Kildare hit Louth for eight goals in Camogie League clash

Kildare 8-10

Louth 1-2

Kildare secured their first win in Division 3A of the Very Camogie National League with plenty to spare against Louth in Darver on a blustery Saturday afternoon.

The outcome of this game was arguably decided inside the opening quarter, as playing against a strong gust, the Lillywhites raised three green flags, as they punished Louth who hit five first half wides, while Kildare keeper Ciara Skehan had to be alert to keep out an early close range strike from Aoife Gregory.

Kildare’s dominance on the second ball, particularly on puck-outs was key to their supremacy, with Shauna Mulligan and Rianna Cribbin hugely effective, winning breaking ball, and supplying dangerous forwards Sarah Lavin and Lea Sutton in the inside line, while defender Mae Donovan produced a timely intervention to thwart a potential goal chance for Louth’s Aoife Gregory early doors.

Shauna Mulligan offered superb protection to her full back line, winning breaking ball and turnovers for her side. The Rathcoffey player finished with 21 possessions over the hour, while Rianna Cribbin had the most touches of the sliotar in the Kildare jersey, with 27 in this clash. Both players played a part in a number of scores for David O’Mahony’s side.
The Lillywhites won 11 out of 26 on Louth’s puckout, which gives you an idea of that dominance.

After assisting the opening point for Caoimhe Ní Bhuircéal, Lea Sutton then crashed the ball to the Louth net to give her side a 1-1 to no score lead after 7 minutes.

The lethal Sarah Lavin then fired home Kildare’s second major, before the same player collected a pass from Erin McEvoy before firing over the bar, making it 2-2 to no score inside 10 minutes.

Following a turnover in their defence, a flowing move down the field involving Rianna Cribben, Caoimhe Ní Bhuircéal, Erin McEvoy, and Ella O’Neill, was finished off by Lea Sutton for her second goal, putting eleven between the sides, by the end of the first quarter.

Further points from Caoimhe Ní Bhuircéal, Shauna Dunne and Lea Sutton stretched Kildare’s lead out to fourteen at the interval, leaving Kildare 3-5 to no score ahead.

The only disappointment from a Kildare perspective was losing midfielder Sadbh Buckley to injury after 15 minutes.

Second Half
Half time saw Louth make some alterations, which saw centre half back Jane Carter venture into the half forward line, with subs Daire Hoey, Claire Ward and Aoife Dillon introduced for the second half.

An early free from Carter did at least get a spirited Louth on the scoreboard, but by then, the outcome had been decided, as another goal from Lavin had preceded a point from Ella O’Neill, as Kildare led by 4-6 to 0-1 by the end of the third quarter.
Second half subs Louise Murphy and Rosin Maguire staked their claims to be selected from the start in future matches, as both found the back of the net in that second period for goal crazy Kildare in Darver.

Murphy’s major happened minutes after a Jane Carter free found its way into the net for Louth, before the same player converted another close range free.

Kildare added further gloss to the scoreline, thanks to two further goals from Sarah Lavin, to go with a late 1-2 from Roisin Maguire, as Kildare comfortably notched up their first win of their league campaign, having lost to runaway leaders Laois and drawn with Roscommon in earlier rounds.

KILDARE: Ciara Skehan; Mae Donovan, Aoife Newman, Saoirse Coffey; Liana Glynn, Shauna Mulligan, Rianna Cribbin; Sadbh Buckley, Shauna Dunne (0-1); Elena Prendergast, Caoimhe Ní Bhuircéal (0-3) (2f), Ella O’Neill (0-1); Sarah Lavin (4-1), Lea Sutton (2-2), Erin McEvoy. Subs: Niamh Krahn for Buckley (15), Roisin Maguire (1-2) for O’Neill (43), Louise Murphy (1-0) for Prendergast (43), Fionnula Hughes for McEvoy (51).

LOUTH: Mairead McMahon; Clodagh Fennell, Áine Connell. Aoife McCabe; Carole Ann Logue, Jane Carter (1-2) (2f), Katie Matthews; Leah Cunningham, Ellen McCarthy; Gemma Murray, Aoife Gregory, Aoife Lawrence; Orla McGeeney, Paula Lohan, Caoimhe Cunningham. Subs: Aoife Dillon for Lohan (HT), Daire Hoey for Fennell (HT), Claire Ward for McGeeney (HT), Aoibhin Killen for Lawrence (41). Julie Guinan for Murray (49), Niamh Fennell for McCabe (49). Sarah Cahill for Matthews (49).

REFEREE: Philip McDonald (Co Cavan).

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