How Kilkenny overpowered Kildare to progress in camogie championship

Kildare went down to a heavy defeat at the hands of Kilkenny in the opening round of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie Championship at UPMC Nowlan Park on Saturday afternoon.

Joe Quaid's Kildare team went into the game on the back of a Leinster final loss to Meath and despite a decent start, they were very much second best against a Kilkenny side that were beaten in last year's All-Ireland final and look to be in decent shape again this term.

Ciara O'Keeffe's second half goal helped Kilkenny ease clear on the score board and with Emma Manogue, Therese Donnelly and Shauna Treacy also scoring heavily, the hosts were always in control.

Kildare kept fighting throughout but they largely relied on the scoretaking of Emer Reilly from frees.
Kildare will now switch their focus to a home game against Derry next weekend as they hope to get their championship campaign back on track.

Kildare started the better and they opened up an early two point lead through efforts from Emer Reilly and Leah Sutton.
Kilkenny responded with a pair of points from play by team captain Shauna Treacy to level up matters before further scores from Therese Donnelly and Emma Manogue gave the Cats a 0-4 to 0-2 lead.

Manogue then followed up with her first point from play before Aisling Curtis knocked over a brace of efforts to give the home side a four point advantage.

Kildare stayed in touch with points from Leah Sutton, Emer Reilly and Sophie Browne but Kilkenny found an extra gear before the interval with Manogue and O'Keeffe both extending their tallies as John Scott's team led 0-9 to 0-6.

Points from Manogue, Laura Hegarty and Therese Donnelly soon eased Kilkenny clear on the scoreboard as Kildare struggled to stay in touch.

Points from Reilly and dual star Rosin Forde kept Kildare ticking over but once Ciara O'Keeffe netted the game's only goal in the 47th minute, the round 1 clash was all but over as a contest.

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Kilkenny led 1-15 to 0-9 at that stage while their opponents only added on two more points in the final quarter.
The Cats added to their tally with Donnelly, Manogue, Treacy and sub Aine Phelan all scoring in a five points without reply spell that increased the advantage to 14 points.

Roisin Forde and Emer Reilly replied with consolation efforts for the Lilywhites but with Aine Phelan taking control of the frees after Emma Manogue was substituted, Kilkenny cruised to victory on a 1-22 to 0-11 scoreline.
Much to work on for Kildare in the next four games as they look to get back to winning ways and put themselves in a position to qualify for the knockout stages of the championship in the next few weeks.

Scorers

Kilkenny, Emma Manogue (0-7, 0-2f, 0-2 45's), Ciara O'Keeffe (1-2), Therese Donnelly (0-4), Shauna Treacy (0-3), Aine Phelan (0-3, 0-1f, 0-1 45), Aisling Curtis (0-2), Laura Hegarty (0-1).

Kildare, Emer Reilly (0-6, 0-3f), Leah Sutton, Roisin Forde (0-2 each), Sophie Browne (0-1).

Teams

KILKENNY: Sinead Farrell; Jane Cass, Roisin Phelan, Aidenn O'Connor; Sinead O'Keeffe, Ciara Murphy, Niamh Leahy; Aisling Curtis, Aoife Cantwell; Shauna Treacy, Hannah Scott, Laura Hegarty, Therese Donnelly, Ciara O'Keeffe, Emma Manogue. Subs: Tara Ronan for Hegarty (51 minutes), Aine Phelan for Scott (51 minutes); Rachel Brennan for Leahy (57 minutes), Danielle Quigley for Donnelly (57 minutes).

KILDARE: Eimear Stirling; Grainne Noone, Maria Doyle, Kelly Perkins; Shauna Mulligan, Emma Barry, Nicole Malcolmson; Roisin Forde, Emma Kielty; Aoife Stynes, Ciara Egan, Emer Reilly; Deirbhile Byrne, Leah Sutton, Niamh Hegarty. Subs used- Sophie Browne, Chanice Corcoran.

REFEREE: Fintan McNamara (Clare)