Late comeback falls short for Tipp minor camogie team against Kilkenny in championship opener

Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor A Championship - Round 1

Tipperary 2-7

Kilkenny 1-11

A second Tipperary goal 26 minutes into the second half by joint captain Kate Ferncombe gave Tipperary a four-point lead and the signs were looking good for an opening win in the Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor A championship. 

However Kilkenny finished the strongest of the two sides with 1-2 without reply to claim victory in Thomastown GAA on Sunday. 

Tipperary, despite playing against the wind, started well and had the opening score of the game with a pointed free from Moneygall’s Caithlin Treacy. 

Kilkenny responded with a point from Rachel Dowling who had a good opening half finishing with three points. 

Tipperary raced into a four-point lead in the space of two minutes when Thurles Sarsfields Lucy Purcell bagged 1-1 on the bounce. 

Her goal was a good finish after a long delivery into the square by Kate Ralph. Tipperary backs were working well with Niamh Franks and Shauna Heffernan in particular winning key possession and clearing their lines well. 

Kilkenny moved full forward Rachel Dowling out the field and she started to cause damage scoring her second point from play. While frees from Julie Lennon meant they only trailed by one at the break Tipperary 1-3, Kilkenny 0-5. 

Within a minute of the restart the sides were level thanks to a Rachel Dowling free. Both sides traded points from frees and played in a keenly contested game to leave the visitors in front at the 55th minute mark 1-7 to  Kilkenny’s 0-9. Tipperary’s four points came from Caithlin Treacy (3 frees and 1 from play) with three of them in a row from the 44th to the 48th minute in a good spell for John Ryan’s team. 

A minute later Tipperary were four points clear when Kate Ferncombe goaled. Kilkenny being Kilkenny never dropped the heads though and the excellent Dowling immediately narrowed the gap with a free. 

Kilkenny had all the play now and a goal a minute into injury time from substitute Laura Doherty levelled proceedings before Ava Brett popped up with the winner on the 33rd minute to the disappointment of Tipperary. 

There are six teams in total in this year’s All-Ireland Minor A championship with every team playing each other and the top four teams progressing to semi-finals. 

In other results at the weekend Cork had a big win over Dublin 3-21 to 8 points while Galway beat Waterford 3-10 to 2-6. Next up for Tipperary is a trip to Dublin this Sunday at 2pm to take on the home side. 

Tipperary: Kacey Meehan; Aoife Bourke, Alison Fitzgerald, Paula Quirke; Shauna Heffernan, Sarah Corcoran, Niamh Franks; Kate Ferncombe (1-0), Kate Ralph; Danielle Ryan (0-1), Celine Guinan, Danielle Ryan; Anna Murphy, Caithlin Treacy (0-4, 0-3f), Lucy Purcell (1-2).

Subs: Aine Finn for Anna Murphy (40); Ali O’Kelly for Caithlin Treacy (55).

Kilkenny: Ali Kennedy; Cliodhna Murphy, Angela Carroll, Sofia Kerr; Tara McGrath, Laura Phelan, Anna Doheny; Ava Brett, Caoimhe Keher Murtagh; Lauren Ronan, Julie Lennon (0-1), Orlaith Kirwan; Rose Kelly (0-1), Rachel Dowling (0-8, 0-3 frees, 0-2 45m), Katie Brennan.

Subs: Laura Doherty (1-0); Louise Hickey (0-1).