Tag: Tipperary LGFA

Houlihan double gives Kerry the edge in Group 1.

TG4 ladies All-Ireland SFC Group 1

Sarah Houlihan captain v Tipp 14 July 18Sarah Houlihan action v Tipp 14 July 18

Kerry 3-13

Tipperary 2-10

By DARAGH SMALL

Sarah Houlihan scored 2-3 as Kerry bounced back from their Munster final defeat to Cork to open Group 1 of the TG4 ladies All-Ireland seniorchampionship with victory over Tipperary at MacDonagh Park in Nenagh.

In the only all-Munster tie of the round robin series Eddie Sheehy’s side held a comfortable 2-9 to 1-3 lead at half-time. Houlihan and Andrea Murphy scored the first-half goals for them.

Roisin Howard scored Tipperary’s goal in the first-half and when Aisling Moloney did likewise after half-time they only trailed by four points. But Houlihan’s second goal made the difference for Kerry.

Tipperary lost the influential Jennifer Grant before throw-in and she was replaced by Lucy Spillane, while Samantha Lambert dropped deep in defence where she was used as a sweeper.

Both defences stifled their opposing attackers in the opening quarter. Aisling McCarthy kicked Tipperary’s first point after only 45 seconds but Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh equalised in the fourth minute.

Kerry raced into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead with Eilish O’Leary, Sarah Houlihan and Ni Mhuircheartaigh on target. Aisling Moloney had moved into full-forward and she scored twice to reduce the arrears for Tipperary.

Eilish O Leary v Tipp 14 July 18Sarah Houlihan falling v Tipp 14 July 18

And their goal arrived in the 21stminute. Moloney was central again, she set up Orla O’Dwyer and her pass put Howard through for the first goal. Tipperary were 1-3 to 0-4 ahead.

Ni Mhuircheartaigh and Houlihan levelled the game again in the 24thminute. And Kerry struck for a crucial goal shortly after. Centre-forward Ni Mhuircheartaigh passed to Houlihan and she showed her speed to apply the finish.

Murphy and O’Leary added further scores and on the half hour Houlihan’s long ball wasn’t dealt with by the Tipperary defence. Ni Mhuircheartaigh gathered possession and she assisted Murphy’s goal.

Amanda Brosnan rounded off the first half scoring with a fine effort and Kerry were 2-9 to 1-3 ahead at half-time. That lead was whittled down to 2-10 to 2-6 by the 39thminute.

McCarthy (two) and Moloney both scored points and then Moloney drove through the heart of the Tipperary defence to score a brilliant goal.

Houlihan scored Kerry’s second point of the half two minutes later and it was a vital score because Tipperary hit three in a row after that again. Gillian O’Brien scored twice off the bench but Kerry held on with Houlihan and Ni Mhuircheartaigh scoring again late on.

Scorers – Kerry: S Houlihan 2-3 (2f), L Ni Mhuircheartaigh 0-6 (3f), A Murphy 1-1, E O’Leary 0-2, A Brosnan 0-1

Tipperary: A Moloney 1-4, R Howard 1-1, A McCarthy 0-3 (1f), G O’Brien 0-2.

Kerry – L Fitzgerald; L Coughlan, S Murphy, E Lynch; D Kearney, A Desmond, A O’Connell; L Scanlon, A Brosnan; S Lynch, L Ni Mhuircheartaigh, A Foley; A Murphy, S Houlihan, E O’Leary.

Subs: K O’Sullivan for Scanlon (23), E Dineen for Murphy (43), B Ryan for Foley (58), A O’Callaghan for Houlihan (66).

Tipperary – L Fitzpatrick; M Curley, L Spillane, B Condon; L Dillon, S Lambert, O O’Dwyer; A Moloney, S Condon; N Lonergan, A R Kennedy, C Condon; R Howard, M Morrissey, A McCarthy.

Subs: R McGrath for C Condon (44), K Davey for Lonergan (44), G O’Brien for Morrissey (44).

Ref – Jonathan Murphy (Carlow).

Kerry Ladies Team To Take On Tipperary In TG4 All Ireland Qualifier.

The Kerry ladies team to take on Tipperary in the TG4 All Ireland qualifier in McDonagh Park Nenagh on Saturday 14th July at 1pm is as follows;

1              Laura Fitzgerald Na Gaeil

2              Laoise Coughlan               Rathmore

3              Sarah Murphy   Rathmore

4              Eilis Lynch            Castleisland Desmonds

5              Deirdre Kearney               Na Gaeil

6              Aislinn Desmond              Rathmore

7              Aisling O Connell              Scartaglen

8              Lorraine Scanlon               Castleisland Desmonds

9              Amanda Brosnan              Dr Crokes

10           Sophie Lynch      Listowel Emmets

11           Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh           Corca Dhuibhne

12           Amy Foley           Beaufort

13           Andrea Murphy Castleisland Desmonds

14           Eilish O Leary     Kilcummin

15           Sarah Houlihan  Beaufort

16           Sinead Warren  Rathmore

17           Emma Dineen    Glenflesk

18           Kate O Sullivan  Dingle

19           Siobhan Burns   Dr Crokes

20           Meabh Barry      Na Gaeil

21           Caoimhe O Sullivan          St Sylvesters

22           Clodagh O Connor           Na Fianna

23           Siobhan Goodwin            Castlegregory

24           Denise Dunlea   Scartaglen

25           Deirdre Geaney Dingle

26           Brid Ryan             Rathmore

27           Aoife O Callaghan             Rathmore

28           Erica McGlynn   Fossa

29           Jadyn Lucey        Na Gaeil

30           Ayesha Roche    Na Gae

Kerry U/16’s Claim Munster A Title.

Kerry u16s celebrate

Munster U16 A Championship Final 

Kerry 3-9 Tipperary 2-5 

Kerry are the 2018 U/16 Munster champions after a hard fought victory over an excellent Tipperary side in sun swept  Mallow last Saturday. 

Kerry came into the game as firm favourites to lift the title but were put to the pin of their collar for a large portion of the game as Tipperary showed the type of form that they hadn’t displayed in earlier rounds of the competition. Kerry had defeated Tipperary by 21 points in March , but it was a totally different game this time. 

Tipperary started brightly and Ava Fennessy pointed in the first minute of the game. Kerry got a great boost 2 minutes later when Clodagh Evans struck a superb shot into the bottom corner of Saoirse Teer’s net for a great goal. Teer was called into action straight afterwards and had to produce a good save to keep Danielle O’Leary’s goal effort out. 

From here on though Tipperary began to dominate as Kerry struggled with their strong running game. The livewire Fennessy added 2 more points and wing back Alison Connolly added another to push them 0–4 to 1 goal ahead with 17 minutes gone in the contest. Tipperary did kick some bad wides in the meantime though, and this would ultimately cost them later on in the game. 

Kerry were thankful to goalkeeper Ciara Butler who produced 2 world class saves in the space of a minute to deny Tipperary. As if stung by this let off, Kerry replied with an excellent point from Clodagh Evans after good work involving Gemma Kearney, Danielle O’Leary and Siofra O’Shea. The Tipperary reply was instant however, and Ashling Ryan scored a goal from a free kick after her effort for a point ended up in the Kerry net. 

Kerry got a life line on the stroke of half time when Ella Teahan pointed after a strong run, and as the half time whistle sounded, Tipperary took a 1-4 to 1-2 lead in at the break. 

Tipperary started the brighter in the second half and an Ashling Ryan free kick pushed them 3 ahead before Siofra O’Shea replied a minute later with a pointed free for Kerry. It was from this point on that the game began to change in Kerry’s favour. Kerry manager Rory Kilgallen instructed his players to push up on Tipperary’s kickout, and with the wind rising in their favour, they proceeded to dominate their opponents for the rest of the contest. There were positional changes as well, with Maud Kelly moving to the centre half back position, and Danielle O’Leary moving into full forward. 

Kerry scored 1-6 without reply between the 36th and 59th minute to firmly put Tipperary to the sword. International basketballer Siofra O’Shea , who was now operating at centre half forward,  chipped in with 4 points (2 frees), while the hard working Mary O’Connell and Ella Teahan contributed 2 more..Kerry’s goal came in the 42nd minute from Danielle O’Leary after she took on the Tipperary defence with a strong run before clinically finishing to the back of the net. 

Kerry were now rampant and O’Shea was unlucky when her punched effort for a goal came off the butt of the Tipperary post. Tipperary got a lifeline in the 60th minute when the excellent Caitlinn Kennedy scored a goal directly from a 14 metre free kick to make it a 4 point game, 2-9 to 2-5. Kerry were not to be out done however, and Siofra O’Shea put the icing on the cake when she scored the goal of the game after an electric move involving Rachel Dwyer and Danielle O’Leary. The final whistle sounded soon afterwards, and Kerry were crowned Munster U16 A champions. 

Kerry captain Rachel Dwyer received the Munster cup and gave a rousing speech in front of the delighted Kerry supporters. Siofra O’Shea was presented with the Player of The Match award after a superb display from the Southern Gaels girls. 

Kerry will now go on to play the winners of the  Dublin v Kildare Leinster final in the All Ireland semi final on July 4th. 

Kerry Ciara Butler, Maud Kelly, Rachel O’Connor, Ava Doherty, Gemma Kearney, Rachel Dwyer, Aoife Dillane, Mary O’Connell (0-1), Aisling O’Connell, Rachel Kilgallen, Danielle O’Leary (1 goal), Ella Teahan (0-2), Clodagh Evans (1-1), Siofra O’Shea (1-5, 3f), Mary Collins. Subs; Kerri Ann Hanrahan (M Collins, 45 mins), Ciara McCarthy (C Evans 60th min), Roisin Griffin (E Teahan 60th min). 

Tipperary Saoirse Deer, Megan Heffernan, Dervla Heffernan, Michelle Cronin, Alison Connolly (0-1), Carrie Davey, Ellen Moore, Caitlinn Kennedy (1 goal f), Orla Winston, Ashling Ryan(1 goal f, 1pt f) , Ava Fennessy (0-3), Rosanna Kelly, Leah Coen, Maeve McGuigan, Emer McCarthy. Subs Queva O’Meara (O Winston 38th min),Caoimhe Mulcahy (A Ryan 50th min), Ciara Dwan (L Coen 51st min), Rachel Moore (M Cronin 51st min). 

Referee Colin McTaggart (Cork)