Under 16 Finals - Laois, Wexford and Kildare take the spoils

Results of Under 16 Championship and Shield Finals played at Thomastown

Under 16B Championship Final

Laois 3-9  Dublin 0-5

They say the scoreboard doesn’t lie but sometimes it fails to tell the full story.    With 55 minutes gone on the clock Laois held a 1-6 to 0-5 lead over a very able Dublin side.  But in a blistering closing 8 minutes the midlanders notched up 2-3 without reply to seal victory.

Nevertheless the win was richly deserved as throughout the game Laois always had the edge particularly in defence where none of the Dublin forwards scored from play and Cliodhna Nicoletti garnered their only point from play when operating at midfield.

But an heroic Dublin defensive performance from ‘keeper Maeve Bogan to No. 7 Claire Clinton kept Laois at bay until the final minutes.

Laois can also thank its defence who were simply outstanding. None more so than player of the match Clodagh Tynan at centre back whose every touch and reading of the play had a future senior star look about it. Not far behind in the quality stakes were wing half Molly O’Connor and full-back and joint captain Aimee Collier.  They never gave Dublin a centimetre or a second to fix on the target.

While it took their attack some time to find the range – players of the calibre of Kirsten Keenan, Eimear Fitzpatrick, Áine Cuddy and Catherine Galbrith – always looked like making possession count. 

Laois Joint Captains Aimee Collier (left) and Áine Cuddy with Leinster Chair Pat Martin

Full-forward Keenan was first off the mark inside two minutes with a point but in fairness to Dublin’s excellent full-back Helen Barr, her next score didn’t come for another 28 minutes.  Former GAA President Liam O’Neill was present to see his godchild Catherine Galbrith star for Laois.  She has the touch and eye of a very good forward and was always trying to find an opening.  Centre forward Áine Cuddy also gave a fine display at centre forward and the class of Keenan, Galbrith and Cuddy would be seen to telling effect in the closing quarter when they buried any hopes Dublin had.

The critical first half score for Laois came in the 18th minute when a long range free from Clodagh Tynan was batted clear but not far enough and Eimear Fitzpatrick punished the error with a goal.  It gave Laois a platform and while they spurned a number of chances in the first half, that early 1-2 to 0-1 advantage was enough to allow them set the mark.

Dublin were left to rely on the free-taking of the excellent Cliodhna Nicoletti and she converted a free and a 45 before scoring a brilliant point from play in the 28th minute following a smashing high grab.  That left the scoreline at Laois 1-3 to 0-3 for Dublin at the break.

Dublin needed to ask some serious questions of the Laois team early in the second period but as happened it was Maeve Bogan in the Dublin goal who was called on to make a fine save in the 33rd minute.  A minute later Kirsten Keenan nailed a point but Dublin hit back with a free and a 45 from Cliodhna Nicoletti after Chloe O’Connor’s hard work was rewarded with a few frees.

But try as they did with Lauren Robinson and Sarah Fenlon to the fore in the Dublin defence as well as midfielder Megan Benson, Dublin’s attacks came to nought against a brilliant Laois defence where Clodagh Tynan was simply magnificent.

Kirsten Keenan tagged on two more points to give Laois a 1-6 to 0-5 lead by the 43rd minute.  The next 13 minutes were scoreless but as the challenge of the gutsy Dublin side was nullified, Laois found a purple patch to hit inspirational points from Eimear Fitzpatrick and Áine Cuddy before a spectacular double in the air by Catherine Galbrith gave Maeve Bogan no chance.  Another Fitzpatrick point and a goal with the last puck of the match from a 45 by Kirsten Farrell gave the O’Moore County a fully deserved win.

Player of the match Clodagh Tynan (Laois)

Laois Scorers: Kirsten Keenan (1-5), Eimear Fitzpatrick (1-2), Catherine Galbrith (1-1), Áine Cuddy (0-1).

Dublin Scorer: Cliodhna Nicoletti (0-5)

Referee:  Aiden O’Brien

Player of the Match U16B Championship Final	Player of the Match U16C Championship Final
Clodagh Tynan (Laois) with Leinster Chair Pat Martin	Róisín Roche (Kildare)

Under 16B Shield Final

Wexford 4-12  Kildare 1-2

Wexford will be the first to admit that despite the scoreline, Kildare held their own in many sections of the field.  Their undoing was up front where the Wexford back were more often than not first to the ball and kept a very tight rein on the Lilywhites attacking six. 

Kildare have some lovely camogie players – great hands, clean striking and a very determined approach but unfortunately for them two Wexford goals in as many minutes just before half-time from captain Aoife Dempsey and Elena Kenny turned a 1-6 scoreline to a much more daunting 3-6 tally.

Throughout the half Wexford were the better side and full-forward Eimear Byrne, as well as Elena Kenny, Muireann Fitzpatrick and Mary-Kate Doyle were notching up the scores and eating into confidence of the Kildare girls. 

Sarah Buggy in the Lilywhites goal did all she could to stop the charge with a string of fine saves.  Defenders Ali Crawford, Ellen O’Boyle, Hannah Goodfellow, Emily Dunne, Ana Blake and Amy Gallagher were not shirking their tasks either.

But Emma Dempsey (seen right) - with dad Wexford All-Ireland hurler Tom and mam camogie player Sinéad (Codd) – and her partner Lorna Fortune were on top at midfield and the scores followed from the likes of Eimear Byrne, Muireann Fitzpatrick and Mary-Kate Doyle (1-3 in the first half).

Kildare got a great pointed free from Ruth Millet to leave them with a bit of a mountain to climb at half-time trailing 3-6 to 0-1.

That did not deter them and Hannah Kearns got a fine point in the 38th minute to be followed by a great Aideen Walsh goal in the 43rd.    Sophie Roche also had to make a fine save in the Wexford goal.  But Wexford hadn’t gone away and the “Doyle, Byrne, Fitzpatrick, Kenny” scoring quartet kept up the onslaught to add another 1-6 between them.

Wexford Scorers:  Mary-Kate Doyle (2-4), Elena Kenny (1-3), Eimear Byrne (0-3), Muireann Fitzpatrick (0-2), Aoife Dempsey (1-0).

Kildare Scorers:  Aideen Walsh (1-0), Ruth Millet (0-1), Hannah Kearns (0-1)

Referee:  Eamonn Larkin

Captains Call
Under 16C Championship	Under 16B Shield	Under 16B Shield	Under 16B Championship
Grace Carragher of Kildare	Aoife Dempsey (Wexford)	Emily Dunne (Kildare)	Megan Benson (Dublin)

Under 16C Championship Final

Kildare 1-8  Wicklow 0-0

Kildare had a scoring ace in full-forward Róisín Roche who accounted for six of her side’s eight points.  She was a huge asset to her team as in general play Wicklow, appearing in their first final, competed bravely throughout the field.  Goalkeeper Sarah Davis was composed between the posts and Amy Switzer, Leah Carroll and Katie Ann O’Neill were among a number of fine players on the Garden County side.

Clodagh Murphy gave Kildare a great start with an early goal and that plus three points from Róisín Roche gave the eventual winners a 1-3 to nil lead at the interval.

Wicklow Captain Leah Farrell with Leinster Chair Pat Martin

To Wicklow’s credit they managed to shut out any more goals and Kildare were made to earn their victory in the second period.   Roísín Roche picked off three more scores but Nicole Farrell and Grace Kielty also put their names on the scoresheet.

Kildare Scorers: Róisín Roche (0-6), Clodagh Murphy (1-0), Nicole Farrell (0-1) and Grace Kielty (0-1)

Referee:  Suzanne Ford