All Ireland U16 B Championship, Round 5
Kildare 1-12
Kerry 3 -5
Kerry travelled to Kildare on Sunday in this round 5 match.
Kildare opened the scoring with an early free before Ally Russell got Kerry on the board with a free in the 3rd minute. Kerry then scored the first goal of the game in the 6th minute, thanks to a well-executed finish by Clodagh Carroll, following some brilliant build-up play. The sides exchanged points, with Sinead Flynn delivering an excellent score for Kerry. Kerry's goalkeeper Emily O'Donoghue then made a series of fantastic saves to deny Kildare a goal. While Kildare had the momentum, they struggled to break through Kerry's resilient full-back line of Sarah Chute, Hayley O'Connor, and Siofra Murphy. Kildare did manage to notch up four points in the final 10 minutes of the half, with Sinead Flynn adding another fine point for Kerry. Just before halftime, Georgia Kennedy struck Kerry’s second goal, leaving the score at Kerry 2-3, Kildare 0-6.
Kildare dominated the early stages of the second half, scoring a goal in the 7th minute to level the game. Kerry regained the lead with a point from Aoibheann Hennessy in the 9th minute, but Kildare quickly responded with two points to edge ahead by a point midway through the second half. At this point, Kildare were firmly in control, adding four unanswered points and seeming on course for victory. However, Kerry fought back in the closing moments, with Nicole Power scoring a goal and Ally Russell adding a point to bring the game to within a point. Despite Kerry’s late surge, Kildare held on for a hard-earned win, finishing with a final score of 1-12 to 3-5.
Kerry have now secured their place in the U16 B All-Ireland semi-final, where they will face Laois on Monday, April 21st, at a venue to be confirmed.
Kerry: Emily O’Donoghue, Sarah Chute, Hayley O’Connor, Siofra Murphy, Rachel Lennon, Ava Kennelly , Jessica Leen, Nicole Power (1-0f), Evie O’Sullivan, Sinead Flynn (0-2), Aoibheann Hennessy (0-1), Ally Russell (0-2, 0-1f), Anna Maria Harty G Kennedy (1-0), Clodagh Carroll (1-0). Subs: Abbey Boyle for Anna Maria Harty, Emma Gaynor for Evie O’Sullivan, Caoimhe Nolan for Aoibheann Hennessy, Shannon Murphy for Sarah Chute, Aoibhinn Flaherty for Siofra Murphy, Cliona McElligott for Nicole Power, Ellie O’Connor for Ally Russell.
