Hot-shot Kennedy hits hat-trick in county final
MLR minor camogie players show their delight at clinching the Carlow camogie minor championship Photo: Pat Ahern
Mount Leinster Rangers emerged victorious from a keenly contested minor camogie final at Carlow GAA HQ on Sunday. A game of few points was decided by a clinical hat-trick from corner-forward Rachel Kennedy of the winning team. Naomh Bríd’s players battled hard throughout and should take plenty of positives as they continue to develop at a fledgling stage, but the side in black and red undoubtedly deserved to take the silverware home to Borris.
There was little between the sides in the early minutes, with Rangers having the first dangerous attack in the third minute, but the Leighlinbridge side defended it excellently. Full-forward Sarah Kehoe made sure the next attack ended with a return on the scoreboard with a fine point a minute later. Naomh Bríd had a good spell which included a phenomenal run from Kate Burke which deserved some kind of a score, and she followed that with brilliant point not long after. That storm was weathered and Rangers went two points ahead through Molly Kavanagh points after good work by Kehoe on both occasions. A crucial moment came on seventeen minutes when a Naomh Bríd clearance invited danger on, and after a goalmouth scramble, Kennedy funnelled the ball over the line. Naomh Bríd responded four minutes later with a well-taken free by Clodagh Lawler. Although though both sides played with plenty of intent for the remainder of the half, defences won out and there were no more scores in the last ten minutes. Rangers went in for the half-time oranges up by four points, with the scoreline reading 1-03 to 0-02.
The winning side had the game as good as wrapped up before the fortieth minute. Kehoe and Martha Dolan notched two fine points before Kennedy went on a fine dribble and got her second goal. She had her hat-trick three minutes later, and it was the pick of the bunch – a brilliant finish after more good work from Kehoe. The losing side found it very difficult to escape their opponents pressure once they were penned in. They didn’t get their first score of the half until fifty-first minute, but it was at least one of great skill from Burke as she shot from a tight angle. They were prevented from closing the gap by tenacious defending and the stop-start nature of the game, with the whistle of referee Brian Deering a familiar sound by the end. Lawlor fired a fine point in the death throes but the game had been over long before then.
It isn’t just relying on cliché to say that both teams should take positives from the game. Getting to the final is an achievement in itself, and Naomh Bríd had some good moments. Burke and Lawler displayed their ability in front of goal, while Jackie Prendergast had one or two fine bits of skill. At the back, they had a tough day but the likes of Jane Kavanagh and Eimear O’Toole kept plugging away and showed quality. But the day was, of course, about the victors. They say defence wins championships and that rang through on Sunday. They limited their opponents to four points, hunting for the ball with tenacity and cohesion, with Caoilfhionn Lawler and Sarah Joyce standing out in terms of noteworthy moments of quality. Dolan and Alice Dalton held things together in the engine room, while there was no shortage of finesse in attack. Kavanagh and Kehoe showed their class, but Rachel Kennedy stole the show. A hat-trick in the county final from the corner-forward simply can’t be ignored, and without her goals it would have been a different game. There were great scenes at the end as the winning team celebrated and made memories that won’t be forgotten.
Áine Doyle; Emma Coleman, Ava O’Dwyer, Shannon Doyle; Caoilfhionn Lawler, Sarah Joyce, Rachel Martin; Martha Dolan 0-1, Alice Dalton; Aoibhe, Molly Kavanagh 0-2 (1f), Charlotte Cullen; Ella Foley, Sarah Kehoe 0-2, Rachel Kennedy 3-0. SUBS: Siobhan Brennan for Ella Foley, 46; Aibhe Steger for Emma Coleman, 54.
Niamh Brennan; Jane Kavanagh, Moya O’Toole, Eabha Cody; Eimear O’Toole, Maura Kavanagh, Liadh Nolan; Bronagh Nolan, Sarah Devine; Colette O’Brien, Molly Callaghan, Eva Dooley; Kate Burke 0-2, Clodagh Lawler 0-2 (2f), Jackie Prendergast. SUBS: Kelly Ann O’Neill for Sarah Devine, 57; Ruby Prendergast for Niamh Brennan, 57.
