Camogie: Kildare come up short against strong Carlow side

Very National Camogie League Division 3 semi

Carlow 2-12

Kildare 0-4

Carlow recorded a comfortable win over Kildare in the semi-final of the Very Camogie Division 3A in Abbottstown on Saturday, a game that threw-in at 12 noon.

Carlow were a solid Division 2 outfit but were without a number of their regular players last year and slipped to relegation but with many of those now returned , they look capable of playing at that level again and Joe Quaid’s side found them too hot to handle.

Carlow scored the first four points before Kildare’s first of the game through Roisin Forde in the sixth minute. Emma Cody added another to Carlow’s tally but two well taken frees from Ella Copeland brought Kildare to within touching distance by the midway point of the half.

However, that was to prove to be as good as it got for Kildare and Carlow scored the last four points of the half to lead by 0-9 to 0-3 at the break.

Kildare did have a sighting of goal during that time and had Caoilfhionn Hallissey’s 25th minute shot found the net it could have been a different game but it was always a tough ask from a tight angle and Catherine Kavanagh saved well.
There was no score in the opening 12 minutes of the second half and Kildare applied plenty of pressure during that time but

Carlow have plenty of experience in their backline and were able to weather that storm.
Once a long range effort from Carlow wing back Breege Nolan crept through to the Kildare net in the 46th minute, the tie was as good as done.

Kildare only scored one point in the second half but it came from a really clever piece of play and with a bit of luck could have ended with a goal. Forde took a free from outside the 45 but as Carlow waited for a shot, she picked out a lovely pass inside to Sinead O’Brien who then hit a tremendous shot that just clipped the crossbar on the way over.
Hover, there was to be no way back for Kildare and a second Carlow goal from Emma Cody in the 57th minute made sure of the win.

CARLOW: Catherine Kavanagh; Katie Garry Murphy, Michelle Nolan, Gillian Doyle, Anna Breen, Kate Nolan, Breege Nolan 1-0; Caoimhe Coady 0-1, Tara Wilson; Rebecca Kelly 0-2, Eimear Byrne, Eleanor Treacy 0-3 (2’45s, 1f), Ali Ruschitzko 0-1, Ciara Quirke 0-2, Emma Cody 1-3. Subs: Eibhe Lawler for Byrne, 39; Rhiannon Kenny for Quirke, 45; Emma Lillis for Ruschitzko, 55; Anna Murphy for Cody, 58; Aoife Carroll for Wilson, 58; Tegan Wall for Doyle, 59.

KILDARE: Eimear Stirling; Sadhbh Horgan, Maria Doyle, Niamh Krahn, Shauna Mulligan, Leah Sutton, Ella Copeland 0-2fs; Roisin Forde 0-1, Hannah Davis; Niamh Hegarty, Sinead O’Brien 0-1, Orla Carragher, Caoilfhionn Hallissey, Aoife McDermott, Niamh Jenkins. Subs: Sorcha Dolan for Carragher, 39; Martha Gilligan for Horgan, 54; Michelle Brogan for Jenkins, 54; Molly Berns for McDermott, 54; Shauna Dunne for Copeland, 60.

REFEREE: Ciaran Groome.