Short-handed Tipp fall to Kilkenny

CAMOGIE: Centra National League Division 1 Round 2

Kilkenny 0-15

Tipperary 0-10

Report: Joe Scully at St Lachtain’s Park, Freshford

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Asha McHardy (Kilkenny).

SCORERS – Kilkenny: Asha McHardy 0-6; Steffi Fitzgerald, Aoife Prendergast (frees) 0-3 each; Enna Shortall 0-2; Caoimhe Keher-Murtagh 0-1.

Tipperary: Eimear McGrath 0-5 (4 frees); Roisin Howard 0-2; Kate Ralph, Danielle Ryan, Jean Kelly 0-1 each.

It was a disappointing trip to Kilkenny for the Tipperary senior camogie team on Saturday, suffering a five-point defeat, their first in Division 1A of the National League.

They got off to a better start hitting the first two points and kept Kilkenny scoreless till the 13th minute, but after this the Cats took control scoring eleven unanswered points in the rest of the half leaving Tipp with too much of a hill to climb in the second half with the elements but on an ever softening pitch.

Despite a much better showing in the second half, they had left themselves too much to do, and Kilkenny saw out the game comfortably.

The conditions made good camogie hard at times, with loads of rucks developing throughout with referee Gavin Donegan forced to throw the ball in on several occasions.

An example of just how difficult things were, was in the first half when play had to be stopped as the sliotar became stuck in a hole in the pitch, with the referee having to borrow a hurl to try and dig the ball out.

While the defeat and the first half performance will be concerning for the Tipperary management, it needs to be taken in context as they were missing a number of players, including their Thurles Sarsfields contingent who are currently on a team holiday after winning last year’s county senior championship for the first time, while Caoimhe Stakelum was in action for the Ursuline Thurles in the All-Ireland schools final earlier in the day.

However, one worrying aspect was how Kilkenny were first to nearly every breaking ball, winning the majority of the 50/50’s, and seemed to have players in loads of space, leading to the ease with which they got a lot of their scores because of this. Also, for Tipperary their use of the ball at times wasn’t good enough and there is plenty to work on going forward for the rest of the league.

As previously noted, Tipp got off to the better start and took the lead through Kate Ralph after 57 seconds and added to their account two minutes later through an Eimear McGrath free.

But this would be their last score of the half as Kilkenny slowly started to take over, although it would take them to the 12th minute to open their account, following a great team move which resulted in Emma Shortall finishing well.

An Aoife Prendergast free had the sides level on the quarter hour before the impressive Asha McHardy had the home side ahead for the first time in the 17th minute. Shortall added her second shortly after, before Steffi Fitzgerald found herself in acres of space to hit her sides fifth.

Prendergast added another free, which was added to by another McHardy point in the 25th minute, and after some fine setup play from Prendergast and Caoimhe Keher Murtagh, McHardy flashed one over from close range soon after. She then made it three in a row, before a superb catch and run and finish from Keher Murtagh made it ten in a row in added time.

The final say of the half went to Steffi Fitzgerald with another point from play as the Cats went in at the break leading by nine points, 0-11 to 0-2.

Tipperary introduced Mairead Eviston into the full back line at the break, and she made a big difference in what was a much more even second period, but the visitors never really looked like getting back into the game and were kept at arm’s length throughout.

Aoife Prendergast and Eimear McGrath traded frees at the start of the half, before a fine finish from Danielle Ryan and then a Roisin Howard effort had the gap back to seven, but Kilkenny responded through another score from McHardy to lead 0-13 to 0-5 after 39 minutes.

The away side would then hit a purple patch with three in a row via a McGrath free, Howard and a McGrath 45 to leave five points in it with just under ten minutes to play.

Steffi Fitzgerald pushed the gap back to six in the 55th minute, but Tipperary still showing a lot of fight hit another two points through Jean Kelly and Eimear McGrath in added time, to give her side a glimmer of hope.

But this was soon extinguished via the stick of Asha McHardy who struck her sixth point, and also the game’s final score in the 62nd minute as Kilkenny made it two wins from two, with Tipp aiming to refocus ahead of welcoming All-Ireland champions Galway to the Ragg in two weeks’ time.

TEAMS – Kilkenny: Aoife Norris (6); Rachel Phelan (6), Michelle Teehan (8), Emily Smith (7); Caoimhe Dowling (7), Niamh Deely (8), Maria Brennan (6); Ava Brett (7), Laura Greene (6); Asha McHardy (9), Steffi Fitzgerald (8), Sarah Barcoe (6); Emma Shortall (7), Aoife Prendergast (7), Caoimhe Keher-Murtagh (7).

Subs: Rachel Dowling (6) for Barcoe (51); Katie Nolan (NR) for Shortall (57).

Tipperary: Aine Slattery (Shannon Rovers 6); Isobel O’Donnell (Brian Borus 6), Celine Guinan (Shannon Rovers 7), Eimear Loughman (Clonoulty/Rossmore 7); Sarah Corcoran (Moycarkey/Borris 6), Caoimhe McCarthy (Knockavilla-D Kickhams 8), Caithlyn Treacy (Moneygall 6); Kate Ralph (Moycarkey/Borris 7), Grace O’Brien (Nenagh Eire Og 6), Amy Quinlisk (Kilruane MacDonaghs 6), Roisin Howard (Cahir 7), Clodagh McIntyre (Lorrha 7); Danielle Ryan (Eire Og Annacarty/D 6), Eimear McGrath (Drom & Inch 6), Niamh Cunneen (Silvermines 6).

Subs: Mairead Eviston (Drom & Inch 8) for Treacy (HT); Niamh Treacy (Drom & Inch 6) for O’Brien (45), Jean Kelly (Eire Og Annacarty/D 7) for Cunneen (53).

Referee: Gavin Donegan (Dublin).