LIBERTY INSURANCE JUNIOR CAMOGIE CHAMPIONSHIP
DUBLIN 2-3
KERRY 2-7
Attacker Sarah Murphy provided the inspiration at a sun-kissed O’Toole Park on Sunday afternoon, as Kerry held off a strong second-half fightback from Dublin to record a hard-earned victory in their opening Group 1 game of the 2014 Liberty Insurance Junior A Camogie Championship.
BY DAIRE WALSH
This was the first time that the two counties had faced each other in a competitive adult camogie encounter, and although the Metropolitans opened the scoring with a second-minute point courtesy of full forward Paula Malcolmson, the visitors were quick to respond with their first major of the contest.
Newcastle West’s Murphy (the one member of the squad not to be involved with Clanmaurice) was selected to play at centre forward, but instead lined out on the edge of the square, and after receiving the ball close to goal four minutes in, she dispatched an unstoppable shot into the bottom right hand corner.
This was just the tonic that David Doyle’s charges required in a tricky tie, and following a fine white flag effort from distance by half-forward Elaine Ryall five minutes later, the Kingdom extended their cushion to three points.
Some wasteful shooting from the hosts did allow Kerry off the hook to a certain degree, but the defensive dominance of full back line Julianne O’Keeffe, Aoife Fitzgerald and Michelle Costello did help them to build a platform further out the field.
Three points in succession from Murphy (two) and midfielder Ann Marie Leen created further daylight between the teams, and when corner forward Jessica Fitzell managed to divert a diagonal delivery past a deceived Ashling Spillane in first-half stoppage-time, Kerry brought a commanding 2-4 to 0-1 advantage into the interval.
There was reason for Kerry to be wary of a backlash from their Leinster counterparts, though, and just two minutes after the restart Erin’s Isle forward Lynn Devoy gave her side a lifeline with a hand-passed finish beyond netminder Michelle O’Carroll.
An 11th minute scoreless spell from both teams was ended by Murphy’s second ‘45’ of the game, but with a Clare Graham pointed free for Dublin being followed by a clinical three-pointer from substitute Amy Keoghan on 47 minutes, a nerve-wracking finale lay ahead for the Kerry girls.
However, thanks to strong work from defensive lynchpins Fitzgerald and Patrice Diggin, the home team were living off scraps, and though Laura Keoghan (free) added to Dublin’s tally, a brace of scores via the outstanding Murphy helped to give Kerry soon much-needed breathing space ahead of clashes against Carlow and Cavan.
KERRY: Michelle O’Carroll; Julianne O’Keeffe, Aoife Fitzgerald, Michelle Costello; Saidhbe Horgan, Patrice Diggin, Sinead Mackessy; Niamh Leen, Ann Marie Leen (0-1); Elaine Ryall (0-1), Laura Collins, Gillian McNamara; Cindy Cronin, Sarah Murphy (1-5, 0-2 ‘45’, 0-2f), Jessica Fitzell (1-0).
Subs: Claire Godley for McNamara (54).