Galway minor camogie team can’t cope with lively Cats in All-Ireland final
THE Galway minor camogie team suffered a heavy defeat to Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final at Nowlan Park on Sunday. Fintan McNamara’s charges were outclassed by the home side, who secured their second consecutive minor A title, writes Eanna O'Reilly.
Although the Galway players displayed plenty of endeavour throughout, they lacked the overall quality of the Cats, who ran out 14-point winners.
Galway were dealt a major blow before the game, when defender Sinéad Feeney was ruled out after sustaining a hand injury during the week. The Athenry player was one of their key performers and her loss was heavily felt in a backline which struggled to contain Kilkenny’s forward unit.
The Tribeswomen survived some early pressure before opening when Mary Brigid Cosgrove pointed a ’45. The Cats equalised in the ninth minute with a free from Ona Kennedy. Galway went back in front when Lauren Morgan drew a foul, which Cosgrove converted.
Lively Kilkenny corner forward Emily Phelan demonstrated impressive pace to tally two points in the space of a minute. Galway were back on level terms shortly after when Cosgrove nailed her second ’45.
Two minutes later, a free from Aoife Scarry broke into the path of Emma Barrett. The Pearses forward made a superb 25 yard run through the Kilkenny defence before finishing expertly past Ella Walton for a terrific individual goal.
Kilkenny struck back immediately, however, with a goal of their own. Wing forward Holly Ryan sped down the left wing, before breaking inside and shooting past Leah Horan from 15 yards.
The sides were level at 1-3 apiece. However, the home side completely took over for the remainder of the half, outscoring Galway by 1-6 to 0-0. Eleanor Doheny edged Kilkenny in front with a point, before corner forward Amy O’Shea broke into the Galway square and was brought down for a penalty.
Kennedy fired the penalty low to the bottom corner past Horan, to make it 2-4 to 1-3. The Cats followed up this goal with five consecutive points. Phelan (two), Ryan, Kennedy (free) and Aoife O’Grady all took scores from a variety of angles, as Kilkenny’s quality was on full display.
Galway were struggling throughout the field and particularly in defence where their backs were under constant pressure. The half time whistle offered some respite, but the home side were in no mood to slow down when the play resumed.
Kilkenny struck for 1-3 early in the second half, with their third goal of the game coming from Amy O’Shea. Kennedy (free), Ryan, and Phelan added scores to give the Cats a 15-point lead.
Galway had a mountain to climb, but battled on gamely. Cosgrove (free), Leah Forde, and Katelyn Walsh pointed during a good spell. Kilkenny responded with three of their own, through Shauna Mahony, O’Shea, and Phelan.
Cosgrove soon added her fifth placed ball for Galway, before Walsh sent over her second point, after some good work from Amy Kenny. Forde was taking the game to the Cats, and she helped engineer a score for Eve Kenny two minutes later.
Kennedy finished off the scoring for the home side with two late ‘45s, to seal a victory which was well deserved for Kilkenny. McNamara’s side were simply second best on the day.
Despite the defeat, this Galway side undoubtedly contains highly talented players who have big futures ahead of them. Éabha Burke, Aoife Scarry, Emma Barrett, Leah Forde, Mary Brigid Cosgrove, and Katelyn Walsh were Galway’s stand out performers on the day.
McNamara was disappointed with the result, but also proud of how his players acquitted themselves and the effort they put in throughout the season. He admitted that losing a player of the calibre and experience of Sinéad Feeney was a huge blow during the week.
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‘‘You have days like that in sport,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s disappointing, but I still expect big things out of these girls. We were confident coming down here, we believed in the group and in our panel. We felt that if we played, that we would be there.’’
‘‘Today it just didn’t happen for us, but look, they’re an amazing bunch. We still believed in the girls today and I have no doubt that a lot of these girls will go on and represent Galway in senior camogie.”
Galway: L. Horan; E. Burke, M. Conroy, A. King; H. Hesnan, A. Scarry, A. Healy; C. Burke, A. Hardiman; E. Kenny (0-1), A. Kenny, E. Barrett (1-0); L. Morgan, L. Forde (0-1), M.B. Cosgrove (0-5, 0-3 frees, 0-2 ‘45s). Subs: E. Rabbitte for Hardiman (HT), K. Walsh (0-2) for C. Burke (38), S. Counihan for King (39), M. Nic Con Iomaire for Healy (41), N. McKeown for Morgan (48).
Kilkenny: E. Walton; H. Tennyson, E. Morrissey, M. Duggan; C. Hickey, O. Kennedy (1-5, 1-0 pen. 0-3 frees, 0-2 ‘45s), C. Teehan; S. Doheny, E. Doheny (0-1); H. Ryan (1-2), S. Mahony (0-1), A. O’Grady (0-1); A. O’Shea (1-1), R. Crowley, E. Phelan (0-6). Subs: S. Shefflin for O’Grady (37), E. Treacy for Duggan (52), A. Greaney for Teehan (57), L. O’Donovan for Mahony (57), L. Coomey for S. Doheny (61), A. Ryan for E. Doheny (61), T. Cody for Crowley (61).
Referee: Donnacha O’Callaghan (Limerick).