

Eimear McGrath tacked on more efforts for the Premier County but Kilkenny did score the next three points through Katie Power and Sophie O’Dwyer (2f)

PENALTY

Grace O’Brien then converted a pointed free for Tipperary and while Kilkenny were awarded a penalty on the stroke of full time, which they failed to convert it with Sophie O’Dwyer’s shot saved by Nicole Walsh

Shortly after the Referee blew the full time whistle with the score 2-12 to 1-6 for Tipperary

Kilkenny play Waterford next Saturday in SETU Arena, Carriganore @ 2pm

Scorers – Kilkenny – Katie Power 1-1, Sophie O’Dwyer 0-2 (1f), Aoife Prendergast 0-1 (f), Asha McHardy, Steffi Fitzgerald 0-1 each

Tipperary – Eimear McGrath 0-7 (6f), Casey Hennessy 1-1, Karen Kennedy 1-0, Caoimhe McCarthy, Niamh Treacy, Roisin Howard 0-1 each, Grace O’Brien 0-1 (f)

Kilkenny – Roisin Breen, Michelle Teehan, Katie Byrne, Niamh Phelan, Niamh Deely, Miriam Bambrick, Laura Norris, Keara Ryan, Asha McHardy, Steffi Fitzgerald, Julianne Malone, Katie Nolan, Katie Power, Aoife Prendergast

Subs – Kellyann Doyle for Keara Ryan, Emily McCarthy for Niamh Phelan, Emma Shortall for Aoife Prendergast, Sophie O’Dwyer for Asha McHardy, Caoimhe Keher Murtagh for Katie Nolan, Sinead O’Keeffe for Laura Norris, Aoife Norris, Danielle Quigley, Claire Doheny, Ciara Phelan

Tipperary – Nicole Walsh, Karin Blair, Mairead Eviston, Eimear Loughman, Caoimhe McCarthy, Karen
Kennedy, Clodagh McIntyre, Teresa Ryan, Ellen Cunneen, Roisin Howard, Caoimhe Maher, Casey Hennessy, Niamh Treacy, Eimear McGrath, Eimear Heffernan

Subs – Grace O’Brien for Niamh Treacy, Julianne Bourke for Ellen Cunneen, Mary Ryan for Clodagh McIntrye, Ciardha Maher, Molly O’Dwyer, Aoife McGrath, Aoife Dwyer, Celine Guinan, Clodagh Quirke, Emma Carey, Grace Moloney, Jean Kelly, Kate Ralph, Mary Burke, Niamh Costigan, Sarah Madden, Caoimhe Perdue, Caoimhe Bourke

Referee – Justin Heffernan (Wexford)