Irish Daily Star Camogie League Division 4 Final – Kerry 1-10 Limerick 1-10

Kerry and Limerick drew in the Irish Daily Star Camogie League Division 4 final on Sunday May 4th at Abbeydorney.

Kerry 1-10 Limerick 1-10

Report from the Camogie Association

Kerry and Limerick will have to go at it all over again to decide the destination of the Irish Daily Star Camogie League Division 4 trophy after this thrilling draw in Abbeydorney. Limerick looked to have one hand on the cup when they led at half time by 1-6 to 0-4. They eked out an early two-point advantage but two pointed frees by Sara Murphy (frees) and a score from play by Jessica Fitzgerald edged Kerry ahead.

David Doyle’s charges didn’t score for the remainder of the half though and when Elaine Kennedy’s long ball dropped into the Kerry net, Limerick pushed on to establish that five-point advantage. That lead was up to six approaching the end of the third quarter but Jessica Fitzell’s scrambled goal and Patrice Diggin’s excellence at centre-back galvanised the Kingdom girls. Four points from placed balls brought Murphy’s tally to eight and gave Kerry the lead but an injury-time point from Limerick’s accurate midfielder Caitrín de Bhál snatched a deserved draw for Ger Curtin’s side.

SCORERS FOR KERRY: S Murphy 0-8(6fs, 2 45s); J Fitzell 1-2

SCORERS FOR LIMERICK: C de Bhál 0-7(5fs, 1 45); E Kennedy 1-0; K Carroll, M Creamer, M Fitzgerald 0-1 each

KERRY: M O’Carroll, T Moran, A Fitzgerald, S Horgan, O Young, P Diggin, M Costello, N Leen, AM Leen, E Ryall, L Collins, G McNamara, J Fitzell, C Godley, S Murphy. Subs: J O’Keeffe for Godley (40), J Cronin for Ryall (45)

LIMERICK: C Fitzgerald, G Lee, N Barry, C Neville, M McCarthy, L Scanlon, N Curtin, C de Bhál, R Noona, K Carroll, E Kennedy, M Lynch, M Clancy, M Creamer, S Tobin. Subs: M Fitzgerald for Clancy (ht), S Cllins for Lynch (ht), N Tuite for Noonan (45)

REFEREE: W Cole (Cork)

Irish Daily Star Camogie League Division 4 final

Kerry v Limerick, Abbeydorney, 2.30pm

Reaching the final in their first year competing in the Irish Daily Star League is a phenomenal achievement by Kerry, and a testament to everyone involved in Kingdom camogie. Most of all, it is a credit to the team itself and with the likes of high-scoring Sarah Murphy, Patrice Diggin and minor star Niamh Leen in their ranks, they will make a bold bid for honours.

Source: Official Camogie

It is a sign of Limerick’s progress too that their second unit is making a national final, the season after their first team annexed the Division 2 title and narrowly failed to add an intermediate All-Ireland. What’s more, they were just two points away from reaching a Division 1 semi-final this time around.

It appears that there is very little between the teams, with Kerry, who have reached the last two All-Ireland junior B finals, edging their group outing by 1-7 to 0-6 in Martinstown on March 9. That was Limerick’s only reverse and it was no surprise to see Ger Curtin’s crew, powered by Noreen Barry and Muireann Creamer, overcoming Tyrone by two goals in their semi-final, while Kerry had to work hard to account for Dublin by three points.

Kerry; M.O’Carroll; T.Moran; A.Fitzgerald; M.Weir; S.Horgan; P.Diggin; M.Costello; N.Leen; AM Leen; E.Ryall; L.Collins; G.McNamara; O.Young; C.Godley; S.Murphy.

Limerick: C.Fitzgerald: G.Lee; N.Barry; C.Neville; M.McCarthy; L.Scanlon: N.Curtin; C.De Bhal; R.Noonan; K.Carroll; E.Kennedy; M.Lynch; M.Clancy; M.Creamer; S.Tobin