Kilkenny Minor Camogie side move on to All-Ireland semi-final

The Kilkenny minor team finished off their All-Ireland group campaign with an emphatic win over Dublin in Freshford on Sunday.

Although Lauren Ronan opened the scoring with a point for Kilkenny in the first minute, Dublin scored the next three points through Aoibheann Stokes (2) and Nicole Cotter.

Caoimhe Keher Murtagh and Aoife Kenny swapped points to leave the score 0-4 to 0-2 in favour of the visitors after seven minutes.

Kilkenny then went on a scoring spree, shooting 2-5 without reply. Lauren Ronan scored a point in the ninth minute, when she intercepted a short puckout and slotted the sliotar over the bar. She quickly added a goal after a neat handpass from Julie Lennon, before shooting another point in the 13th minute.

The home side had their second goal courtesy of Julie Lennon. Caoimhe Keher Murtagh laid off a perfect pass to the on-rushing Lennon. She lobbed the sliotar over the advancing goalkeeper’s head into the back of the net.

Rose Kelly added a point for Kilkenny and Rachel Dowling then scored a great point from the sideline beside the dugouts.

Lauren Ronan scored a point after fielding a free out from defence to put Kilkenny 2-7 to 0-4 ahead after 25 minutes.

Kerri Austin and Caoimhe Keher Murtagh then traded points to leave the score at 2-8 to 0-5 in the Cats’ favour.

On the resumption of play, Kilkenny added two points through Lauren Ronan and Rachel Dowling. Sub Eimear Kehoe scored an excellent point for Dublin before Aoibheann Stokes had the sliotar in the back of the Kilkenny net.

Julie Lennon added to her tally with a neat point for Kilkenny. In the 46th minute Rose Kelly hit a shot at the Dublin goalkeeper. She batted it out and Kelly was quickest to react and pulled first time to the back of the net.

From the puckout, Dublin went on the attack and Kerri Austin pulled on the sliotar and it went flying into the net after Ali Kennedy had made a save from the initial shot taken on goal.

Rachel Dowling and Eimear Kehoe exchanged points to leave the score 3-12 t 2-7 after 54 minutes. This was Dublin’s last score of the game.

Kilkenny finished strongly, shooting 1-3 without reply, through Ronan (goal) and points from Dowling (2) and Katie Brennan.

Kilkenny now play Waterford in the All-Ireland semi-final on Sunday in Nenagh at 4pm

Teams and Scorers

Kilkenny – Lauren Ronan (2-5); Rachel Dowling (0-5, 0-3 frees); Julie Lennon, Rose Kelly (1-1 each); Caoimhe Keher Murtagh (0-2); Katie Brennan (0-1).

Dublin – Aoibheann Stokes (1-2, 0-1 free); Kerri Austin (1-1, 0-1 free); Eimear Kehoe (0-2); Aoife Kenny, Nicole Cotter (0-1 each).

Kilkenny – Ali Kennedy; Cliodhna Murphy, Angela Carroll, Sofia Kerr; Tara McGrath, Laura Phelan (Vice Captain), Anna Doheny; Ava Brett, Caoimhe Keher-Murtagh; Lauren Ronan, Julie Lennon, Louise Hickey, Rose Kelly, Rachel Dowling, Muireann Gannon.

Subs: Ciara Dunne for Muireann Gannon (inj), Katie Brennan for Louise Hickey, Jess Cuddy for Sofia Kerr, Orlaith Kirwan for Rose Kelly, Emily Smith for Julie Lennon, Lucy Walsh for Anna Doheny, Leah Cooney for Lauren Ronan.

Dublin – Catriona Feeney, Milly Hughes, Caoimhe Tierney, Aoife Byrne, Nicole Cotter, Sarah Power, Nina Brennan, Caoimhe French, Aoife Kenny, Kerri Austin, Zara Thorne, Anna Thornton, Helen Reynolds, Aoibheann Stokes, Amy Carey.

Subs: Eimear Kehoe for Helen Reynolds, Anna Simpson for Amy Carey, Saoirse Behan for Kerri Austin, Rebecca Horan for Zara Thorne.