LGFA National league Division 4
Kilenny 1-3 Antrim 7-17
Antrim got their National League campaign of to a blistering start when they travelled to Kilkenny on Sunday and over ran the ‘Cats’ in a one sided contest which will have gave the new management team of Mickey Devlin and Chris Scullion great satisfaction.
Lara Dahunsi got the Saffrons of to a great start with the game’s opening point after 30 seconds and the St. Paul’s girl added a second with three minutes on the clock.
Antrim continued to take the game to Kilkenny with the opening goal arriving after five minutes from the boot of Anna Mulholland and the impressive Dahunsi followed with a second to move the visitors 8 clear by the 9th minute.
Kilkenny had been under constant pressure from the throw in but Louisa Gilmore game them a glimmer of hope when she breeched the Antrim defence for a goal in the 10th minute but those hopes were quickly extinguished.
Lara Dahunsi, Nicole Jones and Maria O’Neill replied with three unanswered points before O’Neill struck with Antrim’s third goal at the end of the opening quarter and even at this stage it looked a long way back for the home side.
Lara Dahunsi continued to impress as she added two more points and goals from Aoife Turley and Nicole Jones put this one to bed by half time. Antrim finished as they had started with Maria O’ Neill, Lara Dahunsi and Aoife Kelly adding points to leave it 6-10 to 1-0 at the break.
The Saffron continued to dominate during the second half and Maria O’Neill hit two early points before bringing the Saffron goal tally to seven by the 12th minute after Louisa Gilmore had kicked two quick points for Kilkenny.
The girls in Green would add only one further point and while the Antrim goal scoring dried up at this stage they continued to kick some excellent points as they moved out of sight of their hosts.
Aldergrove’s Nicole Jones led the way as she notched up a further 0-5 and substitute Aine Lynch got her name on the scorecard to wrap up a thoroughly satisfactory win for the new look Saffrons which will have delighted the new management team.
Antrim are on the road again next Sunday when they travel to Sligo where they are likely to face a much stiffer test but will travel with confidence and a win there would set them up for a tilt at the league title.
Kilkenny: Katie Fitzpatrick, 2 Riona Crawley, 3 Ailbhe Galwey, 4Kerie Hennesy, 5 Rebecca Roche, 6 Sarah Smith, 7 Sarah Dunne, 8 Amy King, 9 Ruby Roche, 10 Louisa Gilmore, 11 Ellen Lawlor, 12 Jennifer O’Keeffe, 13 Kate Purcell, 14 Laura McDowell, 15 Aoibhe Ryan
Antrim: 1 Aine Devlin, 2Caoimhe Finucane, 3 MNiamh Blaney, 4 Niamh McIntosh, 5 Sarah O’Neill, 6 Ciara Brown, 7 Orla Ni Corra, 8 Aoife Turley, 9 Ana Mulholland, 10 Aoife Kelly, 11 Lara Dahunsi, 12 Maria O’Neill, 13 Bronagh Devlin, 14 Nicole Jones, 15 Luisne Adams. 17 Aine Lynch
TO VIEW ELAINE KELLY’S PICS FROM THE GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW