Tipp edged out in semi-final thriller

CAMOGIE: TG4 All-Ireland Under 16 ‘A’ Championship Semi-Final

Kilkenny 4-17

Tipperary 4-11

Report: Enda Treacy in Banagher

Photos: Rose Mannion

MATCH DIGEST

SCORERS – Kilkenny: Lauren Ronan 2-6 (0-4 frees); Caoimhe Keher Murtagh 2-4; Rose Kelly, Ava Brett 0-2 each; Rachel Dowling, Julie Lennon, Aoife Coverdale 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Celine Guinan 1-5 (1-0 pen, 0-4 frees); Ciara Moloney 2-1; Anna Murphy 1-2; Kate Ferncombe 0-2; Emma Horgan 0-1

What a game the spectators in Banagher were treated to on Sunday as a Tipperary just fell short in a thrilling All-Ireland U16 ‘A’ semi-final against a really good Kilkenny team.

Some of the quality throughout was a sight to behold as both teams had some really good players who played to their maximum, with the contest proving to be a really exhilarating affair which produced some unreal scores with Kilkenny just about proving more clinical in front of the posts.

There was very little between these sides in terms of quality, but some poor shooting will haunt Tipperary as they hit ten wides to Kilkenny’s four and this proved to be the difference, with Lauren Ronan and Caoimhe Keher Murtagh running amok for the Cats.

But Tipp can be happy with the effort as they fought tooth and nail for every ball and certainly have players of the future in their ranks with the likes of Celine Guinan, Kate Ferncombe, Niamh Franks, and Emma Horgan, to name a few.

Played in near perfect conditions, the game started at breakneck pace as both sides went hammer and tongs from the throw-in with Kilkenny edging the early exchanges; Rose Kelly finding the target inside the first minute. Kilkenny followed with two frees – one each from Ronan and Keher Murtagh – before Ronan showed great pace in the ninth minute to whip over a fine score off her left to give the early initiative to Kilkenny.

Tipp were struggling to keep the ball inside their forward line but they got a massive boost in the thirteenth minute when Anna Murphy found the net with a crisp strike through a sea of bodies after a high ball into the full forward line caused havoc for the Kilkenny defence.

Caoimhe Keher Murtagh was causing huge problems for the Tipperary full back line, her pace proving to be difficult to contain and she responded well after the goal with a fine solo and score to settle the Cats back down, but Tipp had their tails up and a quick riposte from Kate Ferncombe kept the gap at the minimum at the water break.

A free from Ronan and another excellent individual score from Kelly extended Kilkenny’s lead to three as they were finding the target with more regularity, but Tipp were making more hay and Murphy found her range again in the 18th minute after excellent play from Jennifer Heffernan.

This was quickly followed by a massive, long range free from Celine Guinan which had plenty to spare sailing over the black spot. However, Kilkenny were never giving Tipp the chance to build up a head of steam, with Ronan again proving elusive as she linked up with Keher Murtagh to rattle the net from close range to increase the lead to four points.

Anna Murphy was proving difficult to hold down for the Kilkenny defence, and a fine solo from midfield with a smashing finish to match kept her side in touch, but Kilkenny kept coming and ended the half strongly with Keher-Murtagh (2) and Ava Brett scoring points to give them a four-point advantage.

A good start to the half was needed from Tipperary and they certainly obliged substitute Ciara Moloney finding the range, closely followed by Celine Guinan’s first score from play.

However, Kilkenny were in no mood to let their lead slip and it was the same faces who would inflict heavy damage just a minute apart in the 37th minute, with Keher-Murtagh and Ronan both rattling the net just seconds apart to deliver a real sucker punch to the Tipp effort to stretch the lead out to eight points.

The response from Tipp was emphatic though as Ciara Moloney started the revival when she reacted quickest to Guinan’s long range free which rebounded off the crossbar, to swivel and stitch the ball into the Kilkenny net.

This was immediately followed by another goal, this time from Celine Guinan, making the most of a close range free to rifle low past the Kilkenny rearguard.

However, Tipp couldn’t keep a lid on the Kilkenny duo of Keher-Murtagh and Ronan as they continued to inflict heavy damage up front as Kilkenny reeled off the next five scores after the water break, with another Keher-Murtagh goal putting her side in a strong lead of 4-14 to 3-8 with a little over ten minutes to play.

It looked like the result was only going to go one direction, but Tipperary were not giving up the ghost yet, and displayed remarkable resilience to drag Kilkenny back with a Guinan free after 55 minutes being added to again by Ciara Moloney, pouncing on a ball in behind the Kilkenny defence to net past the flailing Kilkenny goalie to bring Tipp back to life again.

But this was as close as they would come and despite the continuous blue and gold waves of attack, Kilkenny always had scores in reserve to halt the Tipp progress as the Cats seen out the final minutes to book a date with Cork in the decider.

TEAMS – Kilkenny: Ali Kennedy; Siofra Meegan, Marie O’Keefe, Laura Phelan; Emma Corr, Sofia Kerr, Lucy Walsh; Rose Kelly, Anna Doheny; Amy Cody, Ava Brett, Rachel Dowling; Lauren Ronan, Caoimhe Keher Murtagh, Ciara Dunne.

Subs: Angela Carroll for Cody (25); Julie Lennon for Corr (33); Aoife Coverdale for Brett (54); Cliona Murphy for Dowling (60); Ella Middleton for Dunne (60+3); Leah Cooney for Walsh (60+4).

Tipperary: Kacey Meehan (Brian Boru’s); Helen Cleere (Gortnahoe/Glengoole), Niamh Franks (Shannon Rovers), Meabh Ryan (Holycross/Ballycahill); Lucy Purcell (Thurles Sarsfields), Shauna Heffernan (Eire Og Annacarty), Emma Horgan (Boherlahan-Dualla); Kate Ferncombe (Clonoulty-Rossmore), Danielle Ryan (Boherlahan-Dualla); Kate Ralph (Moycarkey-Borris), Celine Guinan (Shannon Rovers), Aoife Fitzgerald (Borris-Ileigh); Jennifer Heffernan (Eire Og Annacarty), Anna Murphy (Boherlahan-Dualla), Danielle Ryan (Eire Og Annacarty).

Subs: Ciara Moloney (Cashel) for J Heffernan (29); Paula Quirke (Boherlahan-Dualla) for Fitzgerald (38); Ailbhe Ryan (Eire Og Annacarty) for D Ryan (B) (54); Leah Flannery (Cahir) for D Ryan (EO) (54); Kellie Browne (Cashel) for Murphy (59); Rebecca O’Mara (Thurles Sarsfields) for Franks (60).

Referee: Cathal McAllister (Cork).