Michael Lyng Motors Kilkenny Senior Camogie Championship Shield Final
Tullaroan 2-14 Dicksboro 0-13
Tullaroan produced a dominant second half display to turn around an interval deficit of five points and to emerge as unlikely but fully deserved winners of the senior championship shield final played in Tullaroan on a pleasant Saturday evening. As Tullaroan captain Grace Walsh commented afterwards ‘ it is hard to win anything in senior club camogie in Kilkenny’ , and this win will serve as a timely boost to Tullaroan heading into the knockout stages of the club championship next week that they can challenge the dominance of Piltown and Dicksboro in recent seasons. For Dicksboro, they looked very good for large parts of the opening half but will know that the second half performance will not be good enough if they are to retain their senior championship title in the coming weeks.
The match started in brisk fashion with a cross wind that slightly favoured Dicksboro in the opening period and they held a one point advantage (0-3 to 0-2) after the opening ten minutes. Tullaroan were competing well at this stage but Dicksboro then enjoyed a period of dominance with a run of six unanswered points from the 13th to the 26th minutes (this included two fine points from Asha McHardy) and they looked the more impressive side at this time. Tullaroan had missed a number of frees to reduce the deficit but they did get a timely Grace Walsh point on the stroke of half time to reduce the margin to 0-9 to 0-4.
The second half saw a complete transformation as Dicksboro, perhaps mindful of upcoming championship matches, struggled from the off to get going while Tullaroan boosted by the arrival of substitutes Ciara Murphy and Karen Jones, seized the initiative from the off. An opening point from Grace Walsh was added to by two fine points from Ciara Murphy to reduce the deficit to a manageable 0-9 to 0-7 by the 37th minute and although an Aoife Prendergast free steadied Dicksboro in the 42nd minute, two further Tullaroan scores from Niamh Dowling (free) and Mirian Walsh reduced the margin to the minimum. Dicksboro responded with a point from play from Rachel Dowling but Tullaroan were now very much in the ascendancy led by the outstanding Anna Doheny at centre back and after a fine move involving a number of players, Ciara Dunne crashed the ball to the net in the 50th minute to give them the lead for the first time. They then proceeded to dominate the closing ten minutes during which they added a further 1-5 to just 0-2 for Dicksboro in reply – these scores came from Niamh Dowling (1-3, 3 frees), Anna Doheny (free) and Ciara Dunne. Tullaroan will be greatly encouraged by this second half display and they certainly have a nice mix of youth and experience in their side as they prepare for knockout action in a weeks’ time while Dicksboro will know that improvements are needed particularly in attack which got very little change from the tenacious Tullaroan backs during the second period.
Tullaroan: Ella Walton, Sinead Cash, Grace Brennan, Orla O’Grady, Sinead Keoghan, Anna Doheny, Rachel Brennan, Grace Keoghan, Shannon Doheny, Eleanor Doheny, Niamh Dowling, Beth Grace, Miriam Walsh, Ciara Dunne, Grace Walsh. Subs: Rachel Walsh, Leanne Simpson, Jess Cuddy, Ella Moore, Rebecca Cuddihy, Katie Dunphy, Ciara Murphy, Tara McGree, Emma Walsh, Karen Jones, Sinead Murphy, Katie Hennessy, Ava Dillon, Laura Millea, Eimear Davis, Noelle Maher, Caoimhe Holland.
Dicksboro: Cara Duggan, Niamh Phelan, Tara Clifford, Katie Byrne, Angela Carroll, Caoimhe Dowling, Aisling Browne, Aobha O’Gorman, Tara McGrath, Asha McHardy, Jenny Clifford, Rachel Dowling, Aoife Prendergast, Orla Hanrick, Rose Kelly. Subs: Jane Cass, Amy Clifford, Sarah O’Gorman, Eva Tynan, Niamh Ryan, Emma Hogan, Ali Greaney, Izzy Roberts, Sophie Roberts, Katie Dowling, Megan Trait, Naomi Trait, Ciara Phelan.
Referee: Frank Murphy
By PRO Sat 26th Sep
