Kilkenny celebrate Leinster Final Under-16 glory against Dublin

SETU Carlow was the venue for a double header of under-16 Leinster final matches and despite the awful conditions of strong wind and rain, the playing surface was in excellent condition.

The opening minute of play was intense with both sides trying to assert dominance but it was Kilkenny’s Rachael
Duff who made the first break for the Dublin goal. On approaching the goal, Duff handed a perfect ball to Noa Bambrick who carefully placed it over the bar for Kilkenny’s opening point.

In the 6th minute, Rachael Duff made another run at the Dublin goal and put the ball over the bar for Kilkenny’s second point.

It took nearly ten minutes for another score to come as both teams worked hard in the terrible conditions to win possession and find scores.

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But it was Ruby Norris, at wing forward, who stepped up to score Kilkenny’s third point.

Kilkenny had now taken control of the game and from the resulting puckout, Kate Dalton gathered the ball, passed it to the speedy Rachael Duff who launched the ball to the back of the net.

During the next spell, Kilkenny’s Noa Bambrick showed wonderful composure in extreme wind conditions, to put three frees over the bar to add to Kilkenny’s tally.

Half-time score: Kilkenny: 1-6 Dublin 0-0.

The weather conditions continued to deteriorate in the second half but this did not hamper both team’s desire to win this Leinster title.

In the 32nd minute, Ruby Norris won possession of the ball and good inter-play between Norris and Dearbhla Ryan saw Ryan open her account for the night with a well taken point.

Moments later, Dublin made their first substitution with Alannah Evoy coming on for Amy Manicle, at corner forward.

Dublin began to show more drive in the opening quarter of the second half and were attacking the Kilkenny backs with determination.

They won two frees on the Kilkenny half forward line, which Sarah Blessington put over the bar.

The next 15 minutes saw a fierce battle between both teams with Kilkenny’s Ciara Joyce and Sinead Cash keeping great composure and clearing excellent balls and Dublin’s Katie Quigley and Erin Peppard defending well.

In the final five minutes of the game, Dublin’s Sarah Blessington was fighting hard for a score and took an accurate shot at the Kilkenny goal but Heidi Culleton pulled off a wonderful save to keep her goal safe.

Moments later, Kilkenny’s Noa Bambrick, stepped up to take a free on the 45 yard line which was deflected by a Dublin player and went to the back of the net.

Dublin did earn a consolation goal in the 63 rd minute, which Sarah Blessington took from a free but it wasn’t enough to change the end result.

Kilkenny were U16 A Leinster Champions with a player of the match performance from Noa Bambrick on the frees at centre forward.

Kilkenny can now look forward to an All-Ireland Semi Final against Cork next Sunday.

Teams and scorers

Kilkenny - Heidi Culleton, Sinead Cash, Robyn Corcoran, Ciara Joyce (Captain), Saidhbh Farrell, Rachel Murphy, Isabel Carroll, Amy Walsh, Rebecca Smith, Rachael Duff (1-1), Noa Bambrick (1-4, 0-3f), Ruby Norris (0-1), Kate Dalton, Sophie McCabe, Dearbhla Ryan (0-1).

Subs: Rachel Tennyson, Alice Maher, Holly Drennan, Katie Mulcahy, Meabh Kenny, Leyla Ahern, Megan Harding, Elizabeth Sida, Roisin Gibbons, Ruby Mullins, Katie Harnett, Sarah Buggy.

Dublin - Mary Nearney, Grace Wilson, Chloe Madden, Laoise O’Sullivan, Faye Frain, Katie Quigley, Erin Peppard, Sinead Gleeson, Maria Burke, Sarah Blessington (1-2), Sofia Dowdall, Cara Phillips, Alanna O’Brien, Caoimhe O’Dwyer, Amy Manicle.

Subs: Muirinn O’Hara, Jodi Benwell, Alannah Evoy, Charlotte Waldron, Lucy Mahon, Ella Fitzgerald, Meabh Maloney, Isabel Noonan.