Kilkenny’s greater spread of scorers and Denise Gaule’s free taking enough to hand Dublin their third straight league defeat
Dublin 0-11
Kilkenny 0-17
Kilkenny piled further pressure on Dublin as they handed their hosts their third straight league defeat this afternoon in Parnell Park.
As has been the case for Dublin in their Very National Camogie League campaign an underwhelming first half has been followed by a much improved second half but ultimately it hasn’t been enough in any of their three games.
Dublin haven’t lacked in terms of work-rate or commitment, their main downfall is a lack of scorers, just two players got on the scoreboard this afternoon and one of those was a second half substitute.
Kilkenny on the other hand had seven different players who contributed to their scoring total and Dublin need to find a way to get more of their forward options involved further up the pitch in scoring positions as they can’t just rely on the free taking of Aisling Maher.
Dublin started brightly and took the lead inside the opening thirty second with a fine point from captain Aisling Maher.
Kilkenny responded with two converted Denise Gaule frees, Aisling Maher struck over a free of her own to level the game in the fifth minute.
That was as close as Dublin got to Kilkenny as they reeled off six unanswered points to take control of the game, three converted frees from Gaule and three from play from Laura Murphy (2) and Katie Power.
Dublin reduced the deficit with two frees from Maher but Laura Murphy scored her third point of the half to push the Kilkenny lead to five with three minutes left in the half.
Seconds later and Dublin conjured a goal opportunity when Muireann Kelleher broke free on the left but her shot at goal was saved. Aisling Maher popped over another free just before the short whistle to leave the score at the break 0-04 to 0-09.
Dublin came out for the second half fired up and gave a much better account of themselves and they probably shaded the second period but just couldn’t conjure up the goal opportunity they needed to reel back in Kilkenny.
Kilkenny extended their lead inside the opening minute of the second half with a superb point from Katie Power. Aisling Maher pulled on back for Dublin from a free but another fine effort from play from Asha McHardy kept the sky blues at arms length.
The Dubs then hit a scoring purple patch with two successful Maher free attempts sandwiching a sublime point from second half substitute Aishling O’Neill and suddenly there was just a goal between the teams.
Just past the halfway point of the second half Denise Gaul scored her sixth pointed free. Second half sub Aoife Prendergast fancied her chances from a free and duly dispatched it over the bar to extend the Kilkenny lead back out to five.
Two excellent points from play scored by Dublin’s Aisling Maher and Aishling O’Neill again put just a goal between the two sides as the game entered the final ten minutes.
Kilkenny’s Sophie O’Dwyer and Dublin’s Aisling Maher swapped points and with five minutes left there was still the possibility that the Dubs could get something from the game.
But points from Kellyann Doyle and Katie Power gave Kilkenny a bit of breathing space in the dying embers of the contest and in injury time it was left to Denise Gaule to finish the scoring with her seventh converted free and condemn Dublin to their third straight league defeat.
Scorers- Dublin – Aisling Maher 0-09 (6f), Aishling O’Neill 0-02 – Kilkenny – Denise Gaule 0-07 (7f), Laura Murphy 0-03, Katie Power 0-03, Asha McHardy 0-01, Aoife Prendergast 0-01 (1f), Sophie O’Dwyer 0-01, Kellyann Doyle 0-01.
Dublin: Ciara Tierney, Abbey Ryan, Eve O’Brien, Christine Shanahan, Muireann Kelleher, Leah Butler, Claire Gannon, Gaby Couch, Elyse Jamieson Murphy, Grace O’Shea, Aisling Gannon, Kerri Finnegan, Louise O’Shea, Aisling Maher, Niamh Gannon.
Subs: Emma Gray for Aisling Gannon (34), Aishling O’Neill for Louise O’Shea (34), Aoife Heffernan for Grace O’Shea (56), Hannah O’Dea for Claire Gannon (57), Zoe Couch for Leah Butler (59).
Kilkenny: Emma Kavanagh, Michelle Teehan, Grace Walsh, Miriam Bambrick, Steffi Fitzgerald, Claire Phelan, Tiffany Fitzgerald, Laura Murphy, Niamh Deely, Julianne Malone, Katie Power, Michaela Kenneally, Asha McHardy, Denise Gaule, Jenny Clifford.
Subs: Kellyann Doyle for Tiffany Fitzgerald (36), Sophie O’Dwyer for Julianne Malone (41), Aoife Prendergast for Jenny Clifford (46), Sarah Barcoe for Michaela Kenneally (59).
