Tipp fall to Kildare in All-Ireland Final

LADIES FOOTBALL: All-Ireland Under 14 Gold Final

Kildare 2-9

Tipperary 0-7

By Aisling Clery in Crettyard

MATCH DIGEST

SCORERS - Kildare: Aoibheann Birchall, Keelin Dermody 1-2 each; Aoibhe Kelly 0-3; Aoibhe Jones 0-2 frees.

Tipperary: Abbie Horgan 0-3, Grace Hogan (frees) 0-3 each; Louise McGrath 0-1 pen.

Two first half goals proved crucial as Kildare were crowned All-Ireland U14 Gold champions at the expense of Tipperary on Saturday.

Kildare led throughout and despite huge pressure from Tipperary, the Lilywhites prevailed.

Tipperary got off to a good start and had two points on the scoreboard courtesy of Abbie Horgan. While Kildare took time to settle, Keelin Dermody opened their scoring from a free before Amy Jones levelled matters two minutes later.

Kildare were moving the ball well with surging runs from wing forwards Katie Ray and Aoibheann Birchall troubling the Tipperary defence.

The game’s opening goal came on eleven minutes courtesy of Keelin Dermody, who hit low and hard into the bottom corner of the Tipperary net.Aoibheann Birchall pushed Kildare into a four-point lead a minute later.

Tipperary’s Abbie Horgan and Grace Hogan threatened the Kildare defence and while Hogan added a free, Kildare did well keeping out the Tipp attack.

In a quickfire two-minute spell, Birchall added 1-1 to stretch Kildare’s lead further before a third Horgan point brought Tipperary back into the contest.

Kildare finished the half strongly with Amy Jones pointing her second free and Keelin Dermody firing over. Kildare led 2-6 to 0-4 at the break.

The second half was a much cagier affair with both defences on top. A brace of frees off the ground from Grace Hogan brought Tipperary back to within six points and they could have been even closer but for a terrific save from Kildare goalkeeper Aibhe McKeon.

Kildare kicked three second half points, each through the boot of substitute Aoibhe Kelly, the second of which summed up Kildare’s scoring threat, as Kelly received the ball, turned her marker, and scored straight over the black spot.

Tipperary’s Tara Bourke was resolute in defence and while they were rewarded with a penalty late on, which was blasted over the bar by Louise McGrath, it was to be Kildare’s day with Aoibhe Kelly hitting her third point to secure Kildare’s first U14 national title since 2016.

TEAMS – Kildare: Aibhe McKeon; Kate McNulty, Aoife O Riain, Maya Fruergaard; Caoimhe Mahon, Jessica McNulty, Moya McCarthy; Aoife Treacy, Cassie Mallon; Katie Ray, Isabelle Casey, Aoibheann Birchall; Aoibheann Mahon, Keelin Dermody, Amy Jones.

Subs: Ella Leavy for McKeon, Sophie Boyse for C Mahon, Aoibhe Kelly for A Mahon, Misha Magee for Mallon, Emily Conlon for Casey, Aoife Keegan for Jones, Rebecca Yates for Dermody, Sophie Niland for McNulty.

Tipperary: Caoilinn Grogan (Aherlow); Neasa Dwan (Boherlahan-Dualla), Tara Bourke (Templemore), Louise McGrath (Holycross/Ballycahill); Julie Grey (Templemore), Kate Nevin (Templemore), Lauren Moore (Mullinahone); Sinead Lonergan (Ardfinnan), Amy O’Connor (Cahir); Sienna Ferris (Cahir), Abbie Horgan (Boherlahan-Dualla), Abi Ryan (Arravale Rovers); Grace Hogan (Arravale Rovers), Eavann Duffy (Moyle Rovers), Leah Flannery (Galtee Rovers).

Subs: Rachel Coffey (Brian Borus) for Ryan; Caitlin Moriarty (Aherlow) for Flannery, Zoe Tierney (Clonmel Commercials) for O’Connor, Nicole Buckley (Templemore) for Ferris, Ciara Cahill (Holycross/Ballycahill) for Dwan, Grace Tuohy (Galtee Rovers) for Moore, Alex Smith for Moriarty (Brian Borus), Aoibhinn Casey (Brian Borus) for Hogan.

Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Cork).