Kerry's Cillard make history with first Munster club win

Waterford's Abbeyside are finally seen in off in extra-time as Cillard Kerry senior side Clanmaurice in winning a Munster club game

Cillard made Kerry camogie history. Pic: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE

Munster Junior Camogie Semi-Final: Cillard (Kerry) 0-7 Abbeyside (Waterford) 0-6 (AET)

Cillard became the second Kerry camogie club to create history within a week by overcoming Waterford Intermediate champions Abbeyside in the Munster Junior Camogie semi-final at a wet and windblown Kilmoyley. 

They followed in the footsteps of Kerry senior side Clanmaurice in winning a Munster club game and, in Cillard's case, it was their first win at the fifth time of asking.

Abbeyside won their first Waterford Intermediate title in October and were slight favourites against the Kerry junior champions but Cillard displayed determination and will to win that saw them over the finish line by a single point after extra-time. In a game dominated by some great defending, scores were always at a premium, and the winners had a colossus at the back in Kerry player Roisín Quinn. 

However, she was ably supported by Sarah McCarty, Eilish Harrington, and Sarah Walsh as Abbeyside, though equal to the Kerry side in terms of defending, were completely reliant on sharpshooter Julie Mulcahy for all their scores. In the finish this was to prove costly against the Kerry side's better spread of scorers.

Roisín Quinn set the tone herself with a fine point inside the opening five minutes before goalkeeper Alanna Maunsell was out fast to deny Abbeyside's Julia Mulcahy a 7t minute goal. Mulcahy levelled and then, aftera series of wides on both sides, the lightning fast Norette Casey outstripped her marker to put Cillard in front with a fine point. In fact, Casey, herself a former Kerry forward, proved a constant thorn in the Abbeyside defence all afternoon and her four point contribution on the day was outstanding.

Cillard had the strong wind in the first half and another Brace of points from Casey and a late free from Shannon Collins after good work by the excellent Ruth O'Connor saw them lead 0-5 to 0-2 at the break, with Mulcahy converting a '45 for he Waterford champions.

Shannon Collins opened the second half with a free after Katelyn Leen was fouled at the start of the second half. They failed to score again for the remainder of the half. Abbeyside's Julie Mulcahy gradually trimmed the gap with a point from play and three frees, but every score was hard-earned against a tenacious Cillard defence. In the dying minutes Shannon Collins had a chance from long distance to win it but her effort tailed just wide and it was into extra-time.

The irrepressible Norette Casey notched her fourth point at the start of extra-time and, although it was a titanic batte all the way to the finish, with Mulcahy unlucky to see a few efforts drop short, neither side could raise another flag and Cillard had done enough to reach their first ever Munster Final.

Scorers for Cilard: N. Casey 0-4, S. Collins 0-2f, R. Quinn 0-1 

Scorers for Abbeyside: J. Mulcahy 0-6, 3f, 1'45 

Cillard: A. Maunsell, H. O'Connor, S. McCarthy, E. Harrington, A. McCarthy, R. Quinn, S. Walsh, A. McCarthy, N. Quinn, N. Power, R. O'Connor, K. Leen, A. Russell, S. Collins, N. Casey. 

Subs R. Lennon for Leen, (half-time), C. O'Sullivan for A. McCarthy (70), A. O'Loughlin (for R. Quinn (71), R. Quinn for C O'Sullivan, (79) 

Abbeyside: H. Walsh, C. Mullaney, N. Briggs, C. Whelan Barrett, A. Beresford, D. Beresford, M. Lyons, L. Marrissey, S. Cronin, A. Treen, S.Morrissey, A. Lattimor, J. Mulcahy, E. Fennell, M. Kirby. 

Sub A. Crotty for M.Kiely(40) 

Referee: M. Murphy