Wind advantage proves crucial as Cork see off Kilkenny Under 17's

An impressive first half, helped by a strong wind, saw Cork’s under-17s leave Mooncoin with a good win despite the best efforts of a dogged Kilkenny side.

Cork opened up with a first minute point from Meabh Fitzgerald, but Kilkenny’s Eilish Keating quickly hit the net. Points from Blaithnaid Keane and Rachel Morrisson levelled the game on six minutes. Points from Cornellia Buckley (2), Teegan Murphy and Lucy Beechner pushed Cork ahead again, but Laura Treacy closed the gap when she found the back of the net in the 13th minute.

Back came Cork. Points from Morrisson and Murphy, before Morrisson goaled, were followed by a Sarah Kelleher goal, to which Murphy pointed her second free.

Kilkenny’s final score of the first half came from Aisleann Mullally (free), but Morrisson, Casey Lane and Lilly Buckley pointed to leave Cork well in front at the break (3-12 to 2-2).

Cork’s Fitzgerald had the first point in the second half but it was Kilkenny who dominated the next 20 minutes of play. The hosts chipped away with points from Keating, Aoibhe Bourke, Mullally (two frees), Katie Dunphy and Farrell. Then, in the 43rd minute Mullally dropped a placed ball into the Cork net.

Mullally, Treacy and Farrell (2) kept the scoreboard ticking over by adding further points. Late in the second half, almost 25 minutes since their last score, Morrisson added to her tally with a point followed in quick succession by a point from Kilkenny’s Katie Dunphy. The final score came from Cork’s Aoibheann Lynch with a goal in the 60th minute of game.

Teams and scorers

Cork – Rachel Morrisson (2-4, 0-1 free); Maebh Fitzgerald (0-3); Teegan Murphy (0-3, 0-2 frees); Sarah Kelleher, Aoibheann Lynch (1-0 each); Cornellia Buckley (0-2); Lucy Beechner, Casey Lane, Lilly Buckley (0-1 each).

Kilkenny – Aisleann Mullally (1-3, frees); Eilish Keating, Laura Treacy (1-1 each); Grace Farrell (0-4); Blaithnaid Keane, Aoibhe Bourke, Katie Dunphy (0-1 each).

Kilkenny – Clodagh O’Shea; Orlaith O’Shea, Moya O’Shea, Lucy O’Gorman; Ruby Doyle, Eva Tynan, Hillary Muldowney; Molly Quinn, Katie Dunphy; Aisleann Mullally, Laoise Kehoe, Aoibhe Bourke; Moya Egan, Grace Farrell, Gwen Wade.

Subs: Clodagh Galway, Eilish Keating, Lucy Lennon, Lauren Skehan, Alanna Russell, Laura Treacy, Julia Adamyck, Colleen Byrne, Caragh Brennan, Ava Darcy, Blaithnaid Keane, Muireann Kenny.

Cork – Ciara Hynes; Aisling Coleman, Niamh Fitzgerald, Sophie Gunn; Rachel Jones, Grace O’Connell, Lilly Buckley; Sarah Kelleher, Meabh Fitzgerald; Emer Hallihan, Teegan Murphy, Lucy Beechner; Brooke O’Halloran, Rachel Morrisson, Cornellia Buckley.

Subs: Kiera Maloney, Amber Bishop, Aoibheann Lynch, Casey Lane, Kate Harvey, Grace Keohane, Robyn O’Mahony, Ellen Motherway, Caoillinn Hartnett, Sile Og Walsh, Madeleine Keane.

Referee - Paddy O’Reilly.