2023 Electric Ireland All Ireland Minor Championship

Minor A: Round 2

MATCH REPORT

By Sarah Gaughran (Galway Camogie PRO)
The Galway Minor camogie team made it two wins from two in the in the Electric Ireland Minor A Camogie championship after the overcame Kilkenny in a close encounter in difficult conditions in Duggan Park in Ballinasloe on Sunday. Galway had to battle hard throughout the contest to ensure the victory and it was two second half goals through a Caoimhe Kelly penalty and a long range free from Aoibheann Barry that helped in sealing the victory for Galway.

It was Kilkenny who opened the scoring with a free from Rachael Dowling and a Rose Kelly point from play in the opening six minutes. Barry, Galway’s top scorer in the game brought the sides level by the 14 th minute with a point from play and another one from a free to leave the sides deadlocked heading up to the midway part of the half. Kilkenny, however, went on a scoring spree scoring three unanswered points between the 15 th and 26 th minutes. A Dowling free and two from Muireann Gannon left three between the sides. Barry got her third point of the day through a 45m free on the 31 st minute but Kelly responded for Kilkenny just before the break to leave Kilkenny a goal in front on a scoreline of Kilkenny 0-6 Galway 0-3.

It was a very low scoring second half for both sides. It was the 37th minute before the first score of the half came. Galway were awarded a penalty and Sarsfields sharpshooter Caoimhe Kelly made no mistake in sticking the ball in the back of the Kilkenny net to bring the sides level. Kilkenny responded well to the Galway goal with a Dowling free and a point from Julie Lennon to put Kilkenny two points ahead. It was 10 minutes before the next and final score of the game was registered. Barry lobbed a long ball into the square and the ball hopped off the astro surface in Duggan Park and past Ali Kennedy in the Kilkenny net to secure the victory for Galway by the narrowest of margins. Galway 2-3 Kilkenny 0-8.

Caoimhe Hickey, Ava Crowe, Aoibheann Barry, Katie Scully and Clodagh O’Meara were some of Galway’s top performers on the day while Rachael Dowling, Rose Kelly, S Kerr, Muireann Gannon and Laura Phelan performed well for Kilkenny. With two wins in the bag for Galway, a victory against Dublin next weekend should secure their place in the All-Ireland Semi Finals with two games in hand against Tipperary and Cork.

Galway:
C Hickey, S Kelly, A Crowe (JC), K Scully, G Leen, C McGrath, Z Rogers, T M Murray, A Massey, A Barry (1-3, 1-1F, 0-1 45M), K Madden, C O’Meara, A Fahy, C Kelly (1-0 pen), S Carr
Substitutes: E Doyle for Rodgers, K Earner for T M Murray, K Coleman for S Kelly, K Burke for Fahy, L Nic Donnacha for Leen, S Flynn for Massey.

• PLAYER PROFILES: Minor panel
• MANAGEMENT: Minor management
• FIXTURES: Minor A Championship fixtures

MATCH DAY MASCOT

Nollaig Kelly, Mountbellew Moylough Camogie Club