Derry get past Kildare to progress in Camogie Championship
Despite a second half rally it was a poor opening that cost Kildare in the latter stages in their tie against Derry in the Glen Dimplex Intermediate Camogie Championship round 2 encounter at Manguard Plus, Hawkfield COE on Saturday.
Two early points from Mairead McNicholl saw Derry open up an early advantage over Kildare before Deairbhile Byrne pointed in the eleventh minute to get her side off the mark.
Unable to build on Byrne’s opener, Kildare were quickly playing second fiddle to Derry once more with Sinead Mellon pointing to restart the Derry scoring rout.
With Derry piling on the pressure they soon had a goal as all of their early pressure told. With Therese Mellon gathering possession she burst along the end line, soloing the sliotar on the hurl.
Flicking the sliotar up she blasted past Eimear Stirling in the town end.
Further points from Mellon and Aoife Shaw left Kildare seven adrift as the struggled to get to grips with the pace and the strength that Derry brought to the tie.
Kildare's Emer Reilly converted a free with five minutes remaining in the opening half. A further point from Ciara Egan had this deficit to five on the stroke of half-time.
Soon after the throw in for the second half McNicholl again had Derry off the mark with a free seconds later. A further point from Shannon O’Connor again put seven between the sides before Kildare could get to the measure of the tie.
With the momentum of play against Kildare, a long ball into the heart of the Derry defence looked as if it was dealt with between Rebecca Fitzpatrick and Niambh Gribben. With Fitzpatrick and Gribben colliding the sliotar popped out to Egan. Striking on the ground she made no mistake with the finish. Hauling Kildare back to within four.
A series of exchanged points kept Kildare in the tie as Derry struggled to shake the challenge that the home side brought on this occasion as the tie worn on.
A brace of points from Shaw and McNicholl extended the advantage to six with thirteen minutes remaining.
Points from Egan and Mellon maintained the difference until Roisin Forde claimed two late points to maintain Kildare’s pressure.
With time running out and a goal not looking likely to haul Kildare right back into contention points from Mellon and O’Connor rounded off the scoring as Derry held on to claim a six-point victory despite Kildare’s second half revival.
Scorers
Derry: Mairead McNicholl 0-7 (5f); Therese Mellon 1-3; Aoife Shaw 0-2; Sinead Mellon 0-1; Shannon O’Connor 0-1.
Kildare: Ciara Egan 1-3; Roisin Forde 0-3; Emer Reilly 0-1 (1f); Deirbhile Byrne 0-1.
DERRY: Niambh Gribben; Rebecca Fitzpatrick, Maria Mooney, Megan Kerr; Shannon O’Doherty, Grainne McNicholl, Rebecca Bradley; Dervla O’Kane, Rachel Downey; Aoife Ni Chaiside, Mairead McNicholl, Sinead Mellon; Shannon O’Connor, Aoife Shaw, Therese Mellon.
KILDARE: Eimear Stirling; Nicole Malcomson, Maria Doyle, Kelly Perkins; Shuana Mulligan, Emma Barry, Ellen Morgan; Deirbhile Byrne, Gillian Keegan; Aoife Stynes, Roisin Forde, Emer Reilly; Emma Kielty, Leah Sutton, Ciara Egan. Subs: Niamh Hegarty for Stynes, 40; Grianne Noone for Keegan, 52.
Referee: Barry Nea.