Stakelum holds nerve to earn a draw

CAMOGIE: Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor ‘A’ Championship Group 1 Round 2

Kilkenny 0-12

Tipperary 1-9

Report: Joe Scully at MW Hire Training Centre, Dunmore

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Elana McGrath (Tipperary).

SCORERS – Kilkenny: Lucy Boyd 0-6 (5 frees); Molly Conroy 0-2; Ciara O’Shea, Emily Phelan, Ona Kennedy (free), Niamh Davis 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Caoimhe Stakelum 0-5 frees; Elana McGrath 1-1; Lucy O’Brien 0-2; Rachel O’Meara 0-1.

Nerves of steel is one way to describe Caoimhe Stakelum as she stood up to take a free from halfway, out by the sideline, with her side trailing by a point deep into stoppage following a pulsating hour of camogie in this second round group game in the All-Ireland Minor ‘A’ Championship on Sunday.

With her side facing defeat and possible exit from the championship, the Thurles Sarsfields youngster showed why she is one of camogie’s most exciting talents as she hit a monstrous free between the posts to level and give Tipperary a share of the spoils from a game where they showed great grit and determination to come back when they looked to be in big trouble in the opening twenty minutes.

They struggled to get to the pitch of the game and couldn’t cope with what was a very strong Kilkenny forward line. The turning point was a goal from Elena McGrath in the 22nd minute and it was Stakelum who played a key part in the creation of it following a strong run at the heart of the Kilkenny defence, before laying off a pass to McGrath who finished with aplomb.

Both teams deserve a lot of credit for a very entertaining game with the workrate of both sides was very impressive, and some of the high fielding was a joy to behold.

51 seconds was all it took for the opening score when the impressive Lucy Boyd put the home side ahead with a free. The reigning All-Ireland champions would be level two minutes later through a fine Lucy O’Brien effort. This would be as good as it would get for Tipp for a while, though as the Cats would take a stranglehold on proceedings and hit the next four points, two from play from Ciara O’Shea and Emily Phelan, and then two frees from Boyd and Ona Kennedy.

The Premier ladies responded with a score in the sixteenth minute through O’Brien again following a good run and finish. Kilkenny’s response was rapid and from the puckout they won a free which Boyd converted and they continued to dominate proceedings, with a superb point from Molly Conroy, after a fine catch, solo and excellent finish.

The Munster outfit would slowly start to come back into the game from this point on, firstly through a Stakelum free, and then two minutes she set up Elana McGrath for the game’s only goal to leave just a point in it.

It would be another six minutes for another flag to be raised when Stakelum pointed a free from 65 metres to level. Kilkenny would have the final say of the half with a fine individual score from Molly Conroy to leave her side a point ahead 0-8 to 1-4 at the break.

The lead was out to three within three minutes of the restart through a point each from Niamh Davis with a great score from out by the sideline and then a Lucy Boyd free.

Ciara Cahill set up Elena McGrath in the 35th minute to reduce the gap, and it would be seven more minutes before the games next score when Caoimhe Stakelum had the gap back at just a single point with a free.

Lucy Boyd increased the Kilkenny lead from a 45, and added to it from play in the 51st minute. Midfielder Rachael O’Meara reduced the gap for Tipp in the 57th minute with a great score from play, and the lead was back to just a solitary point after another Stakelum free with two minutes of normal time to play.

Both sides would put in everything in the closing stages as three minutes of added time was signalled. And as we went into a fourth minute it looked like Kilkenny were going to hold on for a huge win when Tipperary were awarded a free on the halfway line out by the sideline. With the game on the line, Caoimhe Stakelum stood over the ball and after being forced to wait thirty seconds or so she showed massive character to send the sliotar over the bar much to the delight if the Tipperary bench.

Tipperary’s second consecutive draw keeps them in a good position to make the knockout stages with their final group game at home to winless Dublin.

TEAMS – Kilkenny: Jenny Saunders (6); Caoimhe Power (6), Grace Brennan (7), Jessica Smith (6); Rebecca Hayden (7), Ona Kennedy (8), Taylor Aylward (6); Rachel Phelan (7), Eleanor Doheny (6); Lucy Boyd (8), Ciara O’Shea (7), Aisling O’Sullivan (6); Emily Phelan (8), Niamh Davis (6), Molly Conroy (7).

Subs: Shona Ruane (6) for Hayden (43); Ciara Hickey (7) for O’Shea (43); Michelle Killeen (6) for Davis (51); Sadbh Shefflin (NR) for Conroy (58), Shannon Doheny (NR) for O’Sullivan (60+1).

Tipperary: Danielle Butler (Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill, J-Capt 6); Sarah McLoughlin (Boherlahan-Dualla 7), Molly Loughnane (Roscrea 6), Leanna Coppinger (Thurles Sarsfields 7); Clodagh Grimes (Newport/Ballinahinch 6), Isabel O’Donnell (Brian Borus 7), Eva Ralph (Moycarkey/Borris 7); Rachael O’Meara (CJ Kickhams Mullinahone 7), Emma Kennedy (Lorrha 6); Caoimhe Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields 7), Lucy O’Brien (St Patrick’s 8), Elana McGrath (Holycross/Ballycahill 8); Eimear Troy (Toomevara 6), Ciara Cahill (Drom & Inch 7), Maeve Cunneen (Silvermines 6).

Subs: Lucy Heffernan (Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill 7) for Troy (HT); Issy Carr (Holycross/Ballycahill 7) for Loughnane (HT); Isabelle Kingston (Kiladangan 6) for O’Brien (53); Aoibhe Maher (Brian Borus) for O’Meara (60).

Referee: Justin Heffernan (Wexford)