KILKENNY was crowned Tesco All-Ireland Minor A Camogie champions after a 2-12 to 0-12 win over Cork in the All-Ireland final in LIT Gaelic Grounds, Limerick.
The Leinster side played excellent throughout and deserved to win, with Sarah Barcoe outstanding for the champs.
Cork had the better start. Two early Cork points put them into the ascendancy, with Orlaith Mullins and Aimee Morgan finding the target.
Barcoe then scored Kilkenny’s first point, quickly cancelled out by Ciara Golden.
Emma Shorthall’s effort came before Barcoe goal for the game’s opening goal, a neat finish to put Kilkenny ahead for the first time.
Morgan replied with a score for Cork as the Rebels trailed at the first water break, with Kilkenny holding a one-point lead after an exciting opening period.
Kilkenny then dominated to half-time, scoring three unanswered points with Amy Clifford (2) and Barcoe finding the target, as Mike Wall’s side held a 1-5 to 0-4 lead at the interval.
KILKENNY AHEAD AT WATER BREAK
Emma Manogue opened the second half scoring for Kilkenny to stretch the gap to five.
Cork responded with four successive scores to reduce the deficit to the minimum.
Claire Doheny and Meadhbh Ring swapped scores as Kilkenny held a 1-7 to 0-9 lead at the second half water break.
Whatever Wall said to his players at the water-break certainly had the required impact as Kilkenny were phenomenal in the final quarter.
They played like real champs and were a joy to watch as Asha McHardy, Amy Clifford, Barcoe and Shortall added scores to restore Kilkenny’s five-point lead.
Shortall’s 52nd minute goal all but ended the game as a contest, as it left eight between the sides heading into the final stages and Kilkenny was never going to relinquish that advantage.
Cork fought until the bitter end but it was too little avail as their opponents held out for a six-point win.
Wall praised his side’s composure when Cork came back in the third quarter.
‘KEEP CALM AND HOLD YOUR SHAPE’
The Kilkenny manager remarked how the message to his side at the second half water break was to keep calm and hold their shape.
“There were no major words. Our main thing was not to panic. When we went ahead we never went behind. I think that was the big thing for us. All we really said was keep doing what we’re doing. We knew we had the backs.
“Cork was playing a sweeper. That was their prerogative, but we knew if we held our shape we’d hold out,” the Kilkenny manager said.
This was Kilkenny’s first title at minor level since 2015, though they hold the record for the most All-Ireland minor titles won, Sunday’s was their seventh success.
