Kilkenny turn on the style in under-16 camogie win over Tipp

Kilkenny and Tipperary went into this contest unbeaten so far this year in the All-Ireland series and the game lived up to the high expectations placed on it.

The opening five minutes was a physical battle with both teams trying to take control of the game.

Meabh Kenny opened the scoring when a long ball from Ruby Norris reached Kate Dalton, who hand passed it to Kenny and finished it accurately.

Tipperary then won a free on their half forward line; Lily Ivors took the free which was blocked on the Kilkenny goal line, rebounded to Melanie Flannery (Tipperary) and she finished her shot to the back of the net.

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Tipperary were now in the ascendancy and a minute later, they had their second goal from Saili O’ Connor, who was playing at half forward.

However, Kilkenny’s response was immediate. In the 15th minute, the hardworking Ruby Norris took a perfect ball from Noa Bambrick to slot it over the bar for Kilkenny’s second point. Norris added Kilkenny’s third point three minutes later.

In the 21st minute, Noa Bambrick stood over a free on the halfway line. She cleverly tapped the ball to the alert Rebecca Smith, who handpassed it back to Bambrick to drill over the bar. Ivors (T) and Bambrick (K) then traded frees, Ivors following up with another well-taken free.

Ruby Norris finished the scoring for the first half with an excellent point, after Noa Bambrick caught a Tipperary puckout and picked out Norris who was running through.

Rachael Duff, who was now playing at half-forward, scored her first point after one minute of play in the second half.

Immediately after this Rachel Murphy, playing impressively at centre back, sent a long ball to Ruby Norris who found Kate Dalton in space.

Dalton took possession of the ball on the 21, carried it forward and struck it to the top corner of the net. Rachael Duff followed the goal up with her second point and Ruby Norris added another point to her tally.

Tipperary made a substitution, bringing on LucyAnne Cleary for Lucy Lee in the forwards, before wing forward Saili O’Connor opened Tipperary’s second half scoring with a well taken point. Kilkenny’s Noa Bambrick responded with a point from a free and Racheal Duff followed this up with a well taken individual point from a tight angle.

Tipperary’s Lily Ivors was very accurate on the frees and slotted another one over the bar for the visitors, in the 43rd minute.

But the next 15 minutes were dominated by the Kilkenny girls.

Dearbhla Ryan, at corner forward was beating her marker and delivering great ball into her teammates and Ruby Norris was at the end of one of these balls to add another point for Kilkenny.

In the other corner, Kate Dalton worked hard to win a high ball, passed it to Noa Bambrick who effortlessly put it over the bar.

The very accurate Noa Bambrick finished off Kilkenny’s scoring with a well taken free from the 65 metre line and sent it over the bar.

Tipperary were not finished and did add a point from Melanie Flannery and a free from Lily Ivors but it wasn’t enough to change the final outcome.

Kilkenny - Heidi Culleton, Sinead Cash, Robyn Corcoran, Holly Drennan, Amy Walsh, Rachel
Murphy, Isabel Carroll, Elizabeth Sida, Rebecca Smith, Meabh Kenny (0-1), Noa Bambrick (0-5, 0-3frees), Ruby Norris (0-6), Kate Dalton (1-0), Rachael Duff (0-3), Dearbhla Ryan (0-1).

Subs: Rachel Tennyson, Alice Maher, Sarah Buggy, Ruby Mullins, Leyla Ahern, Roisin Gibbons, Sophie McCabe, Megan Harding, Katie Mulcahy, Katie Harnett, Ciara Joyce, Saidhbh Farrell.

Tipperary - Sinead Delaney, Kate Duffy, Katelyn Creedon, Tara Maher, Meabh Lonergan, Caoimhe Kennedy, Taylor Corbett, Rona O’Connor, Aoife O’Donnell, Melanie Flannery (1-1), Molly Jones, Saili O’Connor (1-1), Lily Ivors (0-4 frees), Olivia Looby, Maria Groome.

Subs: Elin Brennan, Ashling Cully, Evie Ahern, Grainne Troy, Lorna Ryan, Lucy Lee, LucyAnne Cleary, Mae Kennedy, Nicola Tarrant, Sadhbh Murray.