GALWAY WERE HOPING to add to their solitary All-Ireland Camogie success while Kilkenny looked eager to end a 19-year wait for the O’Duffy Cup.
As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the match. E-mail patrick@thescore.ie, tweet @thescore_ie, post a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.
Welcome along to our liveblog of the Senior Camogie Final. Good start for Galway as their intermediates beat Limerick to claim their first trophy in four years.
The senior camogie players of Galway have not won silverware since 1996 but the wait is two years longer for Kilkenny.
Let’s start you all off with the two starting line-ups:
Galway: Susan Earner; Therese Manton, Sarah Dervan, Heather Cooney; Sinéad Cahalan, Therese Maher, Lorraine Ryan; Niamh Kilkenny, Molly Dunne; Emer Haverty, Niamh McGrath, Emma Kilkelly;Brenda Hanney, Ann Marie Hayes, Ailish O’Reilly.
Kilkenny: Emma Kavanagh; Mairéad Power, Kate McDonald, Jacqui Frisby; Leann Fennelly, Edwina Keane, Elaine Aylward; Claire Phelan, Ann Dalton; Grace Walsh, Aisling Dunphy, Katie Power; Shelly Farrell, Denise Gaule, Aoife Neary.
Kilkenny are without Michelle Quilty, featured in the main picture, but she has told RTE that she has no doubts about the ability of her teammates to win in her absence.
MARTY-WATCH: A bit of bad/good news for all you TV viewers, Darragh Maloney will be commentating on the final as a bad throat has ruled Marty Morrissey out. Shame, that.
‘D Hig’ in the house! President Michael D Higgins greets the Kilkenny players. (Credit: RTE)
Final team talks are doled out in huddles on the Croke Park pitch. Kilkenny ready to go, Galway chat a mite longer. Winds gusting but rain has held off.
Katie Power shuttles in a shot that drops short and Earner has to rush from her line to block a shot on goal.
Seven minutes on the clock and we are scoreless. Aoife Neary took two hefty tackles there and we have had two stoppages as 10 players crowd the ball but get nowhere in particular.
Galway 0-1 Kilkenny 0-0 Niamh McGrath opens the scoring with a short-range free after a goal chance was shut down by a cynical foul.
Galway 0-1 Kilkenny 0-1: Ann Dalton heaves over a free from over 50 metres and the breeze must have had something to do with it as it soared over with some distance to spare.
Galway 0-2 Kilkenny 0-1: Nice break from Maher, who sets up Haverty to belt over from 35 metres out. Galway had a close goal chance earlier but the final ball was lacking.
Galway 0-2 Kilkenny 0-2: Farrell is so, so close to getting a goal but her hand flick over Earner is just over the bar too. 17 minutes gone.
Maher and Ryan combine to snuff out a Kilkenny attack and we’re still level in this low-scoring final. The swirling wind is not helping.
Galway 0-3 Kilkenny 0-2: The Tribeswomen hit the front as Haverty knocks over her second point of the game. The Kilkenny bench is dipped into already, in response, as Claire Phelan is replaced by Collette Dormer.
Molly Dunne has been replaced by Noreen Coen so it is one change apiece. This picture will give you an idea of the stop-start nature of the game so far:
10 players swarm within five yards of the ball.
Galway 0-3 Kilkenny 0-4: Farrell levels affairs for Kilkenny with a well-taken score on 24 minutes. Dunphy adds another point a minute later.
Galway 1-3 Kilkenny 0-4: Goal by Ailish O’Reilly as she powers through the Kilkenny defence and slaps in a powerful hand pass by Emma Kavanagh in the Kilkenny net.
Galway 1-4 Kilkenny 0-4: Coen’s introduction paying dividends. She is looking sharp and has just slotted over a point from 30 metres out.
The first half is into time added on and Galway, if the breeze remains strong, will be confident going into the second half.
Galway 1-5 Kilkenny 0-4: Coen lasers over another fine score. Great cameo so far.
HALF-TIME
Galway’s Emer Haverty and Elaine Aylward of Kilkenny eye the ball. INPHO/Cathal Noonan
Yes Enda. Yes.
Galway 1-5 Kilkenny 0-5: Great Galway defence to block down a Dunphy effort before Power is denied by Earner. The Tribeswomen struggling to get out of their half. Ball breaks to Dalton, who swats over from 45 metres out.
Katie Power is down for treatment after she was caught on the forearm as she competed for a high ball.
Galway’s Brenda Hanney the next player to receive treatment. This game is far from a classic at present but perhaps a strong finish is on the cards.
Galway 1-7 Kilkenny 0-5: The foul on Hanney results in McGrath knocking over a simple free for Galway. Emma Kilkelly soars over a beauty of a point on the run. The gap is five points now and the injured Grace Walsh is off the pitch.
Darragh Maloney has lost his notes in the swirling winds at Croke Park. Some gems in those I’d say.
Maher has been a dynamo for Galway this afternoon and earns another free for her side. HOW IS THAT NOT A PENALTY? A tackle around the neck is allowed to stand and Kilkenny survive.
Galway 1-7 Galway 0-6: Kilkenny captain Michelle Quilty is on for the final 13 minutes. No replays of that penalty incident but it looked like Hanney was hauled down around the neck as she bore down on goal. Quilty knocks over a free.
Galway boss Tony Ward with his comfort blanket/hurley. (Credit: RTE)
Galway 1-7 Kilkenny 0-7: Maher trips Dunphy as she races within sights of the posts. Quilty points with ease.
McGrath strikes a post with a free and Galway are without a point in 15 minutes. Only one forward chasing it in. Galway are trying to sit on their lead.
McGrath is left and wide from 65 metres. Five minutes left on the clock. Dalton tries to be the heroine but he attempt is badly wide for KK.
Galway 1-8 Kilkenny 0-7: Ailish O’Reilly could yet be the matchwinner. She causes chaos in the Kilkenny defence and earns a free, McGrath makes no mistake from close-range.
Three minutes to play, four points the difference as Dalton flashes wide again. Someone needed to step up. Dalton has put her hand up but her accuracy has been found wanting.
Kilkenny reduced to lobbing frees in towards the Galway goal but their hopes are forlorn. One positive is that there will be three minutes injury time.
Galway 1-9 Kilkenny 0-7: Clear handling on the ground and McGrath goes safely over the ball from 21 out.
Galway, led by Ryan, Maher and Reilly, are on the brink of glory. McGrath and Coen’s scores were crucial. Haverty too. Last minute of play.
‘We did it!’
Galway captain Lorraine Ryan pays tribute to her friends, who will ‘travel across the Shannon with the O’Duffy Cup’, after their five point win. Well deserved from the Tribeswomen.
That’s your lot for now but stay with us for the match report and post-match reaction in our weekly GAA round-up later on.
Come on Limerick
Great second half from Limerick, but they’d want to sort out those wides.
Kiely very slow to take Hickey off, Mike Casey should be already in
@Gaaonthefence: or Richie McCarthy. Either way get Hickey out of there asap.
Limerick going to regret all these wides
@Kevin Shortall: they sure are Kevin.
@Shane Doherty: as a Kilkenny man I’m delighted
Take nothing away from Limerick, I think the whole country would like to see them do well. But as a Tipp supporter, how James McGrath can officiate at this level concerns me. He is getting even the most basic decisions wrong and is so inconsistent to how he applies the rules. Just rid of Kirwan after years of bias and now we have to watch this clown ruining games.
@Dave Russell: I think the standard is poor across the board but i suppose it is a thankless job. Is there a case to look at two referees on the pitch at either end.
Here we go again, ref doing his best to ruin it, major boo boo in this lad yet ..
@Gerry Campbell: or the fact that Limerick can’t stop giving away stupid frees
@Tom49: they are all frees alright….and thats coming from a limerick man
@Tom49: well undeniably true Tom .
Very poor referee? Compliments to both teams that the game didn’t boil over?
Killing ourselves with the wides but great to see some discipline in 2nd half, great start to the campaign and something to build on now! Hon Luimneach
Well done mike ryan
Great day. The RESSURECTION started that day