Kerry U-16 girls out of Munster Championship

THERE was disappointment for the Kerry U-16 ladies when they exited the Munster A championship after a heartbreaking one loss to Tipperary at the John Mitchels Complex in Tralee last Saturday. Kerry also lost by the same margin to Cork the previous week, and they needed to defeat the Premier county to keep their interest in the championship alive. Kerry will certainly feel that it was a game that they could have won, but unfortunately lady luck wasn’t on their side for the second week in a row.

Kerry played with the benefit of a strong breeze in the first half and racked up 4 early points from Ceiti Ui Luing (free), Katie Buckley, Niamh Ni Chonchur and Anna Clifford. Tipperary did start to get their hands on a lot of ball and after 13 minutes Marie Creedon waltzed through the Kerry defence to tuck away a decent goal. Kerry replied once more when the lively Niamh Ni Chonchur pointed after good support from Julie O’Sullivan. Ceiti Ui Luing put three between the sides when she pointed a free in the 18th minute.

Tipperary weren’t lying down and Emma Morrisson put over the bar after Robyn White in the Kerry goal saved from point blank range. From the kickout Ella Teahan scored a good point for Kerry to put them three ahead again and while Dervla Heffernan did reply again for Tipperary.

Flying Kerry winger Anna Clifford put over 2 points on the bounce on the stroke of half time to send Kerry into the dressing room with a four-point lead, 0-9 to 1-2.

Both teams swapped early wides at the start of the second half but disaster then struck for Kerry when Ruth Butler goaled to bring the contest back to one point game. Ella Teahan and Caitlinn Kennedy of Tipperary swapped points before Anna Clifford, with her fourth point of the game.

Danielle O’Leary with her first off the bench, pushed Kerry 3 ahead once more, 0-12 to 2-3, with just 12 minutes left in the contest.

Tipperary weren’t finished and in the next five minutes of the game struck a fatal blow to the hearts of the Kerry girls. In the 52nd and 53rd minutes Leah Coen and Caoimhe Ryan pointed, they were followed a minute later by a Marie Creedon goal to propel Tipperary into a 2 point lead, 3-5 to 0-12.

Siofra O’Shea steadied the Kerry ship with a point a minute late but Marie Creedon struck for her third goal of the game seconds later to put Tipperary in a 4 point lead,4-5 to 0-13 with time running out.

Kerry pushed on and attacked in waves as they fought to keep themselves in the game, and in the Munster Championship, but they just couldn’t get the scores to save the game. They did score a goal in the 61st minute when Julie O’Sullivan finished to the net from close range, but it was too little too late as the final whistle sounded.

Tipperary now march on to the Munster final against Cork,while Kerry are left to lick their wounds and think of what might have been.