By Daragh Ó Conchúir
ONLY one Littlewoods Ireland Camogie League Division 1 game survived the deluge that played havoc with sporting events throughout the country and it was Kilkenny that benefited with a second-half master class to overcome Dublin by 3-17 to 3-5 at the Parnells GAA complex in Coolock.
Both sets of players produced a wonderful hour of Camogie despite the attritional conditions in what was a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland Semi-Final.
The champions got off to a very quick start with points from Danielle Morrissey (free) and Anne Dalton inside the opening minute.
Eimear McCarthy opened the scoring for Dublin but it was the visitors that were dominant in the initial phases and they stretched their advantage to five after 11 minutes thanks to a flurry of points from play by Miriam Walsh and Katie Power, who landed two apiece.
A key member of the Dublin team that reached last year’s Premier Junior All-Ireland Final, Róisín Baker stopped the rot and that was the genesis a brilliant run of a goal and four points that rocked Kilkenny back on their heels, albeit momentarily.
Zoe O’Donoghue continued the early impression she has made this term with her second goal in a week, the ex-Waterford player being given her opportunity in the absence of All-Star attacker Aisling Maher.
A seven-point contributor last week, Siobhán Kehoe hit three consecutive points, including two from play and David Herity’s charges were a couple ahead.
Kilkenny are full of experience but it was Minor, Aoife Doyle who provided the riposte they needed with a goal just before the interval and a point in injury time to put her side back in front by 1-7 to 1-5 at half time.
Dublin resumed in ideal fashion with a goal from Emma Flanagan, who like O’Donoghue, also raised a green flag in last week’s draw with Limerick but the Noresiders found another two gears and the hosts were unable to respond.
They shot two goals and eight points by the time the Sky Blues added to their tally with an Alex Griffin goal five minutes from time but by then, the destination of the three points for the ‘W’ was beyond doubt.
Morrissey provided three of the points and Dalton two, with the other minors provided by Walsh and Doyle, while it was Malone that made the killer contributions with a brace of goals in three minutes at the beginning of the final quarter.
It was left to Morrissey, who finished with five points and Walsh, who brought her tally to four from play, to complete the scoring and stretch the margin to 12 at the final whistle.
