Kerry have their first win of the TG4 Ladies Munster Senior Football Championship.
The Kingdom were victorious away to Tipperary, at Clonmel Sports Field, by 1-6 to 0-7.
Kerry had led at half time by 1-4 to 0-1.
By Michael Heverin
Champions Kerry kept their hopes alive of retaining their provincial title with a narrow two points win over Tipperary in the TG4 Munster SFC Round 2 clash at Clonmel Sportsfield.
Kerry needed the win following their first round defeat to Waterford but were more relieved than jubilant after surviving a spirited Tipperary revival in the second half when the home side outscored the visitors by 0-6 to 0-2.
A dominant first half display laid the foundation for the Kingdom victory, after which they led by 1-4 to 0-1. Team captain Siofra O’Shea opened their account from a free in the second minute after they had dominated possession from the throw-in.
Emma Morrissey set up Sarah English for a Tipperary equaliser four minutes later but that was Tipp’s only score of the half as Kerry went on to dominate play, with Emma Costello dominant at centre-half back, Anna Galvin and Mary O’Connell on top at midfield, and O’Shea, Niamh Carmody, Jadyn Lucey and Caoimhe Evans causing huge problems for the home defence.
Points from Lucey, another O’Shea free and Mary O’Connell pushed Kerry into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead before Lucey struck for the game’s decisive score four minutes from the break, winning possession and then making room to shoot low to the net past Lauren Fitzpatrick.
Tipperary had struggled for scores in the first half but they were a rejuvenated side in the second, with Morrissey, Lauren Cunningham, Sarah English, Heather Spillane and the Martin sisters, Nora and Niamh, leading the charge.
Three points on the bounce in the third quarter had the home support in fine voice. Morrissey from a free for a technical breach started the run, with the outstanding Cunningham adding the second, and a huge point from Kirsty Crotty Ryan bringing it back to a one score game, 1-4 to 0-4, by the 47th minute.
Kerry had to wait eighteen minutes for their first score of the half, with a point from O’Shea helping to stem the Tipperary onslaught. But Tipperary, finally reproducing the form that saw them shock Cork in the first round a week earlier, hit back with another two points from Nora Martin and Emma Morrissey to bring it back to 1-5 to 0-6 with five minutes to go.
As the game entered added on time, Kerry extended the lead with an Aisling O’Connell point, just their second of the half, and even though Tipp responded with a Niamh Martin point after strong pressure, time ran out for the home side.
Scorers – Kerry: J Lucey 1-1, S O’Shea 0-3 (0-2 f), M O’Connell, A O’Connell 0-1 each.
Tipperary: E Morrissey 0-2 (0-1 f), Nora Martin, Niamh Martin, S English, L Cunningham, K Crotty Ryan 0-1 each.
KERRY: C Butler; R Rahilly, D Kearney, E Lynch, A O’Connell; E Costello, A Dillane; A Galvin, M O’Connell; N Carmody, N Ní Chonchúir, C Evans; R Dwyer, S O’Shea, J Lucey. Subs: L McMahon for Dwyer (36), M E Bolger for C Butler (inj, 44), K Enright for Carmody (55), M O’Connor for Evans (60).
TIPPERARY: L Fitzpatrick; T Hoare, M Curley, E Cronin; K Cashman, Nora Martin, S English; L Morrissey, Niamh Martin; C English, L Cunningham, H Spillane; K Crotty Ryan, A Carey, E Morrissey. Subs: A McGuigan for Crotty Ryan (51), A Ryan for Cashman (55).
Referee: Justin Murphy (Cork)
Kerry captain Siofra O’Shea
Kingdom manager Mark Bourke
Waterford 3-18 Cork 3-7
By Ger McCarthy
Waterford powered past Cork in the TG4 Munster senior football championship at Páirc Ui Rinn on Sunday afternoon.
Tomás Mac an tSaoir’s side were full value for their win thanks to Kellyann Hogan, Katie Murray and Clare Walsh’s scoring prowess and a superb team display.
Avoid defeat against Tipperary next weekend and the Déise will qualify for a second consecutive Munster SFC final.
As for Cork, the Division 1 National League champions lost for the second time in a row and require a huge upturn in form ahead of facing Kerry in Killarney.
A game blighted by heavy showers saw Waterford break the deadlock via an early Hogan effort that was palmed over the crossbar by Cork goalkeeper Caoimhe Richmond.
The home team responded quickly as Máire O’Callaghan burst through to find the net and a Katie Quirke free, brought forward 50 metres, made it 1-1 to 0-1.
That was Waterford’s cue to up the tempo however, as a Walsh goal and two points apiece from Hogan and Áine O’Neill pushed Waterford 1-5 to 1-1 clear after 10 minutes.
Áine Terry O’Sullivan and Quirke efforts reduced the deficit prior to a Hogan point restoring her team’s three-point advantage. Quirke setup Leah Hallihan for Cork’s second goal but, once again, their opponents mounted a swift response.
Ruby Browne and Eve Power white flags made it 1-8 to 2-3 in the visitors’ favour before another turnover resulted in Murray firing into Cork’s goal.
Murray added a point to make it 2-9 to 2-3 at the break.
It was 2-12 to 2-5 when Cork captain Emma Cleary arrowed a marvellous shot into the top corner after 37 minutes.
Hogan steadied Waterford nerves with two converted frees before thundering a magnificent shot into the roof of the net.
A flurry of scores preceded Emma Murray and Hogan (free) completing the rout.
Cork’s Emma Hurley kicked the game’s final score but Waterford ran out deserving 3-18 to 3-7 winners and took a giant step towards reaching this year’s TG4 Munster SFC final.
Scorers: Waterford: K Hogan 1-8 (4f), K Murray 1-2, C Walsh 1-1, Á O’Neill 0-2, R Browne, E Power, B McMaugh, L McGregor, E Murray 0-1 each.
Cork: K Quirke 0-3 (2f), M O’Callaghan, L Hallihan, E Cleary 1-0 each, S McGoldrick 0-2, Á T O’Sullivan, E Hurley 0-1 each.
WATERFORD: K Gardner; C Murray, L Mulcahy, R Browne; M Daly, R Casey, K McGrath; E Murray (c), E Power; Á O’Neill, K Hogan, K Murray; B McMaugh, C Walsh, L McGregor. Subs: C Fennell for M Daly (ht), L Cusack for R Browne (57), L Ní Harta for E Power (57), A McGrath for K Murray (58), O Kennedy for L Mulcahy (59).
CORK: C Richmond; S Callanan, D Kiniry, S Kelly; A Corcoran, M Duggan, R Corkery; S McGoldrick, A O’Mahony; R Leahy, M O’Callaghan, E Cleary (c); L Hallihan, K Quirke, Á T O’Sullivan. Subs: K Redmond for A O’Mahony (47), R O’Regan for R Leahy (47), A Ring for M O’Callaghan (47), E Hurley for Á T O’Sullivan (54), K O’Driscoll for S McGoldrick (57).
Referee: Seamus Mulvihill (Kerry).
Dublin 2-14
Kildare 1-11
By Daire Walsh
Carla Rowe and Michelle Davoren struck second half goals at Parnell Park on Sunday as holders Dublin kick-started their quest for a 13th successive TG4 Leinster senior football championship title with a six-point triumph over Kildare.
Playing for the first time since the end of their Lidl National Football League Division 1 campaign, Dublin edged in front with just 10 seconds on the clock as Kate Donaghy released Niamh Hetherton for a point at the end of a fine run.
Kildare, for their part, were aiming to build on last weekend’s opening round success over Meath in Summerhill and were quickly back on level terms when Aoife Rattigan curled superbly between the posts in the third minute.
Hetherton and full-forward Laura Grendon subsequently added to Dublin’s tally, but Alannah Prizeman and midfielder Gillian Wheeler were both on hand to cancel out these efforts. A two-point salvo from the impressive Grendon offered Dublin some breathing space as the half progressed, only for the Wheeler sisters – Gillian and Ciara – to cancel out their lead once again at the opposite end.
Yet Hetherton was maintaining her top form for the hosts and a further brace of points by the Clontarf ace guided Dublin towards a 0-7 to 0-5 interval cushion.
Although Rattigan brought the Kildare deficit back down to the bare minimum on the resumption, consecutive points from half-time substitute Caoimhe O’Connor and Donaghy were supplemented by Rowe finishing to the net on 34 minutes after Dublin pounced on a short kick-out.
This provided Dublin with a strong platform to push on for victory and even though Rattigan swapped points with the outstanding Grendon, a routine Rowe free left the home team seven to the good (1-11 to 0-7) inside the final-quarter.
Kildare suffered an additional blow when Aoife Murnane was yellow carded not long after her introduction as a substitute, but the Lilies initially coped admirably with 14 players as the reliable Rattigan converted a brace of frees.
A Davoren goal on the stroke of 60 minutes ensured Dublin had sealed a win that puts them on the brink of another provincial final appearance ahead of their meeting with Meath next weekend, but Kildare did end the action on a high when the returning Murnane fired home a three-pointer of her own deep into stoppage-time.
Scorers – Dublin: C Rowe 1-3 (0-1f), N Hetherton, L Grendon 0-4 each, M Davoren 1-0, O Nolan, K Donaghy, C O’Connor 0-1 each.
Kildare: A Rattigan 0-6 (3f), A Murnane 1-0, G Wheeler, A Prizeman 0-2 each, C Wheeler 0-1.
DUBLIN: A Shiels; N Crowley, L Caffrey, H Leahy; S McIntyre, R Hartnett, H McGinnis; N Hetherton, O Nolan; A Timothy, C Rowe, K Donaghy; M Davoren, L Grendon, J Egan. Subs: C O’Connor for Egan (h-t), L Magee for Donaghy (34), E Kearney for Grendon (57), A Curran for Timothy (61), C Coffey for Hetherton (62).
KILDARE: R Fennin; A Mernagh, E Wheeler, L Shaw; H McLoughlin, R Sargent, L Lenehan; A Irhue, G Wheeler; L Curran, C Wheeler, M Aspell; A Rattigan, M Doyle, A Prizeman. Subs: M Doherty for Irhue (40), A Cahill for Shaw, J Harney for C Wheeler (both 43), A Murnane for Doyle (47), A Mahon for Aspell (57).
Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow).
