All square in U16 decider

U16 All Ireland A Camogie Final

St Brendan’s Park, Birr, Co. Offaly.

St. Brendan’s Park in Birr, Co. Offaly was the venue for this highly anticipated clash between the top two U16 A Camogie teams in the country, Kilkenny and Galway and everyone in the Park was privileged to witness a ferocious battle between these two exceptional teams.

Galway got off to a dream start in the first 30 seconds of play. Katie Brogan, at mid field, won the throw in tussle and immediately took Galway’s first point of the game. Kilkenny’s forwards responded straight away with Ruby Norris gaining control of the ball, passing it to the oncoming Rachael Duff who scored Kilkenny’s first point. Kilkenny took off after this and further points from Amy Walsh, Kate Dalton and Ruby Norris in the opening 5 minutes meant they were opening up the Galway defence and causing serious trouble for the Galway backs. Kilkenny’s Dearbhla Ryan followed these scores up with two excellently taken frees. Sinead Cash was asserting dominance at corner back, as she cleared an accurate ball to the alert Ruby Norris. Norris picked out Elizabeth Sida, who worked hard to put her effort over the bar. Shortly after this, Dearbhla Ryan, at corner forward, took her first point from play. However, this purple patch for Kilkenny was short lived as the Galway girls began to fight their way back into the game. Katelyn Hayes, at half forward slotted over a lovely point, followed by two frees from Grace Roche and Cara Giblin. Again, Kilkenny’s defence dug deep through Robyn Corcoran and Ciara Joyce but it was Isabel Carrol at half back who worked exceptionally hard to put a ball into her club mate, Kate Dalton, who in turn passed it to Ruby Norris for a crucial point. Both midfield’s were working so hard to get on top with Galway’s Katie Brogan winning ball and Kilkenny’s Rebecca Smith contesting strong in every tussle. But the opening goal of the game, came from Kilkenny. Robyn Corcoran, at full back, launched a free into the half forward line, where the impressive Ruby Norris broke it down to the oncoming Rachael Duff. Duff sprinted at lightning speed towards goal and finished it to the top corner, to put Kilkenny 1-9 to 0-4 points ahead. However, Galway’s response was impressive. Within three minutes Meave Cronin found a gap in the Kilkenny defence and as her shot was blocked by the Kilkenny goalie, Heidi Culleton, it worked its way into Cara Giblin’s path where she doubled on it and found the back of the net. The closing minutes of the first half saw Galway score two more points through Ciara Mullins and Orna Dunne and Kilkenny scored one, from a Dearbhla Ryan free. Galway made one substation just before half time with Sarah Maher replacing Emily McDonnagh. Half time score: Kilkenny 1-10  Galway 1-6.

Galway began the second half where they left off in the first half with a goal and point scored by the impressive Orna Dunne at wing forward. It took Kilkenny a few minutes to settle but Ruby Norris responded almost immediately with an exceptional goal for Kilkenny to the top corner of the net, after Elizabeth Sida picked her out on a run through. After this passage of play, Kilkenny made substitutions by bringing Holly Drennan on for Saidhbh Farrell and Sophie McCabe replacing Meabh Kenny. This did not deter Galway as they slotted over 3 points in a row from Cara Giblin, Meave Cronin and a free from Grace Roche. But again, Kilkenny stepped up their game with Rachel Murphy and Holly Drennan working tirelessly in the half back line and Rachael Duff and Dearbhla Ryan on fire in the forwards. Ruby Norris fed accurate ball to Duff who slotted two points over the bar and Kate Dalton, now at centre forward provided a hand pass to Dearbhla Ryan who also put a point over. Ryan followed this up with a well taken free. Galway’s Maeve Cronin was causing some serious damage up front and slotted two points over the bar. Both teams made more substitutions with Galway bringing Delia Griffin on for Eva Harkin and Kilkenny replaced Amy Walsh with Ruby Mullins and Leyla Ahern came in for Elizabeth Sida. The following minutes saw an entertaining passage of play from both teams but it was Kilkenny’s Kate Dalton who stepped up Kilkenny’s attack and added two points to their tally. More substitutions were made as Kayla Burke replaced Ciara Mullins for Galway and Roisin Gibbons come on for Kilkenny’s Rebecca Smith. The final eight minutes of the match were intense. Galway’s Cara Giblin stepped forward and scored 1-3 in these final minutes; two points from play, one point from a free and in the dying moments, a low shot from a free to the bottom corner of the net. Her final point from play followed Kilkenny’s Dearbhla Ryan’s excellently taken free. Giblin had levelled the match for Galway and sent this enthralling tie to a replay! It will be played again in St. Brendan’s Park, Birr at 5pm next Saturday, 9^th May.

Kilkenny team: Heidi Culleton, Sinead Cash, Robyn Corcoran, Ciara Joyce, Saidhbh Farrell, Rachel Murphy, Isabel Carroll, Amy Walsh (0-1), Rebecca Smith, Rachael Duff (1-3), Ruby Norris (1-2), Elizabeth Sida (0-1), Kate Dalton (0-3), Meabh Kenny, Dearbhla Ryan (0-7, 0-4 f, 0-1 45)

Subs: Rachel Tennyson, Alice Maher, Katie Mulcahy, Sophie McCabe, Leyla Ahern, Megan Harding, Holly Drennan, Roisin Gibbons, Ruby Mullins, Katie Harnett, Sarah Buggy, Noa Bambrick, Clea Whelan, Amy Hughes, Molly Ryan.

Galway team: Ciara Doyle, Kate Melville, Alannah Hughes, Aoife Lawlor, Emily McDonnagh, Nessa Coen, Kayle Dolan, Maia Nevin, Katie Brogan (0-1), Katelyn Hayes (0-1), Cara Giblin (1-5, 1-2 f), Orna Dunne (2-2), Eva Harkin, Maeve Cronin (0-2), Grace Roche (0-2 f).

Subs: Vicki Lyons, Sarah Maher, Delia Griffin, Ciara Mullins (0-1), Kayla Burke, Kate Kilkenny, Alanna Joyce, Sarah Kililea, Lauren Morley, Rachel Hanrahan, Tara Power, Eabha McSharry, Ellen Clarke, Chloe Murray, Emily Behan.