EIR All Ireland Championship – SUN 22 FEB 26 – Tullogher GAA , KILKENNY.
Kilkenny 1 – 11 Cork 1 – 08
Kate Dalton of St Lachtains proved to be the match winner as she came on to inspire Kilkenny to a second half comeback to defeat Cork in Tullogher GAA.
Dalton came on at the start of the second half and helped her teammates turn the Red tide to take a victory that was in the balance until the final five minutes and it was a defiant come back after trailing by two points at half time.
Cork played with the wind in the first half, but Kilkenny scored first when Noa Bambrick pointed a free to settle the nerves in the 2nd minute. Cork soon settled theirs with three points in a row from Niamh O’Connor (even though it appeared to go wide) and two from full forward Isabelle O’Callaghan.
Cork were getting joy down their left side, and with the two mobile midfielders roving around, it was tough going for the Kilkenny defence. They were standing strong though, especially Rachel Murphy, playing on her home pitch, who fielded and cleared a lot of the ball throughout. Dearbhla Ryan got possession from a Noa Bambrick sideline in a bit of space, turned and fired over in the 12th minute to reduce the Rebelettes lead to one point.
Cork were going well, but just couldn’t trouble the Kilkenny defence enough to raise more flags as both sides battled for every ball. Kilkenny created a few more chances with Kayleigh Murphy in the Cork goal having to bat away a few long distance shots and then a great save in the 26th minute as she saved a close range attempt from Dearbhla Ryan (also playing on her home pitch) and the home side relied on two more frees from the hurley of Noa Bambrick to finish their scoring in the half.
For the Cork side, Saoirse Gilmore of Clonakilty pointed and two more from Isabelle O’Callaghan of Cloughduv, a free and a 45, left the scores at half time –
Kilkenny 0-04 Cork 0-06
The teams emerged from the half time with Kilkenny making three substitutions, and they made a difference straight away – Ruby Norris turning and running for goal at every chance and Rachael Duff and Kate Dalton looking dangerous on the ball.
Rebecca Smith of Barrow Rangers opened the scoring with a well taken point, with Noa Bambrick of the same club, pointing her fourth free of the game to level the scoring after 37 minutes. Kilkenny were getting on top, Cork were battling and then after 41mins, a game changer. Ailbhe Byerley of Clonakilty got space around the 21 and shot a speculative ball towards goal, it dropped and took an awkward bounce off the high grass and it went into the net. The lead was back with Cork now, how would Kilkenny react? Byerley reacted fast, as she got possession of the puckout and put the sliotar over Heidi Culleton’s crossbar to put her side four points up.
How would Kilkenny react? Noa Bambrick started the fightback, scoring her fifth point in the 43rd minute, and she was at the heart of the action again in the 49th minute as she stood over a 21 yard free, she blasted it hard at head height and Cork keeper Murphy batted it away, it arrived at the feet of Kate Dalton. The St Lachtains player made no mistake as she rose the ball out of the grass and blasted it past the players on the line and levelled the game.
The momentum was now with the Kilkenny girls, they had the breeze and they were now on top. But again, Cork rallied with Niamh O’Connor of Inniscarra getting a point to put the visitors back in front with 10 minutes remaining. Isabelle Carroll drove her Kilkenny teammates forward winning dirty ball and tackling to cause turnovers. Kate Dalton levelled the game again in the 55th minute as Cork were hanging on, but couldn’t see it out as Ruby Norris of Piltown and Rachael Duff of Blacks & Whites scored three points without reply to win the game for the girls in Black & Amber.
A tough close game, that was in the balance until the 59th minute, but because of their excellent second half performance, it was probably the correct result.
Final Score – Kilkenny 1 – 11 Cork 1 – 08
Kilkenny – Heidi Culleton (Rower Inistioge), Sinead Cash (Tullaroan), Robyn Corcoran (John Lockes), Katie Mulcahy (Bennettsbridge), Holly Drennan (Young Irelands), Rachel Murphy (Tullogher), Saidhbh Farrell (Young Irelands), Amy Walsh (Dicksboro), Isabel Carroll (St. Lachtain’s), Meabh Kenny (Rower Inistioge), Rebecca Smith 0-01 (Barrow Rangers), Noa Bambrick 0-05 4frees (Barrow Rangers), Ruby Mullins (St Martin’s), Sophie McCabe (Thomastown), Dearbhla Ryan 0-01(Tullogher)
Subs – Rachel Tennyson (Piltown), Ciara Joyce (Emeralds) (Captain), Alice Maher (Barrow Rangers), Ruby Norris 0-01 (Piltown), Elizabeth Sida (O’Loughlin Gaels), Rachael Duff 0-02 (Blacks & Whites), Megan Harding (Erin’s Own), Roisin Gibbons. Emeralds (Vice Captain), Sarah Buggy (Erin’s Own), Kate Dalton 1-01(St Lachtain’s), Katie Harnett (Erin’s Own), Leyla Ahern (Emeralds) (Vice Captain)
Cork Panel – Kayleigh Murphy (Sliabh Rua), Saidhbhin Ni Lionsigh (Aghabollogue), Ali McCarthy (Blarney), Abby Keane (Dungourney), Urscula Berkecka (Ballincollig), Evelyn Rath (Sliabh Rua), Laura Daly (Inniscarra), Ellie Cafferkey (St Vincent’s), Emma Dennehy (Ballinhassig), Ailbhe Byerley 1-01 (Clonakilty), Laura McAuliffe (Newtownshandrum), Kitty O’Mahony (Inniscarra), Niamh O’Connor 0-2 (Inniscarra), Isabelle O’Callaghan 0-4 1free + 145 (Cloughduv), Saoirse Gilmore 0-01 (Clonakilty)
Subs – Aisling Ryan (Sarsfields), Faye Buckley (Milford), Amy Walsh (Enniskeane), Liadh Sheehan (St Finbarrs), Kate O’Mahony (Kilbrittain/Timoleague), Kayla O’Toole (Ballinhassig), Eabha Lynch (Blarney), Orla O’Brien (Cloughduv), Aine Coughlan (Newtownshandrum), Alanah Murphy (Aghabollogue), Aoife White (Clonakilty), Ava Kenneally (Brian Dillons), Chiara Leahy (Blarney), Clodagh Walsh (Killeagh), Simone Fitzgerald (St Catherine’s)
By PRO Wed 25th Feb
