Cats boss relieved to get over Cork hurdle

WINNERS write the history and Kilkenny manager Brian Dowling was able to laud his players for staying with their game plan, even when it looked fit for the shredder in the opening quarter.

Meanwhile, his Cork counterpart Paudie Murray had to reject criticism of his blueprint, arguing with strong evidence that their game-plan proved devastating in the initial period and that a failure to abide by the process might have been what cost the Rebels.

The Cats’ pressure on Cork’s ball carriers and those supplying the passes from deep improved beyond measure as the game developed after Cork romped into a 1-3 to 0-0 lead after 11 minutes. A goal from Gemma O’Connor was one example of Cork’s use of the space they were finding, as Meighan Farrell stuck to Orla Cronin wherever she moved and Davina Tobin was Amy O’Connor’s permanent shadow.

A couple of brilliant points by Mary O’Connell and an Anne Dalton goal helped Kilkenny lead at the interval by 1-8 to 1-7, and a Miriam Walsh major two minutes after the resumption gave the Noresiders a valuable cushion. Cork threw everything at them but wasted gilt-edged chances, while the Kilkenny defence excelled, with Claire Phelan monumental.

“We had our own job to do,” said Dowling. “We stuck to the game-plan. As soon as the draw was made we had a plan in place. You could see all week the girls were ready.

“We probably didn’t play as well as we could have played but we got over the line and showed great heart and that’s the main thing.”

Murray was highly critical of what he labelled “very inconsistent” refereeing but emphasised that the key factor in his side’s defeat was his players’ inability to avail of their point and goal-scoring opportunities.

SCORERS – Kilkenny: D Gaule 0-7 (6f); A Dalton 1-1; M Walsh 1-0; M O’Connell 0-2. Cork: C Sigerson 0-4 (4f); O Cronin 0-3 (3f); G O’Connor 1-0; A Thompson, K Mackey 0-2 each.

CORK – A Lee, M Cahalane, L Treacy, L Coppinger, H Looney, P Mackey, L Hayes, K Mackey, A Thompson, A O’Connor, O Cronin, C Sigerson, L Collins, G O’Connor, S McCarthy. Subs: N O’Callaghan for P Mackey inj (44), C Healy for Collins (49), J White for McCarthy (54)

KILKENNY – A Norris, G Walsh, C Dormer, M Teehan, C Phelan, M Farrell, D Tobin, A Farrell, A Dalton, A Doyle, L Murphy, D Gaule, K Nolan, M Walsh, M O’Connell. Subs: S Fitzgerald for Murphy (ht), N Deely for Teehan (49), K Doyle for O’Connell (55)

REF – O Elliott (Antrim)