Kerry ladies edge past Waterford as focus quickly turns to Munster football final against Cork

ANY day that a team makes 11 changes to its starting line up and still comes away with a win has to be satisfying. And that is what Kerry did for this third game against Waterford, where a nervous onepoint win sets the Kingdom up for a Munster final against Cork in a fortnight.

At times it wasn’t pretty, and mistakes were plentiful, but in the end Kerry had the wherewithal to seal the win when substitute Fiadhna Tangney popped over the winner as the clock went into overtime.

Another substitute, Katie Brosnan, had produced a few tricks prior to that and put two points on her name, so a contribution of three points from the bench was most welcome on a day where scores were hard to come by.

The result didn’t matter really as Kerry had already qualified for the Munster final with Waterford out of the running before a ball was thrown in. Not that one would have thought that as both sides went at each other hammer and tongs.

From a Kerry point of view there were places up for grabs for the final, so their endeavour was to be expected. Waterford could have come to a well laid out Cordal with a slipshod attitude but, to their credit, they didn’t. They came to win, but their wastefulness in front of goal cost them in the finish.

Kerry handed starting debuts to Roisin Smith of Cromane and Roisin Rahilly of Ballymacelligott so it was a big game for them. Unfortunately, Rahilly’s day lasted just 16 minutes as she succumbed to a hamstring injury. Up to that point she had shown admirable endeavour at wing back. Smith looks a fine prospect and put in a fine shift in the engine room. Amy Curtin, still a minor, was also introduced for her debut in the 51st minute.

A lively opening quarter saw the sides level at two apiece with sixteen minutes gone on the clock. Jadyn Lucey opened the scoring for the hosts with a free after three minutes and three minutes later Lorraine Scanlon shot over after fine approach work from Bríd O’Connor.

O’Connor had a very good game overall for the Kingdom and will come into the management’s thinking as a serious option for the final.

The next two scores belonged to Waterford with two Kelly Ann Hogan frees and they also were unlucky not to goal when Lauren McGregor’s ferocious shot rattled off the post. Hogan pointed from play, but then came Kerry’s goal.

Hannah O’Donoghue was the finisher, but the spade work was done from a combo of Scanlon, Amy Harrington and Emma Dineen. Katie Murray replied for Waterford, but Jadyn Lucey responded from a tight angle before Niamh Ní Chonchúir hit a peach of a score from distance to push Kerry 1-4 to 0-4 ahead two minutes before half time.

Hogan landed another free, but it was Kerry that led by 1-4 to 0-5 at the interval.

Waterford might have goaled at the start of the second half but Eve Power shot high and over with the goal at her mercy. The visitors started to take control and they were rewarded when Aine O’Neill was brought down, and Kaci Brazil put away her penalty superbly.

Now two points down and with 40 minutes played, Jadyn Lucey was unlucky to see her goal bound effort cleared off the line by Cora Murray. Soon afterwards Emma Dineen’s punched effort was also cleared off the line as Kerry attacked Waterford in waves.

Kerry finally got their first score in 20 minutes when the hard working Ní Chonchúir hit her second of the contest on 48 minutes to bring Kerry to within a point, 1-5 to 1-6.

Seven minutes later and the very sharp Katie Brosnan levelled matters but a minute later Kelly Ann Hogan put the visitors one ahead once more. Kerry attacked again, and Brosnan made space to shoot her second on the trot.

It looked like the game would end in a draw, but Fiadhna Tangney had different ideas and landed the winner straight after Waterford’s kick-out to make in three wins in a row for Kerry.

Cork, who were 0-11 to 0-10 victors over Tipperary on Saturday, now await the Kingdom in Mallow on May 18.

KERRY: Ciara Butler; Kate O’Sullivan, Eilis Lynch, Aoife Dillane; Eilis O’Connor, Aishling O’Connell, Roisin Rahilly; Lorraine Scanlon 0-1, Roisin Smith; Amy Harrington, Hannah O’Donoghue 1-0, Niamh Ní Chonchúir 0-2; Deirdre Kearney, Emma Dineen, Jadyn Lucey 0-2 (1f). Subs: Ciara Murphy for R Rahilly 16, Katie Brosnan 0-2 for A O’Connell (ht), Faye O’Donoghue for E Lynch (ht) Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh for A Harrington (38), Ciara McCarthy for D Kearney (45), Ciara O’Brien for R Smith (45), Amy Curtin for J Lucey (51), Fiadhna Tangney for H O’Donoghue (51).

WATERFORD: Evelyn O’Brien; Cora Murray, Hannah Power, Aoibhe Waring; Niamh Power, Emma Murray, Eve Power; Aine O’Neill, Katie Murray; Aoife Murray, Ellen Bolger, Caragh McCarthy; Kellyann Hogan, Lauren McGregor, Lucy O’Shea. Subs: Kaci Brazil for L McGregor 9ht0, Emma Fitzgerald for L O’Shea (ht), Molly Comerford for A Waring (34), Orla Kennedy for E Bolger (51), Aoife Brazil for K Brazil (58).

REFEREE: Justin Murphy (Cork)