WICKLOW BOW OUT Kildare blitz puts paid to Leinster Intermediate hopes

at Bray

Reflecting on the loss, Wicklow manager Paul McLoughlin said, “We’re hugely disappointed. Nobody gave us a chance here today but we knew if we played to our potential we’d give it a right go. We were right in the game five minutes after half time, we just had a little bit of a slip. These are favourites to win an All-Ireland for a reason and they punished us when we made silly mistakes.”

The 1-06 blitz came from Wicklow’s inability to get the ball out of defence from the kick out. The strategy throughout the match was to go short to a player making a run out to the wing rather than long for an aerial battle. It worked regularly but it is high risk and when Kildare won the kick out they were in a very attacking position. The ball didn’t get past the Wicklow 45 metre line during that time.

However, that lead was coming. Wicklow kept Kildare within striking distance in the first half, only going in a point down at half time, but Kildare kicked seven wides in the opening 30 minutes and should have been ahead by more. They found it much easier to get the ball up the field whereas Wicklow had to rely on moving the ball forward through hand passes which is slower and energy sapping.

Corner forwards Amy Murphy and Marie Kealy made some good runs in front of their markers to get possession and caused the corner backs all sorts of trouble. Their shooting let them down though at times or else they didn’t have the support with them to convert their chances.

The Kildare half forward line did most of the damage, scoring 1-09 between them, including 1-05 of that 1-06 in the second half. Wing forward Eadaoin Connolly opened the scoring on a counter attack when Erica Burke raced up the field unopposed and fed her the ball. Moments later Emer Fogarty scored her first free when Maria Moolick was fouled.

Moolick had a goal chance but shot straight at Kim Connors before the game settled down and Wicklow gained some possession. Sustained pressure led to a couple of frees for Hogan and the match was level with fifteen minutes gone.

However Kildare upped the tempo once again and reeled off three points in three minutes, Roisín Byrne scored two of them. Her second was Kildare’s last of the half though and Hogan once again converted a brace of frees when she and Amy Murphy were fouled. It was 5-4 at half time.

If the first half was low scoring and cagey the second half opened at a blistering pace.

Emer Fogarty pushed Kildare ahead by two but then Wicklow found some gaps and Hogan scored two points from play to level.

That was as good as it got though for Wicklow as Kildare’s 1-06 in seven minutes did the damage. It was 1-12 to 6 points after 41 minutes.

Hogan converted three more frees and substitute Niamh O’Brien also got on the score sheet to complete Wicklow’s ten point tally. Hogan and the corner forwards Murphy and Kealy were very promising in attack while Sarah Jane Winders bossed her full back position. But Kildare just had the upper hand throughout the field and their superior fitness levels were certainly an important aspect of that.

Wicklow now move into the All-Ireland series in July where, according to Paul McLoughlin, they won’t fear anyone and the mood in the camp is positive. They hope they’ll have a long summer of championship action and get a couple of wins.

Wicklow had requested that the match be changed from 2pm to an earlier throw in at 12pm to facilitate Wicklow supporters getting to UCD to see Lucy Mulhall in action for Ireland and Kildare supporters getting to Croke Park for the men’s football before the Irish soccer match was fixed. Kildare and Leinster LGFA refused to switch the match.

Scorers – Kildare: Roisín Byrne (3f) 0-06; Eadaoin Connolly 1-02; Erica Burke (1 pen) 1-00; Emer Fogarty (2f) 0-02; Aisling Holton, Maria Moolick, Ellen Dowling 0-01 each.

Wicklow: Laura Hogan (7f) 0-09; Niamh O’Brien 0-01.

Kildare: Mary Hulgraine; Rachel Corrigan, Jane O’Donoghue, Rachel Cribbin; Shauna Kendrick, Michaela Nolan, Rachel Reidy; Aisling Holton, Erica Burke; Roisín Byrne, Maria Moolick, Eadaoin Connolly; Mikaela McKenna, Trina Duggan, Emer Fogarty. Subs: Noelle Earley for Rachel Corrigan (HT); Ellen Dowling for Trina Duggan (41 mins); Aisling Savage for Rachel Cribbin (49 mins); Grainne Lyons for Emer Fogarty (58 mins).

Wicklow: Kim Connors; Emily Mulhall, Sarah Jane Winders, Aine Byrne; Lorna Fuscardi, Sarah Hogan, Rose Fagan; Helena Dowling, Niamh McGettigan; Georgina Canavan, Laura Hogan, Molly Cullen; Amy Murphy, Sarah Miley, Marie Kealy. Subs: Katie Miley for Helena Dowling (37 mins); Laurie Aherne for Amy Murphy (50 mins); Elana Conroy for Marie Kealy (55 mins); Niamh O’Brien for Molly Cullen (55 mins).

Referee: Angela Gallagher (Dublin)