LGFA TG4 All Ireland intermediate quarter final.
Kildare v Wexford
Crettyard, Co Laois
Referee Garryowen McMahon (Mayo)

H/T score Kildare 0.12 Wexford 1.04
F/T score Kildare 2.18 Wexford 2.07

Wexford and Kildare played each other again on Saturday afternoon last for the 2nd time in this years LGFA Intermediate championship. The previous meeting saw Kildare defeat today's opponents by 17 pts  in the Leinster semi final and in doing so it left  Wexford to take the scenic route through the qualifiers as they defeated London and Antrim enroute to days contest. Kildare were favourites to progress to the Semi finals but with Wexford having negotiated through the qualifiers had they build enough  momentum and confidence from those wins ?

Kildare got off to the perfect start with Aisling Holton winning possession from the throw in and breaking forward skipping tackles as she did to pop the ball over the bar for the opening score of the game. Kildare were tigerish in their tackles and pressured wexford breaking from defence. Ellen Dowling won and converted a free to put Kildare 2 points in front.  Roisin Byrne and Niamh Mulhall tagged on another 2 points to double the Kildare lead with the latter Mulhall point set up by Ellen Dowling as she dissected the Wexford back line with a pin point cross leaving Mulhall with a simple score.

Wexford didn't wilt and pushed for their 1st score and Maria Byrne obliged tapping over her and Wexford's 1st point of the game. Kildare's next score came from Maria Moolick but Wexford wee gaining a little bit of momentum now and Byrne got in for her 2nd point and Wexford then stung Kildare with a well taking goal from Catriona Murray to level the game.

That goal spurred on the Kildare girls to go up a gear. 4 unanswered points followed from Mckenna, Byrne, Moolick and Dowling. Moolicks point been the pick of the 4 as Holton scrapped and robbed a Wexford player of possession spotted her team mate in the corner kicked low ball into her and Moolick gathered spun while under pressure from Wexford backs  curled a high shot in over the bar. Wexford replied with a point from Clara Donnelly. Wexford keeper Brid Byrne was forced to kick out short such was the pressure from Kildare marking. Kildare winning a lot of turnover that  allowed McKenna 2pts and Dowling 1pt to score.

Kildare introduced Paula Keatley for the injured Rachel Reidy just before Wexford got the last  score of the half a point from Donnelly. Leaving the score at the interval Kildare 0.12 Wexford 1.04

Kildare introduced Eadaoin Connelly at the start of the 2nd half Niamh Mulhall making way for the Rathangan club player. Wexford had a lot of work to do to try and claw back the Kildare lead but it was Kildare that struck first with 2 quick points from McKenna and Byrne followed with  a well worked goal converted by Sarsfields Roisin Byrne. Aisling savage gathering ball on her own 13 meter line hand passed to Lydia furey on the left wing, Furey carried the ball forward and passed up the line into space, Connolly and her marker both racing for possession and it was connolly that just got ahead to allow her jump and touch the ball over her opponents head to wrong foot her. Gathering the breaking ball Connolly raced goal wards drawing players to her and spotting  Byrne coming in from the right released the pass  to see Byrne slip the ball passed Brid Byrne in the Wexford goals to great applause from the Kildare supporters in the stand. Kildare were Dominating all over the park and added another two points to their tally from McKenna and Byrne. Kildare made another change  Ailish Heavy replacing Rachel Cribbin. Kildare now leading 1.16 to 1.04.Kildare's next score coming with a stroke of luck for Roisin Byrne , Trina Duggans initial shot for goal coming off the bottom  left hand upright rebounding out and across to the right with Kildares Byrne reacting quickest gathered the ball and broke through two on rushing Wexford defenders struck for  goal and her shot hit the same post Duggan had hit seconds earlier only this time the ball rebounded back into the net across and behind the Wexford net minder. Byrne turning and smiling, leaving the whole goal frame still rocking and swaying such was the power in her shot. Kildare introduced their final subs for the day Sarah Munnelly replacing Mikaela Mckenna and Grace Clifford replacing Roisin Byrne.  Dowling and Connolly pointed again for Kildare and this was to be Kildare's last score of the game.

Wexford kept fighting and never gave up tagging on a point from Katie Redmond and an unfortunate error from Kildare net minder Rebecca McGuirk saw her kick out fall short and for Redmond to gather and with her quick thinking lob the back peddling Keeper to see the ball nestle in the back of the Kildare net. Wexford Captain Roisin Murphy popped over her 1st point of the game and Redmond finished the games scoring with a point leaving the final score in Crettyard Kildare 2.18 Wexford 2.07.

Kildare march on now to  a Semi Final v Offaly on 5th September. A repeat of the Leinster Final and we all know how close a contest that was which makes this semi final contest a mouth watering prospect.

Kildare team,  Rebecca McGuirk, Tara Hallinan, Lydia Furey, Rachel Reidy, Aisling Curley, Aisling Savage, Rachel Cribbin, Joanna Timmins, Aisling Holton (0.01), Niamh Mulhall (0.01), Ellen Dowling (0.04 1 Free)Trina Duggan, Mikaela McKenna (0.05 1 Free) Roisin Byrne (2.04) Maria Moolick (0.02) 

Subs.   Paula Keatley for Rachel Reidy, Eadaoin Connolly (0.01) for Niamh Mulhall, Grace Clifford for Roisin Byrne, Sarah Munnelly for Mikaela McKenna, Ailish Heavy for Rachel Cribbin.

Fixtures

Intermediate final Tuesday 25th August in Hawkfield at 7.45pm.
Eadestown v Clane. Referee Angela Gallagher.

Intermediate relegation play off Tuesday 25th August Hawkfield  at 7.30pm
Ballykelly v Castlemitchell. Referee Sean Duane

Tuesday 25th August
Senior champ semi final in JTB at 7.30pm
Balyna v Sarsfields referee Tony Lennon.

Tues 25th
Junior A champ semi final in Carbury at 7.30pm
Carbury v Moorefield Referee Tom Casserly.

Tues 25th
Junior A semi final in Ballyteague at 7.30pm
Na Fianna v Kilcock Referee Jason Corcoran.

Tues 25th
Senior champ relegation play off in Maynooth at 7.30pm
Maynooth v Confey referee Liam Herbert

 

U17 All Ireland Blitz 2015

The u17 academy in Kildare was run under the guidance of John Dunne, Mick Sheen and Dave price with the aim of the academy to help provide players with pathways to best assist their development and transition towards adult football with emphasises on player and team development through educational and practical sessions.
28 girls were involved throughout the 10 week academy programme and due to holidays and commitments on the day of the blitz Kildare travelled to Dublin with 18 players.

Kildare were placed in group 1 along with Dublin, Mayo and Cork Red. Counties in Group 2 were Armagh, Carlow, Cork White, Meath and from overseas New York.

This was the 1st time the Kildare girls played as a unit and this was the day to showcase everything they had learned over the past 10 weeks.
In the opening game the girls played well and only a goal separated the sides in the finish losing out to Dublin 1.07 to 0.07. Next up was Mayo, a tough 1st half had the Kildare girls on the back foot, with a very strong Mayo team bossing the 1st Half. The kildare girls went about the 2nd half in business like  fashion winning that half but losing out in the finish 2.10 to 2.05, despite the loss the girls again gave a good account of themselfs and were enjoying the football.
Next up the girls played Cork Red and this was a good team game from all the girls getting their 1st win of the blitz winning 5.03 to 1.05
Kildare finished 3rd in their group behind Mayo and Dublin while the aforementioned went on to compete for the championship proper Kildare found themselfs drawn against New York in the Shield final. The New york girls were a tall strong physical team and it was easy to see how a lot of them played basketball, catching balls you would normally see dropped or patted down . Kildare forced this tie into extra time as the sides finished level 0.04 each at end of normal time. Kildare weathered the storm in extra time and kept the big apple team scoreless while adding another 1.02 to their tally running out Shield winners on the day.
Final score Kildare 1.06 New york 0.04.

18 girls represented Kildare on the day and for the Majority of the team it was their 1st time to don the county jersey and play football at a higher level than normal. The girls can be proud of their days work and are a credit to themselfs, their clubs, family and county.
Some of the girls may go on and play Minor county football in 2016 but for them all it was about fun, new friendship and the 1st stepds to playing senior football.

Kildare u17 academy team were. Amy Heffernan, Kelly Anne Scully, Catherine Jones, Sharon Casey Grey, Cliona Sullivan, Anna Harney, Ciara Fennin, Tara Breen, Ciara Wosser, Nicole Gorry, Nicole Dooley, Laura Rattigan, Doireann Peelo, Amie Fitzpatrick, Evie Carter, Ainne Murphy, Sarah Carthy, Shannon Grant.
Coaches, John Dunne, Mick Sheen, Dave Price, Physio Pauline Byrne.

 

More championship action for the week ahead.

Senior champ semi final
Thursday 27th at 7.30pm
Leixlip v St Laurences

Saturday 29th Junior B semi finals at 7.30pm
Athy v Kildangan Nurney in Athy
Suncroft v Rheban in Suncroft

Junior C semi finals have to be confirmed.

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