Minor A All-Ireland Championship Final
Kilkenny 3-17 Galway 1-9
By Aoife Lanigan, PRO
Kilkenny were on cloud nine as they secured a 9th Minor Camogie Title & second in a row, when they comprehensively beat Galway by 14 points in UPMC Nowlan Park on Sunday
Only one point separated these teams when they met in the group stages in Dunmore, but with the ground dried and the general conditions more conductive to fast, pacy play, there was no stopping David Maher’s talented outfit
Although Galway opened the scoring with Mary Brigid Cosgrove converting a 45, Ona Kennedy quickly equalised from a free after Amy O’Shea has been fouled. Cosgrove then slotted over another placed ball before Player of the Match Emily Phelan hit over a brace to give Kilkenny the advantage for the first time
Cosgrove equalised and then Emma Barrettstruck with an eighteen-minute goal for Galway. This was their last score of the first half
TAKE CHARGE
It was Kilkenny’s turn to take charge after that. Holly Ryan scored a great goal a minute later to level matters. Midfielder Eleanor Doheny then received a neat pass from Emily Phelan and she slotted over the bar
On the 23rd minute, Emily Phelan ran along the Ardan de Gras sideline and she fired the sliotar towards the O’Loughlin’s End goal. Amy O’Shea fielded it and she ran at speed towards the goal. As she was about to pull the trigger, she was pulled back by her jersey – penalty. Kennedy blasted it low & hard into the bottom left corner of the net
Kilkenny added another five points over the remaining minutes of the half, through Aoife O’Grady, Emily Phelan (2), Ona Kennedy (f) & Holly Ryan. In an impressive run, Kilkenny amassed 1-6 in reply to Barrett’s green flag, which had only awoken the beasts from their slumber (half time Kilkenny 2-9 Galway 1-3)
Things even got worse for the Tribeswomen, as Amy O’Shea netted immediately after the resumption. Ona Kennedy added another pointed free. Holly Ryan & Emily Phelan slotted over a point each to push the gap out to 15 points (3-12 to 1-3)
CHANGES
Galway made a few changes and tried to get back into the fray. Mary Brigid Cosgrove (f), Leah Forde & Lauren Morgan scored a point each for the Westerners
Kilkenny hit back with three points of their own from Shauna Mahony, Amy O’Shea & Emily Phelan. The Tribeswomen slotted over three more points from Cosgrove, Katelyn Walsh & Eve Kenny, but Kennedy had the last say with two pointed frees as Kilkenny ran out easy winners
Having secured the All-Ireland, Kilkenny can add a Leinster title to the trophy cabinet this weekend. They will play their Leinster Final on Bank Holiday Monday in Newbridge @ 3.15pm
Scorers: – Kilkenny – Ona Kennedy 1-5 (1-0 penalty, 4f, 1 45), Emily Phelan 0-6, Holly Ryan 1-2, Amy O’Shea 1-1, Eleanor Doheny, Aoife O’Grady, Shauna Mahony 0-1 each
Galway – Mary Brigid Cosgrove 0-5 (5f), Emma Barrett 1-0, Leah Forde, Lauren Morgan, Katelyn Walsh, Eve Kenny 0-1 each
Teams: – Kilkenny – Ella Walton, Hannah Tennyson, Erin Morrissey, Mairead Duggan, Ciara Hickey, Ona Kennedy, Chloe Teehan, Shannon Doheny, Eleanor Doheny, Aoife O’Grady, Shauna Mahony, Holly Ryan, Emily Phelan (Joint Capt), Ruth Crowley, Amy O’Shea
Subs: – Sadhbh Shefflin for Aoife O’Grady, Ellen Treacy for Mairead Duggan, Ali Greany for Chloe Teehan, Katie O’Shea for Shauna Mahony, Leah O’Donovan (Joint Capt) for Amy O’Shea, Lucy Coomey for Shannon Doheny, Aoibheann Ryan for Eleanor Doheny, Tara Cody for Ruth Crowley, Orla Duggan, Sinead Jones, Emma Hogan, Lily Ryan, Onagh Fitzgerald, Sinead Henderson, Emily Cooney, Niamh Drennan
Galway – Leah Horan, Eabha Burke, Muireann Conroy (Joint Capt), Alisha King, Heidi Hesnan, Aisleen Healy, Amelia Hardiman, Amy Kenny, Aoife Scarry, Clodagh Burke, Eve Kenny, Lauren Morgan, Leah Forde, Emma Barrett (Joint Capt), Mary Brigid Cosgrove
Subs:- Katelyn Walsh for Clodagh Burke, Saoirse Counihan for Alisha King, Meabh Nic Con Iomaire for Aisleen Healy, Nina McKeown for Lauren Morgan, Emily Corcoran for Heidi Hesnan, Emily Rabbitte for Amelia Hardiman, Eva Murray, Niesha Scott, Caoilinn Corban, Mollie Noone, Ava Morley, Orlaith Kelly, Zara Spellman, Anna Jordan, Kate Kennedy, Grace Bergin, Lauren Boyle, Kate Dunleavy, Tara Geraghty
Ref: – Donnacha O’Callaghan
By PRO Thu 30th Apr
