Destination Donegal but Kilcock travel with hope and confidence
Kilcock manager Joe Kennedy celebrates his team's Leinster final win with Rianna Cribbin Photo: Pat Ahern
It's “Destination Donegal” for the Kildare and Leinster LGFA Junior Club Champions, Kilcock, as they make the long trip on Sunday to Downings of Letterkenny to take on the locals and Ulster Champions in the semi-final of the AIB LGFA Junior Club Championship, throw in 12 noon.
The long trip to the north west, however, is not fazing Kilcock manager, Joe Kennedy and his players as they prepare for their first ever All Ireland semi-final.
Kilcock requested that the game be played on the Sunday to avoid the players having to travel up on the Friday evening after work or College.
“Preparations are going well for the semi-final,” Joe Kennedy told the Kildare Nationalist this week as he put the finishing touches to his plans in advance of Sunday’s encounter. “The bigger task in hand is the preparation off the field. We’re staying up there overnight on Saturday night so we have to fundraise but in fairness to the club from Val Herbert, the Ladies Chairperson, to Darren, the Club Chairman, they have been phenomenal in their efforts in getting things organised and keeping all that business away from the players and let them focus on the football,” the manager explained. “Our sponsors, Super Valu, Kilcock have also gone out of their way to help us on the journey we have been on,” he added.
After defeating Na Fianna in a close Kildare County Final, Kilcock started their Leinster journey by defeating the Louth intermediate champions followed by Dublin junior champions, Templeogue Synge St. Kilkenny senior champions, Muckalee were next before the Kildare junior champions defeated Wexford intermediate champions, Baile Dubh Tíre, 0-15 to 1-9 in the Leinster Final two weeks ago.
Referring to the resilience and fighting spirit of his team Joe Kennedy said, “the Dublin champions went ten points ahead of us in the first three minutes of the game but we gave the girls ten minutes. In that ten minutes we scored 1-3 or 1-4 so that brought us back into the game. Then Eimear (Kelly) our goalkeeper, she has been the Player of the Tournament for us, she pulled off a penalty save and then another point blank save. From that save and turn over we went down and scored a goal and then on their kick we scored another goal. We seem to be able to get scores at vital times.”
Kilcock boast a fairly widespread score base with the likes of Grace White, Sarah Lavin, Eve Powderly and Aisling O’Connor all chipping in with vital and frequent scores.
“Scoring wise the full forward line has been very strong. The full back line is tenacious in the tackle; Andrea McGrath is strong at full back. In the half back line we have Rianna Cribbin, a girl of 18 years of age, she can go on a rampage. Teigan McGonagle sits between the full back line and the half back line in a sweeper role but likes to get forward as well,” the manager tells us.
Joe Kennedy credits the return from abroad of Grace White, Eve Powderly and Emma Maguire as being a big boost to his side in 2024.
“They were probably playing at a higher level abroad,” he says. “Eve and Emma won an intermediate championship in Australia last year so they bring huge experience to the team. It’s the drive in the girls as well, they don't want to lose a game.”
Kennedy watched Sunday’s opposition, Downings, in the Ulster Final two weeks ago.
“They are a young enough side,” he says.
“They are only about seven years established as a senior ladies football team. Their full forward, Shannon McGroddy, won a senior championship with another club up there and then transferred back to Downings. They have a good midfielder too. They play a Donegal style of football, a very defensive style of football, so we'll have to counteract that with fast ball into the two girls inside and let them do the damage and support them from the half forward line.”
Looking forward to the big day the Kilcock manager concluded:
“The preparation to the game is big but we’ll try not to focus too much on the game, it’s just another game of football. If they get too tied up in it, they might get a little bit nervous but with the experience on the team it’s helping the younger girls through. What I’m looking forward to most is seeing the smiles on the girls faces when they win an All-Ireland semi-final and get the opportunity to play in Parnell Park.”
Eimear Kelly, Marie Finan, Andrea McGrath, Alannah Morrow, Rianna Cribbin, Emma Maguire, Teigan McGonagle (Vice Captain), Sheena Byrne, Sarah O’Sullivan, (Captain), Emma Robinson, Aisling O’Connor, Sarah Lavin, Eve Powderly, Grace White, Sophie Nolan, Mila Herbert, Therese Macken, Bernie Durkan, Linda Byrne, Laura O’Neill, Sophie McHale, Laura Gibbons, Orláith Byrne, Clíona Ní Dhúshláine, Jessica Comerford, Anastasia Cummins, Caytie McLysaght, Claire Lavin, Esmae Hooper, Nessa Stagg, Megan O’Connor, Ruby Olivier.
Manager: Joe Kennedy
Coach/Selectors: Shane Caulfield, Calvin Murphy
Flo: Valerie Herbert
Cúil Irra/Leathros/CooleraStrandhill (Sligo) v Mungret St Pauls (Limerick), in Kilcoyne Park, Sligo, 1.30pm
Na Dúnaibh/Downings (Donegal v Kilcock, 1pm
