Glen Dimplex All Ireland Senior Camogie Championship
Antrim 1-9 Kilkenny 1-15
ANTRIM got their first real test of playing a top three team in the Glen Complex senior championship in Dunloy on Saturday and they came out of the game feeling that they could maybe have pushed Kilkenny that little bit closer.
However the 2020 All-Ireland champions showed their experience in continuing to pull away after corner forward Mary O’Connell picked up a red card in the 40th minute for a tackle on Antrim goalie Catriona Graham.
It was a tough, hard fought game and the challenge from O’Connell didn’t look out of place. In fact play continued until an umpire drew referee Barry Nea’s attention to the incident. At 1-10 to 1-6 the Saffrons had a chance.
But after eight more minutes of play, Katie Power floated over her second point, and despite a free from Róisín McCormick in reply, Kilkenny hit three further points and had sealed the result by the 55th minute.
Antrim were under the cosh for the first quarter. They conceded a point through a free from Denise Gaule within a minute and then Miriam Walsh barged her way in from the right corner for a fourth minute goal. It was looking ominous for the home side.
Points from Róisín McCormick and Caitrin Dobbin came before six minutes were up, but Kilkenny continued to make the running and three points in a row, two for Aoife Prendergast and a super score from Julieanne Malone opened the gap to 1-6 to 0-2 in the 15th minute.
Antrim were playing Amy Boyle as a sweeper in front of the full-back line and McCormick and Dobbin as the only players inside their opponents’ 45 metre line. In the second quarter space seemed to open up for the front pair, despite the presence of a third defender, and they made it count.
McCormick and Katie Power swopped points before a pass over the top from Lucia McNaughton put Dobbin in the clear and she pulled clear of the chasing defenders before firing to the net.
That goal came in the 21st minute and she and McCormick added points over the next four minutes to close the gap to two points. That was how it remained until the break, 1-7 to 1-5.
For the second half Kilkenny were a lot more compact at the back and, despite a quite brilliant Dobbin point from out on the side-line, they pushed on to lead by four points with the half-forward line in particular really impressive.
The home side didn’t really take advantage of the extra player with a number of passes out of defence and from midfield going astray while forwards in possession simply couldn’t create openings for shots.
This game was a real test for the Saffrons and they came through it with great credit, although it will undoubtedly form part of the learning curve they must ascend before they can really challenge at the top.
Amy Boyle was superb in defence while the half-backs kept Kilkenny’s forwards under a lot of pressure. The pace of McCormick, Dobbin and Caoimhe Wright created some openings, but the experienced Kilkenny defenders were able to close the space after the break and that allowed Denise Gaule, Julieanne Malone and full-forward Miriam Walsh to keep pressure on on the home defence.
Antrim now have Galway coming to Dunloy on June 25th while Kilkenny, assured now of a spot in the knock-out series, have a home tie against Offaly.
Antrim: C Graham, C Drain, N Donnelly, M Lynn, C Patterson, C Conlon, K Laverty, L McNaughton capt, N O’Neill, S McKillop, M Laverty, A Boyle, C Wright 0-1, R McCormack 0-5 (4 frees), C Dobbin 1-2.
Subs: Á Magill 0-1 for C Wright (46), NA Donnelly for N Donnelly (58), C Laverty for S McKillop (58).
Kilkenny: A Norris, M Teehan, G Walsh, T Fitzgerald, A Prendergast 0-2, Claire Phelan, S Fitzgerald, L Murphy 0-1, N Deely, M Walsh 1-2, J Malone 0-3, D Gaule 0-5 (frees), M O’Connell, K Nolan, K Power 0-2.
Subs: M Bambrick for T Fitzgerlad (HT), S Crowley for A Prendergast (46), L Fennelly for K Nolan (54)
Referee: Barry Nea (Westmeath)
