Minors move closer to exit door after big loss
WEXFORD MOVED closer to the exit door in the All-Ireland Minor camogie championship after crashing to a heavy defeat to a talented Kilkenny side in St. Patrick’s Park on Sunday.
The Slaneysiders battled Galway all the way in their championship opener two weeks earlier but were no match for their near neighbours, managing just one point in the opening 41 minutes as Kilkenny ran riot.
The visitors simply had too much quality for their hosts. Their full-forward line was pacy and dynamic and gave the Wexford full-back line plenty to worry about, while Aoife Doyle was absolutely magnificent breaking from deep.
Kilkenny opened the scoring with a major in the first five minutes. It started with energetic midfielder Ruth Kent finding Danielle Morrissey in the right corner, and she sped at the home defence, committed defenders and found Eadaoin Murphy who handpassed to the net.
All three inside forwards were on the scoresheet by the time Lettie Whelan registered a ‘45 in the 18th minute.
Wexford were indebted to goalkeeper Liza Bates before the interval when she made a smart stop from Morrissey, but the visitors still led by 1-4 to 0-1 at the break.
To be fair to the Wexford defence, they were under a lot of pressure. They did pretty well to keep most of it at bay, but when Morrissey took advantage of a defensive slip to handpass home in the 40th minute the game was clearly over as a contest (2-6 to 0-1).
Emma Codd’s introduction did spark life into Wexford and she registered with a nice point after Derbhla Doyle picked her out. However, Kilkenny kept their foot down and added goal number three through Ciara Delaney, after Bates had saved from Morrissey and Murphy in the lead-up.
Aoife Dunne burst away and forced Cliona Murphy into a save in the 55th minute, and in the scramble that ensued Jessie Harding was able to force the ball over the line. Whelan added a late longrange free but it made minimal difference to the final outcome.
Wexford travel to Limerick on Sunday week with victory an absolute must to have any hope of advancing to the final four. A trip to Clare will follow for Paddy Campbell’s side six days later.
Wexford: Liza Bates; Katie Roche, Anna Hennessy, Larah Campbell; Clodagh Jackman, Róisín Cooney (capt.), Aisling O’Leary; Derbhla Doyle, Sarah Harding-Kenny; Jessie Harding (0-1), Aisling Byrne, Mary Barrett; Lettie Whelan (0-2, 1 free, 1 ‘45), Orla Molloy, Ciara O’Connor. Subs. - Emma Codd (0-1) for Molloy (35), Aoife Dunne for Byrne (37), Emma Furlong for Campbell (42), Aisling Halligan for O’Leary (47), Lara Conran for Hennessy (55), also Emma Kiely, Rebecca Doran, Zoe O’Leary, Orla Fortune, Holly Hynes, Anna Mai Stafford, Kaitlyn Whelan-Kinsella, Laura Kelly, Andrea Creane, Aoife Guiney.
Kilkenny: Cliona Murphy; Rebecca Nolan, Ciara O’Shea, Hannah Scott; Aoife Doyle (0-2), Tara Clifford, Aobha O’Gorman; Ruth Kent (0-1), Niamh Deely; Suzie May Aylward, Ciara Delaney (1-0), Katie Brennan; Danielle Morrissey (1-5, 0-2 frees), Eadaoin Murphy (1-2), Eimear Farrell (0-1). Subs. - Aisling Morrissey for Brennan (31), Alanna Gallagher for Aylward (38), Emily McCarthy for Nolan (47), Denise Byrne for Delaney (59).
Referee: John Dermody (Westmeath).