Kilkenny Intermediate Camogie team got knocked out at the penultimate stage of the Intermediate Championship at the hands of Derry after extra-time
Kilkenny took on Derry in this year’s GlenDimplex Intermediate All-Ireland championship semi-final. The game started with a blistering pace, the teams were level for four times in the opening quarter. Kilkenny missed chances in the opening half and that left the door open for Derry to go into the interval a point to the good 0-6 to 0-5.
Second half Kilkenny stared to play better, they went on a scoring spree getting six unanswered points, the purple patch was started when goalie Cliona Murphy saved a penalty for the Kittens and it seemed to spur on the stripy women. Heading into injury time one point ahead, murphy was called into action again late on to save a Derry shot which was put out for a forty-five, the resulting free was converted to bring the game to extra-time.
Kilkenny failed to score in the opening period of extra-time and that gave Derry a lead which they would not relinquish. Kilkenny got a couple of scores in the second period of extra-time but Derry took control as they finished with a flourish to book a spot in next month’s decider. Final score Kilkenny 0-14, Derry 0-21
“In the first half we didn’t get up to the pace of the game with them, they were on a mountain of possessions, we their number six had fourteen possessions in the first half alone. Second half we came out and we got organized and tidied things up a bit, the last fifteen minutes we showed the character that this team has shown all year, to be trailing a lot of that game to come back when it matters and to get scores under pressure and be one point up in injury time, but for the forty five it could have been a different story”
“I think the turning point in that game was when Cliona Murphy saved that penalty the whole thing just lifted, in fairness to her she made two there today, in fairness all year long these girls have given there all, they did die with their boots on today, I think Derry just had the extra legs when it mattered the most in extra-time and they were able to push on and we just tired. I think our backs were immense the whole way through the sixty minutes they battled hard, there was a lot of ball coming back in on top of them but they just kept plugging away at it”
“At half time we felt we were in the game and we were able to hurl them when it mattered, we had our opportunities and we didn’t take them, at this level at this stage of the competition if you don’t take your chances your going to be punished. Derry took there’s when mattered the most and they pushed it on and got over the line. Look Derry are a great side they’re well coached and well drilled, they have ambitions of been a senior team again. We’re the only second team left in it and it can be a challenge to try and balance players up and down but I think what this team has achieved this year I know its minor stuff now we’re gutted not to be in an All-Ireland final, they got a league final pushed a replay, won the Leinster title, got to the last four in the Intermediate competition, they had a great championship campaign topping the group, there is great things to take from it, these girls are absolutely gutted, they’re off their feet in there, but everyone came in tried there best, I couldn’t fault them, they died with their boots on”
“The great thing about Intermediate this year was, I was trying to look back at the progress, I don’t know how many Intermediate teams over the years have managed to get to so many finals or close to a final, we were only a puck of a ball away from been in a third final this year for Kilkenny Intermediates that’s fantastic”
“There is a lot of people who should be acknowledged more so than me, there is thirty five girls in there and there honesty all year has been brilliant, the travelling these girls did, driving from Cork twice a week or travelling from Dublin during the winter, the management team as well giving up their time, at the end of the day we’re all volunteers doing this and we’re all doing it because every time you come to Kilkenny you just love the attitude these girls have, you love wanting to come training and working with them, yes we have our ups and our downs, when I go into that dressing room I know them girls are hurt but I know that Kilkenny’s future is secure in my eyes, there is girls coming through now from minor and under sixteen, girls in that dressing room that are going to be senior players and there going to step into the shoes of girls that may move on after this year”
“There’s going to be a bit of change in Kilkenny now that we know that Brian has stepped down, he’s probably the reason I’m in here this year to try help him and get a nice balance. I think those girls have done Kilkenny proud they died with their boots on they pushed on it was unfortunate in the end that we couldn’t push over the line”
Listen back to the full interview at link below
