Kildare eight adrift of Roscommon in Camogie Championship Round 2 clash
The Lilies came up short 4-12 to 2-10 when they faced Roscommon in Round 2 of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Premier Junior Championship
Kildare suffered a second defeat in the All-Ireland Premier Junior Championship when they welcomed Roscommon to Manguard Park on Saturday, June 6.
Roscommon were quick out of the blocks and they, after captain Rachel Fitzmaurice had struck the upright, grabbed the game’s opening score with a fine point from out wide from Aine O’Meara.
The Lilies responded quickly and it was all the making of eventual scorer Niamh Krahn. The Maynooth wing-back offloaded to Calimhe O’Sullivan before demanding possession back and firing over from long-range. The score was an early injection of quality in this game.
That quality was unfortunately lacking in front of the posts for the home side in the minutes that followed. Kildare took over possession and territory for some five minutes but failed to make their brief dominance count with four wides in a row.
The Lilies were duly punished for their profligate nature and Roscommon hit the front with a point from Alannah Sutton which was fired over under pressure. That disappointment at falling behind while being on top was amplified tenfold when Roscommon hit the net.
Aine O’Meara, who got the game’s first point, got the game’s first goal and did so in some style too; blasting the ball across the goal from a tight-angle and into the far corner of the net.
The home side got a welcome response when Róisìn Forde found Niamh Mortell to score and make this game 1-2 to 0-2 after 13 minutes of play.
It was another Róisìn that stepped up next for Kildare, Roche this time, with The Lilies’ captain and goalkeeper denying Roscommon a second goal when she superbly kept out Oonagh Kelly’s goal-bound effort.
It was a relief for the home side who then turned a potential dangerous deficit into just a two-point margin by grabbing a quick-score through Aoife Stynes.
That momentum could not be sustained however as The Rossies fired back through Orla Connolly who slotted a set-piece before setting up Rachel Fitzmaurice to smash home the visitors’ second goal.
Caoimhe Ní Bhuircéal knocked over a free of her own for the home outfit before Alannah Sutton grabbed her second point to give her side a 2-4 to 0-4 lead with five minutes to go in the first half.
It looked like a long road back for Kildare but it was one that Ní Bhuircéal was determined to make a dent in before the break. The Johnstownbridge midfielder slotted a second free before hitting a super score from play where she shrugged off her opposite number and landed her subsequent shot over the bar and onto the top of the net.
The Kildare midfielder’s late double meant they trailed Roscommon 2-4 to 0-6 at half-time.
Roscommon, to their credit, were quick to try and extinguish any momentum built before the break and hit three points in as many minutes after the restart. Orla Connolly, with two well-taken frees, and Katelyn Egan with her first put The Rossies seven clear.
Ní Bhuircéal hit her fourth point in her 35th minute to make this game 2-7 to 0-7 after a breathless beginning to the second half.
Roscommon captain Rachel Fitzmaurice put away her side’s third goal and her second in the 37th minute after she turned over possession high up the pitch and placed the ball into the top left corner of the net.
All looked lost with The Lilies so far back and in truth it would prove long term but their last stand came when their outstanding player on the day Caoimhe Ní Bhuircéal found the net to make this game 3-8 to 1-7 after 40 minutes.
Two further points at each end arrived before Roscommon’s fourth goal confirmed their long-suspected victory. Oonagh Kelly’s low effort bobbled over the stick of Róisín Roche and into the net to put The Rossies 10 points clear.
Even after Sara Carroll had given the home crowd something to cheer about with a superb late goal, the visitors finished as 4-12 to 2-10 winners in this All-Ireland Premier Junior Championship Round 2 clash.
Roscommon: Rachel Fitzmaurice 2-1, Aine O'Meara 1-1, Orla Connolly 0-4 (0-4 frees), Oonagh Kelly 1-0, Alannah Sutton 0-2, Grace Geraghty 0-2, Katelyn Egan 0-1, Sally Bolger 0-1.
Kildare: Caoimhe Ní Bhuircéal 1-5 (0-3 frees), Sara Carroll 1-0, Niamh Krahn 0-1, Niamh Mortell 0-1, Aoife Stynes 0-1, Róisín Forde 0-1, Lea Sutton 0-1.
ROSCOMMON: Michaela Finneran; Michelle Rogers, Mairead Lohan, Anna Hussey; Erin McDermott, Aimee O'Connor, Sinead Mannion; Sally Bolger, Orla Connolly; Alannah Sutton, Katelyn Egan, Grace Geraghty; Aine O'Meara, Rachel Fitzmaurice, Oonagh Kelly. Subs: Grace Jones for Katelyn Egan (46 minutes), Aideen O'Brien for Michelle Rogers (46 minutes).
KILDARE: Róisín Roche; Caoimhe O'Sullivan, Laoise Mimnagh, Sadbh Horgan; Niamh Krahn, ÁIne Conway, Kate Murphy; Shauna Dunne, Caoimhe Ni Bhuircéal; Aoife Stynes, Sara Carroll, Sadbh Buckley; Niamh Mortell, Róisín Forde, Aoife McDermott. Subs: Aoife McCarthy for Shauna Doyle (Half-time), Hannah Davis for Aoife McDermott (Half-time) Lea Sutton for Áine Conway (43 minutes), Sophie Hazzard for Niamh Mortell (55 minutes).
Referee: Ciaran Groome (Offaly)