Powerful performance drives Kilrush to victory
KILRUSH 5-14
BLACKWATER 3-4
A POWERFUL performance all over the field propelled Kilrush to glory in the Under-16 camogie Roinn 2B twelve-a-side championship final in Hollymount on Friday.
It was an interesting victory for the Ballyroebuck club. Twelve of their 14 players were involved in the Under-14 Premier success recently, while the other two, Amy Kehoe and Aoibheann Hayden, led this side, as joint-captains, by example.
Unsurprisingly, given the impressive nature of that success, their quality all over the field proved too much for Blackwater to repel.
The Over The Water club battled away and probably had the most effective player on the field in Clodagh Whelan but just couldn’t deny their excellent opponents.
With it being a small-sided game, the champions set up a little differently than in their Under-14 success.
It allowed other players to shine and was the type of team performance that made it difficult to pick a few individual stars in a closely-knit team unit.
Clodagh Whelan signalled her intent early with a goal from Laura Doyle’s feed.
However, Kilrush, who didn’t taste defeat on the field in the group stages, started to chip away, with a brace each from Sadhbh Buttle and Shauna MacSweeney drawing them level.
In the 13th minute the Gorey District side took their first lead. Buttle played the provider role for a clinical Rebecca Kavanagh finish to the net.
MacSweeney was next to race in and handpass to the net as the lead stretched to 2-5 to 1-1.
Just when it seemed Kilrush would motor away, Blackwater responded with another quick 1-1 from Whelan.
Laura Doyle added a point before the interval, but scores from MacSweeney and Buttle helped their team into a 2-9 to 2-3 lead.
There was a quieter start to the second-half, but Amy Kehoe did net from close range after Buttle was denied.
Blackwater hit back when Whelan completed her hat-trick in the 43rd minute (3-11 to 3-4), but they didn’t score again.
MacSweeney brought her tally to 1-8 with her third ‘45 at the end of the quarter, and the game was over as a contest when Buttle nabbed her first goal a little later. She added another with four minutes remaining as Kilrush kept pushing to the end.
As if to emphasise their strength, substitutes Katie Moorhead and Amber Walsh were involved as the latter completed the scoring with a late point to give Kilrush’s second string a hugely-deserved county crown.
Kilrush: Sinéad Breen; Anna Tomkins, Kayla McGannon; Áine Sharry, Kelia Smyth; Sorcha O’Rourke, Marie Byrne, Rebecca Kavanagh (1-0); Sadhbh Buttle (2-4), Amy Kehoe (jointcapt., 1-1); Shauna MacSweeney (1-8, 0-3 frees, 0-3 ‘45s), Aoibheann Hayden (joint-capt.). Subs. - Amber Walsh (0-1) for McGannon (51), Katie Moorhead for Smyth (57).
Blackwater: Emma Cullen; Lilly Mangan, Elizabeth Whelan; Orla Roche (joint-capt.), Laura McGuinness; Hannah Murphy (joint-capt.), Clara Molloy, Nicole Power; Laura Doyle (0-1), Clodagh Whelan (3-3, 0-1 free); Isabelle Cashe, Shauna Byrne. Subs. - Ella Wright for Byrne (42), Chloe Murphy for Cashe (44), also Amber Wright.
Referee: Mick Lanigan (St. Ibar’s/ Shelmalier).