Kildare secure All-Ireland final place after scintillating second-half display
There were great scenes of celebration at the final whistle as Kildare secured a place in the AirNav LGFA All-Ireland U-16 'A' Championship Final with a win over Cork in Fethard Photo: Karl Gormley
Kildare qualified for the AirNav All-Ireland U-16 'A' Championship Final after a sparkling second-half display in a sun-kissed Fethard on Wednesday evening.
Although the Lilywhites made a flying start, Anna Dillon converted a penalty for the first score of the game after Catherine Murphy had been fouled inside the opening two minutes they found much of the remainder of the first-half a grind.
Cork went in at half-time leading by 2-8 to 1-6 and then extended their lead to six soon after the restart.
A Kildare comeback at that stage looked unlikely but incredibly, by the time the teams went for their waterbreak just after the midway point of the half, the young Lillies were ahead.
They had rattled off 1-4 in a row before the stoppage, with Dillon’s second goal of the game in the 35th minute sparking that scoring run.
Cork had looked so slick and assured in the first-half but it was a different story after the break as Kildare upped their work rate and forced countless turnovers.
The worry was that water break came at the wrong time for Kildare and it might have stemmed the momentum that they had been building but those fears were unfounded as James Costello’s team picked up where they had left off.
Catherine Murphy, always a thorn in the side of the Cork defence, scored to put Kildare into a two point lead.
Cork hadn’t scored since the opening minute of the second half but Nessa McCormack ended that drought in the 53rd minute to leave just a point between the teams.
If there were any nerves creeping into the Kildare team, it didn’t show in their performance. Murphy replied with her fourth of the game and then pacy centre-forward Grace Byrne, who became an increasingly influential figure in the game as it wore on, put three between the teams.
As the game ticked towards injury-time, it felt like a Kildare score to give them a four-point lead would be crucial. Fittingly, it was the team’s outstanding captain and leader, Amy Wall, who stepped forward to kick it after collecting Byrne’s pass.
A four point margin at full-time wouldn’t have flattered Kildare’s given the quality of their second half display but Wall’s point was to prove decisive when Cork substitute Kate O’Connell fired into the net via the underside of the crossbar.
Kildare still had to navigate a nervy minute or so but they did so in style and can now look forward to an All-Ireland decider with Cavan.
A Dillon 2-2 (1-0pen), C Murphy 0-4, G Byrne 0-3, A Wall 0-1 (1f), C Cully 0-1.
N Kinsella 1-2, N O'Connor 1-1, S Keane 0-4 (3fs), K O'Connell 1-0, I O'Callaghan 0-1, A Ní Scannlain 0-1, N McCormack 0-1.
Sadie Burke (Sarsfields); Rachel Enright (Naas), Amber Blake (Naas), Kayla Mooney (St Kevin’s); LilyAnne Keatley (Castledermot), Sarianna Hannick (Raheens), Doireann Lanigan (Celbridge); Amy Wall (Castledermot), Grace Martin (Clane); Kate Hill (Balyna), Grace Byrne (Castledermot), Annabelle Lundy (Kilcock); Catherine Murphy (Athy), Caoimhe Cully (Balyna) Anna Dillon (Sarsfields). Subs: Ellen Moran (Kill) for Hill, 44; Kali McDonald (Clane) for Lanigan, 51.
Lorna Hodman; Aoife McCarthy, Mairead Whelton, Lucy Kelleher; Sarah McCormack, Lucy O'Brien, Caoimhe Brennan; Orla O'Brien, Ella O'Sullivan; Abbi Ní Scannlain, Aoife Harte, Nell Kinsella; Isabelle O'Callaghan, Niamh O'Connor, Shauna Keane. Subs: Nessa McCormack for O'Connor, 37; Roisin O'Sullivan for Ní Scannlain, 37; Maria Humphreys for Brennan, 48, Kate O'Connell, Ciara Hanrahan for Kinsella, 58.
Shane Curley, Galway
