The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
All-Ireland heartbreak for two Kerry schools
IS Killorglin 1-10 Loreto Cavan 3-11
THERE was heartbreak for Intermediate School Killorglin when Loreto Cavan defeated the Kerry students by seven points in the All Ireland PPS senior A final in Banagher last Friday.
The scoreline didn’t really do the ISK team justice as they were well in the game throughout, but a Loreto purple patch in the last quarter quenched their chances. ISK only managed to score three points in the second half, and their failure to tag on more scores would prove to be their downfall.
Loreto began with intent and had the ball in the back of the ISK net after just three minutes when Aine Reilly pounced on her own rebound off the post to give Claire Fealey in the ISK goal no chance.
Fealey, playing with seven stitches in her left hand, went on to have a superb game with some fine saves throughout.
The ISK response was swift and Roisin Griffin tacked over a brace of points to settle her team. Griffin, who was threatening throughout, added a goal soon afterwards to push ISK a point ahead, 1-3 to 1-2. The Killorglin students began to take a firm stranglehold on the game, and with Rachel Evans driving them on from midfield, Griffin added two more points before Fodhla Houlihan came alive with a good effort of her own.
Loreto Cavan were still dangerous and Crowe and Reilly added points before Houlihan slotted over her second of the contest to leave ISK just a single point ahead, 1-7 to 1-6, at the break.
Loreto put serious pressure on ISK at the start of the second half and dominated all through the third quarter. ISK were having trouble with their restarts and although Loreto kicked a couple of wides they nudged a point ahead after 15 minutes.
Beibhinn Brosnan was doing trojan work in defence for ISK but the momentum was firmly with Loreto at this stage.
Fodhla Houlihan looked like she was fouled in the penalty area but as the referee waved play on Loreto attacked and scored a goal through Niamh McCrorry. The contest was now firmly in Loreto’s grasp and despite points from Ailbhe Clifford, Roisin Griffin and Eimear O’Connor, Loreto’s Lucy Jane Grant scored a goal and a point to secure a Loreto victory.
Best for ISK were Roisin Griffin, Claire Fealey, Kayleigh McGlashan, Andrea Nolan, Rachel Evans and Fodhla Houlihan.
IS KILLORGLIN: C Fealey; S Foley, E O’Connor (0-1), B Brosnan; O Dunphy, K McGlashan, A Nolan; A Clifford (0-1), R Evans; N Moriarty, C Joy, E Burke; M Duffy, R Griffin (1-6, 0-3f), F Houlihan (0-2). Subs:
L Hayes for Burke (42), T Clifford for Moriarty (54), C MacMahon for Houlihan (57) LORETO CAVAN: J Reilly; C Kellegher, H Smith, N Brady; K Tuipulotu, M Smith, O Murphy; E Brady (0-1), D Beck (0-1); A Cahill, N McCorry, L O’Reilly; A Crowe (1-3), Á Reilly (1-3), A Walls (0-2). Subs: C Kennedy for M Smith (12, temp), Kennedy for N Brady (24), C Boylan
for J Reilly (42), G Beatty for Crowe (49), LJ Grant (1-1) for O’Reilly (56), A McKiernan for Cahill (60+3)
REFEREE: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow)
MAIN PLAYER Roisin Griffin had a great outing for ISK and her goal and six points were a testament to her excellent performance. Aine Reilly was the stand out player for Loreto Cavan and had the ISK defence in all sorts of bother throughout the afternoon.
KEY MOMENT The ISK supporters were certain that Fodhla Houlihan should have been awarded a penalty midway through the second half. The referee thought differently, and as Loreto broke down the field they secured the goal that would ultimately decide the outcome of the contest.
TALKING POINT ISK played very deep in the second half and this allowed Loreto to attack them in waves. It played into the Cavan sides hands as ISK managed to score just three points towards the end of the game.