Kildorrery come out on top against Kerry girls

Munster Ladies Football Junior ist Round Championship Kildorrery come out on top against Kerry girls By Fr Liam Kelleher Kildorrery 0-12 Scartaglin 1-6

A highly commendable work ethic and never say die
spirit helped Kildorrery score a well merited victory over a tenacious
Scartaglin side in the first round of the Munster Junior championship,
in ideal conditions at Banteer on Saturday evening. The Kerry girls
started in whirlwind fashion with impressive centre forward Margaret
O’Donoghue rattling the crossbar with a

wicked shot in the opening minute and when they missed a gilt edged
2nd goal opportunity a minute late, it sung the Cork girls into
action, brace of points by Niamh Hickey and Eleanor and Shelley
Twohig saw them lead by 4 after 10 minutes which was poor enough
cushion with the opportunities they were creating. They did not
score again for 12 minutes. In the meantime Scartaglin upped the
ante and wiped out the Kildorrery lead and went ahead by 2 in the
space of 8 glorious minutes. Amy Dunlea started the

onslaught with a rather fortuitous goal in the 18th minute, the
normally reliable Cork Minor Keeper Orlaith Murphy, kept a ball
that was destined to go wide in play and the Kerry girl was in like
a flash to collect side step the keeper and slot home. This was
quickly followed by points by Julian O’Connell after 19 and 21 minutes
and points by Elaine O’Connor and Mary Herlihy in

the 23rd and 26th minute. This left them ahead on a score line of
1-4 to 0-5 at t he short whistle, but that was as good as it got
for them.

Onslaught.

Kildorrery came out after the break in more determined mood to redress
the balance and slowly but surely they clawed their way back into
contention.

Points by Eleanor and Rose Twohig had them level after 5 minutes
and when Niamh Hennesy came forward to give them the lead in the
9th minute they never looked back. The Kerry girls did not make
it easy for them as they fought to gain the initiative but solid
defending kept them at bay.

Scartaglin did get a point back through Margaret O’Donoghue in the
16th minute. After Annie O’Callaghan had added a point. Points by
sub Niamh Walsh 21, Niamh Hickey 22 and Eleanor Twohig 24 gave Kildorrery
a 4 point cushion. Margaret O’Donoghue with a point in the 26th
minute gave Scartaglin hope and the same player gave them some scary
moments as she combined

with fullback Eileen O’Connor who had moved forward to try and save
the game and create genuine goal chances that would have tied the
gamed. To their credit Kildorrery held out to advance to the next
round. Scartaglin managed by top athletes Breda Barrett and husband
John were understandably disappointed but they displayed true professionalism
by doing a proper warm down after

the game something that is rarely seen if ever seen by a losing
team, no doubt they will be back. Kildorrery coach Cathal O’Callaghan
was first to admit that they they were given the fright of their
lives after playing below par for long periods of the game but a
win is a win and they will have learned from their experience. They
were best served by Joanne Hennessy in the

opening half the entire fullback line and the three Twoihig sisters
who incidentally hail from Banteer and whose athleticism played
a huge part in the North Cork girls victory.

Teams Kildorrery Orlaith Murphy, Caroline Coughlan, Deirdre Murphy,
Eileen Mccarthy, Caroline Hanley, Shelley Twohig, Niamh Hennessy,
Annie O’Callaghan, Rose Twohig, Trish O’Callaghan, Mairead Noonan,
Niamh Hickey Joanne Hennessy, Eleanor Twohig. Karen Barry, Val McCormack,
Helena Hennessy, Caroline Hourigan, Niamh Walsh, EileenO’Gorman
Nora Beecher, Tara

Kinsella, Kathleen Beecher Maria O’Brien, Michelle Collins Teresa
O’Keefe.

Scartaglin Marian Lehinan, Christina Fleming, Eileen O’Connor, Siobhan
Lenihan, Aine Clifford. Tara Brosnan, Helena O’Connor Siobhan Barrett,
Mags Daly, Joanne Brosnan, Margaret O’Donoghue, Mary Herlihy, Elaine
O’Connor, Juliann O’Connell Nuala O’Connor. Amy Dunlea Grace Drumm,
Bridget O’Mahony Jennifer Drumm, Megan Brown