Camogie: Patrice Diggin the hero as Kerry edge Down late on

The visitors to Tralee were reduced to 14 players.

Sun, 24 May, 2026 - 17:07

Murt Murphy

All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie Championship: Kerry 0-10 Down 1-6

Patrice Diggin, in the last action of the game, converted a long-range free from the half way line to snatch an unlikely win for Kerry over a luckless Down side, in the opening round of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate Championship.

The game was low-scoring and scrappy in the scorching heat of the Austin Stack Park but in truth Down left this game behind them.

There has been history between these sides in recent years as Kerry beat Down twice on their way to the All-Ireland final last year so the Mourne County were hellbent on revenge as they played in Division 1 B this season while Kerry won Division 2.

Down squandered two early goal chances as Deirbhile Savage shot wide and Kerry keeper Aoife Fitzgerald denied Aimee McAleenan.

Amy O’Sullivan then fired over two points from play after good work from Caoimhe Spillane and Norette Casey.

Kerry should have found the net in the seventh minute when Jackie Horgan crossed but keeper Niamh O’Toole batted it into the path of Ruth O’Connor who saw her follow up saved by midfielder Niamh McConville.

Down eventually got going with a brace of frees from McAleenan but Diggin responded with a free after Spillane was fouled. Then Niamh McGrath ran from the 45 all the way through the Kerry defence, to score a goal. In the 23rd minute Erin McGrattan was shown a straight red for a strike on Caoimhe Spillane and Down with a player less looked in trouble.

But despite two more Diggin frees, McAleenan converted another free and actually led 1-3 to 0-5 at half time.

Down were the better side in the third quarter with their defence outstanding particularly Aimee Mallon, Aoife McDowell and Beth Fitzpatrick with Niamh McConville dropping back to help.

It was 1-5 to 0-7 at the 45-mark, with Clara Cown and McAleenan adding points for Down while Diggin added two more frees to add to her tally.

A Down point pushed them clear by the 50th minute but the extra player was to prove decisive as Sara Murphy, Niamh Leen, Spillane and Diggin upped the tempo.

Two frees from Patrice Diggin leveled the contest 0-9 to 1-6 as the game drifted into four minutes of added time. But in the 64th minute Emma Conway was fouled at midfield and Patrice Diggin is deadly from placed ball and from right on the half way line, she nailed the free and the win for Kerry.

Scorers: Kerry: P Diggin (0-8 fs), An O’Sullivan (0-2)

Down: A McAleenan (0-4, 3fs), N McGrath (1-0), C Cown (0-2)

Kerry : A Fitzgerald; R McCarthy, S Murphy, M Costello; A Behan, N Leen, E O’Donoghue; P Diggin, C Spillane; L Collins, R O’Connor, K Lynch; N Casey, J Horgan, A O’Sullivan.

Subs: S Collins for R O’Connor (h/t), R Quinn for K Lynch (42), E Conway for N Casey (49)

Down: N O’Toole; A McDonnell, A Mallon, E McGrattan; A McAleenan, B Fitzpatrick, C McGilligan; A Brown, N McConville; C Cown, S McGrath, D Magee; D Savage, D Coleman, N McGrath Subs: G Cunningham for A Brown (42), B Savage for N McConville (52), K Quinn for C Cown (56), O McCusker for D Savage (58)

Referee; J Dooley (Tipperary)