Liberty Insurance All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship final
Kilkenny 1-14
Galway 1-11
Kevin Galvin
After three years of Croke Park heartbreak, Kilkenny finally put it all together to capture their 14th All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship title, beating Galway by three points on a chilly December evening.
Denise Gaule's 1-6, including, crucially a late penalty, saw Kilkenny's second-half surge earn them their well deserved day in the sun, albeit under the floodlights.
A change on both sides saw Kellyann Doyle come in for Laura Murphy on the Kilkenny side, while Siobhán McGrath’s inclusion for Galway in place of Rebecca Hennelly came in at the last minute.
But it was McGrath who opened the scoring for Galway, who shot out of the blocks last year against a Kilkenny side that managed to recover from another slow start against Cork in the semi-final.
However, this time they did get a reply early through Aoife Doyle’s super score on the right touchline, opening up a final that wouldn’t be as free-scoring as the one we saw this time 15 months ago.
Brian Dowling’s side were swarming the Galway forwards around the 45 line, but were struggling to relieve pressure, finding their forwards isolated, as points from the set piece were crucial as a cold Saturday night game under lights began to find its rhythm.
However, this Cats side have shown they’re nothing if not enterprising, and put a few excellently worked scores from tight spaces, including one that began and finished off the stick of Mary O’Connell.
Points were at a premium, which made referee’s Owen Elliot’s marginal call on an apparent illegal handpass from Ailish O’Reilly to a Niamh Kilkenny bearing down on goal cause such consternation among the Tribeswomen sideline, but two minutes later they had the sliotar in the back of the net.
The Westerners caught the Cats out in behind, with Siobhán McGrath’s looping handpass finding namesake Orlaith in space, before she kept her cool to power past the onrushing Aoife Norris in the Kilkenny goal and tap home.
But three final defeats in a row doesn’t come without it’s character building benefits, and one wondered if Doyle should have fired for goal instead of opting for the point at the end of a flowing move just before the half.
Two points behind at the break, the Cats changed tack slightly, creating more space in the forwards, and more opportunities from play.
They outscored last year’s conquerors by six points to three in the third quarter between the interval and the second water break, with three points from Denise Gaule in a game where every score was so crucial.
A marginal Galway handpass was the contentious decision in the first-half, and then, with only a few minutes left, another went Kilkenny's way.
This time as Anna Farrell burst through and found Denise Gaule as the Galway players cried 'throw' around her, Gaule was fouled, Elliot had his arms outstretched for a penalty, and Gaule finished with aplomb into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
From level, the Cats now led by three, and could smell Galway blood and redemption not only for last year's final, but indeed the two that preceeded that.
The O'Duffy Cup may be heading Noreside, but the monkey on their back will have a new home, on the banks of the Royal Canal.
Kilkenny: Aoife Norris; Michelle Teehan, Claire Phelan, Davina Tobin; Colette Dormer, Meghan Farrell, Grace Walsh; Anna Farrell, Kellyann Doyle; Miriam Walsh, Anne Dalton, Aoife Doyle; Mary O’Connell (Laura Murphy 54), Denise Gaule, Katie Nolan.
Galway: Sarah Healy; Shauna Healy, Sarah Dervan, Heather Cooney; Emma Helebert (Sarah Spellman 51), Siobhán Gardiner, Tara Kenny; Aoife Donohue (Rebecca Hennelly), Niamh Kilkenny; Carrie Dolan, Catriona Cormican, Siobhán McGrath; Ailish O’Reilly, Niamh Hannifan, Orlaith McGrath
Scorers for Kilkenny: D Gaule 1-6 (1-0 pen, 0-1 45, 0-4f), A Doyle 0-4, M O'Connell 0-1, A Dalton 0-1, K Nolan 0-1, G Walsh 0-1.
Scorers for Galway: C Dolan 0-6 (0-5f), O McGrath 1-0, S McGrath 0-2, A O'Reilly 0-1, A Donohue 0-1, N Kilkenny 0-1.
Referee: Owen Elliot (Antrim).
