TWO EXTRA TIME goals from super-sub Katie Nolan separated Kilkenny from their neighbours Waterford and got them over the line in a dramatic Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie quarter-final that required extra time to find a result.
Nolan is a dual All-Star, who was player of the match as she bagged her second All-Ireland medal with a brilliant performance in the 2022 final, but she has had to be satisfied with a place on the bench during this year’s championship with a slew of young guns making their presence felt.
The St Martin’s attacker has scored in every game when introduced, but her influence was never more crucial than to shake the net twice with an All-Ireland quarter-final in the melting pot.
She could thank Steffi Fitzgerald for the assists, but Kilkenny had a lot of heroes. Laura Murphy was an inspirational operator around the middle third and few would argue with her POTM award.
The O’Loughlin Gaels star scored five points from play when the Cats lost in extra time at the same stage of the competition 12 months ago.
After scoring an early point, Murphy hit the ground and immediately pounded the turf in obvious agony.
After a period of treatment, she left the pitch, got further treatment and a heavy strapping, and returned to the fray for more than an hour, finishing with four points and hurling a massive amount of ball.
Kilkenny’s Laura Greene has a shot at goal. james lawlor photos
james lawlor photos
Aoife Prendergast, who had a penalty saved last year, lofted over nine points while the defence excelled, youngster Ava Brett tasked with hounding former player of the year Beth Carton and doing a fantastic job, and the likes of Michelle Teehan and Caoimhe Dowling also standing up well.
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Ironically, given what unfolded 12 months ago, it was Carton who failed to register a score from a penalty this time, the De La Salle genius firing just wide at the end of the first half.
The nature of a game like this though, meant that there would be any amount of moments that might have been difference-makers.
It was nip and tuck throughout. The teams were level eight times in regulation play, so it did not come as a surprise that an hour wasn’t enough to separate these two gritty sides.
It was a game in which defences largely held sway with Tiffanie Fitzgerald and Laoise Forrester as spare defenders for the Nore and Suir crew respectively.
Waterford had to plan without the suspended multiple All-Star Niamh Rockett, who had been utilised off the bench in the last two round-robin games. Not having her to call upon in knockout fare was a considerable blow.
Not that you’d have known it from the throw-in, as Mairéad O’Brien rounded Niamh Deely to open the scoring and Carton followed up with a brilliant score over the shoulder.
Kilkenny settled, Prendergast’s 12th minute pointed free the first of four consecutive scores, the Dicksboro ace adding two more after Murphy galloped into open territory and split the posts.
Carton and Annie Fitzgerald helped re-establish Waterford’s advantage and Michael Boland’s girls led by 0-9 to 0-7 at the interval, Abby Flynn and Lorraine Bray slotting two points after Carton’s 30th minute penalty miss to give them some separation.
Kilkenny stormed out of the traps after the resumption with three points to restore a slim advantage.
Sarah Barcoe and Murphy grabbed two of those, and Barcoe’s influence grew significantly in the second half, until an injury forced her to have two bouts of temporary substitution before finally having to leave the fray.
Kilkenny's Laura Murphy is fouled by Waterford's Alannah McNulty. james lawlor photos
james lawlor photos
The Thomastown flier had been well covered by Vikki Falconer but as the supply began to improve, she brought her tally to three points, and was fouled for one of Prendergast’s frees.
Barcoe’s third made it 0-14 to 0-12 in the 54th minute and by now, Waterford had dispensed with the sweeper. They earned their reward by drawing level via points from Fitzgerald and Eimear O’Neill and after sub Claire Doheny nudged Kilkenny ahead, a converted free from Carton in the second minute of injury time necessitated another 20 minutes and change.
Unsurprisingly perhaps, as energy drained, spaces opened and Kilkenny made the most of their goal chances. Soon after Fitzgerald had nosed Waterford ahead on 15 seconds, Murphy created one chance brilliantly but shot just wide.
Nolan made no mistake seconds later, with a superb finish in the 62nd minute after Steffi Fitzgerald had a shot brilliantly saved by Brianna O’Regan. The sliotar looped into the air, but Nolan was on hand to double majestically to the net.
The diminutive sharpshooter had another effort deflected wide later on, Prendergast ensuring there was some yield from the resultant 45.
Fitzgerald drew the last defender to give Nolan a far simpler goal chance in the 78th minute but Maggie Gostl drilled to the net off the deck at the other end within seconds.
It was Murphy who had the final say however, and Kilkenny who would march on to the semi-finals, with the draw to be made on Sunday after the second quarter-final between Clare and Tipperary.
Scorers for Kilkenny: A Prendergast 0-9(7fs, 1 45); K Nolan 2-0; L Murphy, 0-4; S Barcoe 0-3; A McHardy, E Shortall, L Greene 0-1 each.
Scorers for Waterford: B Carton 0-9(8fs); A Fitzgerald 0-3; M Gostl 1-0; O Hickey, E O’Neill 0-2 each; R Walsh, M O’Brien, L Bray 0-1 each.
KILKENNY: A Norris, T Fitzgerald, C Dowling, M Teehan, E Shortall, A Brett, N Deely, A Carroll, A McHardy, L Greene, A Prendergast, C Keher Murtagh, L Murphy, S Fitzgerald, S Barcoe. Subs: K Nolan for Shortall (44), C Doheny for McHardy (53), R Dowling for Barcoe (60+1-60+2), R Phelan for Barcoe (61-63), R Phelan for Keher Murtagh (68), Dowling for Barcoe (73)
WATERFORD: B O’Regan, V Falconer, R Walsh, K Corbett Barry, C Carroll, A McNulty, E O’Neill, O’Hickey, L Bray, M O’Brien, B Carton, B Bowdren, A Flynn, A Fitzgerald, L Forrest. Subs: A O’Sulivan for O’Brien (45), R Kirwan for Bowdren (51), M Gostl for Forrester (59)
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Nolan steps up in extra time to lead Cats past Waterford
Kilkenny 2-19
Waterford 1-19
(0-15 to 0-15 at the end of normal time)
By Daragh Ó Conchúir at Croke Park
TWO EXTRA TIME goals from super-sub Katie Nolan separated Kilkenny from their neighbours Waterford and got them over the line in a dramatic Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie quarter-final that required extra time to find a result.
Nolan is a dual All-Star, who was player of the match as she bagged her second All-Ireland medal with a brilliant performance in the 2022 final, but she has had to be satisfied with a place on the bench during this year’s championship with a slew of young guns making their presence felt.
The St Martin’s attacker has scored in every game when introduced, but her influence was never more crucial than to shake the net twice with an All-Ireland quarter-final in the melting pot.
She could thank Steffi Fitzgerald for the assists, but Kilkenny had a lot of heroes. Laura Murphy was an inspirational operator around the middle third and few would argue with her POTM award.
The O’Loughlin Gaels star scored five points from play when the Cats lost in extra time at the same stage of the competition 12 months ago.
After scoring an early point, Murphy hit the ground and immediately pounded the turf in obvious agony.
After a period of treatment, she left the pitch, got further treatment and a heavy strapping, and returned to the fray for more than an hour, finishing with four points and hurling a massive amount of ball.
Aoife Prendergast, who had a penalty saved last year, lofted over nine points while the defence excelled, youngster Ava Brett tasked with hounding former player of the year Beth Carton and doing a fantastic job, and the likes of Michelle Teehan and Caoimhe Dowling also standing up well.
Ironically, given what unfolded 12 months ago, it was Carton who failed to register a score from a penalty this time, the De La Salle genius firing just wide at the end of the first half.
The nature of a game like this though, meant that there would be any amount of moments that might have been difference-makers.
It was nip and tuck throughout. The teams were level eight times in regulation play, so it did not come as a surprise that an hour wasn’t enough to separate these two gritty sides.
It was a game in which defences largely held sway with Tiffanie Fitzgerald and Laoise Forrester as spare defenders for the Nore and Suir crew respectively.
Waterford had to plan without the suspended multiple All-Star Niamh Rockett, who had been utilised off the bench in the last two round-robin games. Not having her to call upon in knockout fare was a considerable blow.
Not that you’d have known it from the throw-in, as Mairéad O’Brien rounded Niamh Deely to open the scoring and Carton followed up with a brilliant score over the shoulder.
Kilkenny settled, Prendergast’s 12th minute pointed free the first of four consecutive scores, the Dicksboro ace adding two more after Murphy galloped into open territory and split the posts.
Carton and Annie Fitzgerald helped re-establish Waterford’s advantage and Michael Boland’s girls led by 0-9 to 0-7 at the interval, Abby Flynn and Lorraine Bray slotting two points after Carton’s 30th minute penalty miss to give them some separation.
Kilkenny stormed out of the traps after the resumption with three points to restore a slim advantage.
Sarah Barcoe and Murphy grabbed two of those, and Barcoe’s influence grew significantly in the second half, until an injury forced her to have two bouts of temporary substitution before finally having to leave the fray.
The Thomastown flier had been well covered by Vikki Falconer but as the supply began to improve, she brought her tally to three points, and was fouled for one of Prendergast’s frees.
Barcoe’s third made it 0-14 to 0-12 in the 54th minute and by now, Waterford had dispensed with the sweeper. They earned their reward by drawing level via points from Fitzgerald and Eimear O’Neill and after sub Claire Doheny nudged Kilkenny ahead, a converted free from Carton in the second minute of injury time necessitated another 20 minutes and change.
Unsurprisingly perhaps, as energy drained, spaces opened and Kilkenny made the most of their goal chances. Soon after Fitzgerald had nosed Waterford ahead on 15 seconds, Murphy created one chance brilliantly but shot just wide.
Nolan made no mistake seconds later, with a superb finish in the 62nd minute after Steffi Fitzgerald had a shot brilliantly saved by Brianna O’Regan. The sliotar looped into the air, but Nolan was on hand to double majestically to the net.
The diminutive sharpshooter had another effort deflected wide later on, Prendergast ensuring there was some yield from the resultant 45.
Fitzgerald drew the last defender to give Nolan a far simpler goal chance in the 78th minute but Maggie Gostl drilled to the net off the deck at the other end within seconds.
It was Murphy who had the final say however, and Kilkenny who would march on to the semi-finals, with the draw to be made on Sunday after the second quarter-final between Clare and Tipperary.
Scorers for Kilkenny: A Prendergast 0-9(7fs, 1 45); K Nolan 2-0; L Murphy, 0-4; S Barcoe 0-3; A McHardy, E Shortall, L Greene 0-1 each.
Scorers for Waterford: B Carton 0-9(8fs); A Fitzgerald 0-3; M Gostl 1-0; O Hickey, E O’Neill 0-2 each; R Walsh, M O’Brien, L Bray 0-1 each.
KILKENNY: A Norris, T Fitzgerald, C Dowling, M Teehan, E Shortall, A Brett, N Deely, A Carroll, A McHardy, L Greene, A Prendergast, C Keher Murtagh, L Murphy, S Fitzgerald, S Barcoe. Subs: K Nolan for Shortall (44), C Doheny for McHardy (53), R Dowling for Barcoe (60+1-60+2), R Phelan for Barcoe (61-63), R Phelan for Keher Murtagh (68), Dowling for Barcoe (73)
WATERFORD: B O’Regan, V Falconer, R Walsh, K Corbett Barry, C Carroll, A McNulty, E O’Neill, O’Hickey, L Bray, M O’Brien, B Carton, B Bowdren, A Flynn, A Fitzgerald, L Forrest. Subs: A O’Sulivan for O’Brien (45), R Kirwan for Bowdren (51), M Gostl for Forrester (59)
Referee: Joe Mullins (Clare)
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