Carlow make winning start to All-Ireland Championship
Sara Doyle wheels away in delight after scoring Carlow's third goal during their win over Limerick Photo: Pat Ahern
Carlow got their championship aspirations off to a great start when they ran out easy winners over Limerick in this TG4 All Ireland Junior Championship first round game in Netwatch Cullen Park on Sunday.
The visitors got off to a dream start when taking possession from the throw-in they put a series of passes together which ended up with Éadaoin Crowe firing to the home net after just 20 seconds. Caoimhe McNamara and Laoise Brown tacked on further points before Carlow got off the mark on three minutes when Bronagh Nolan took her point with a half-goal chance on.
In reply Clodagh Real scored a Limerick point to leave them five points clear with only five minutes gone.
From there, Carlow showed tremendous resolve and dominated for the remainder of the half. When Limerick lost the ball 30 metres out, Clíodhna Ní Shé flicked home after a passing movement opened the away defence. Aibha Kiernan added a second goal but Carlow had further chances to extend the lead but were happy to be ahead 2-5 to 1-4 at the interval.
Early second half points from Roisin Bailey and Sarah Doyle reinforced Carlow’s grip on proceedings and when Doyle scored a third Carlow goal at the end of the third quarter, there was only going to be one winner.
They did get a lesson and having switched off defensively, Limerick’s Caoimhe McNamara stole in for a three-pointer which required a good finish from the right at the tunnel end of the ground.
Carlow missed as many chances as they found scores in the second half but long before the final whistle brought an end to proceedings, there was only going to be one winner.
C Ní Shé 1-4 (2fs), S Doyle 1-4, A Kiernan 1-1, B Nolan, C O’Neill, R Bailey 0-1 each .
L Brown 0-5, C McNamara 1-1 (0-1f), E Crowe 1-0, C Real 0-1.
Nicole Hanley; Aoife Carroll, Anne Roche, Siofra O’Neill; Aoibhinn Webb, Niamh Forde, Ruth Bermingham; Roisin Bailey, Caoimhe O’Neill; Edel Hayden, Clíodhna Ní Shé, Amy Hanley; Bronagh Nolan, Sara Doyle, Aibha Kiernan. Subs: Megan Townsend for Hayden (47), Maria Healy for A Hanley (51), Niamh Murphy for S O’Neill (53), Grace Lawlor for Bermingham (57), Sarah Nolan for Nolan (58).
Sophie Hennessy; Shona Hickey, Ciara Ryan, Rebecca Fitzgibbon; Clodagh Real, Alex Russell, Meadhbh MacNamara; Orla Ryan, Emma Hickey; Caoimhe McNamara, Lucy O’Brien, Éadaoin Crowe; Molly Creedon, Tara Geoghegan, Laoise Brown.Subs: Aine Ryan for Geoghegan (38), Jillian Buckley for Creedon (47), Kathy Childs for Ryan (55), Chloe Collum for C McNamara (58).
Maggie Farrelly (Cavan)
