Down Camogs' season comes to an end as they lose out to Kerry in the All-Ireland Semi-final

Down camogs’ season came to an end today, as they were defeated 3-12 to 0-16 by Kerry in a pulsating All-Ireland Intermediate Semi-final.

Played in the midst of a heatwave, both sides came out of the game with tremendous credit, but two goals for Kerry in the space of a minute during the second half was ultimately the turning point in the game.

Down take slender lead into the break

It was the Mourne girls who started better, as they flew out of the traps with the first four scores of the game.

Paula O’Hagan – who with 0-9 on the day - returned to the team, having missed their Quarter-final triumph over Meath with injury, and immediately announced her presence by converting from a ‘45 after just one minute.

Kerry then had half a goal chance, as Amy O’Sullivan looked to be in behind the Down defence, but Clare McGilligan raced back and put in a superb tackle to deny the Kingdom forward.

Instead, it was Down who remained well on top, with O’Hagan adding from another dead ball.

Then Aimee McAleenan got in on the act with a tremendous point from long range, before O’Hagan got her first from play – also finding the mark from beyond the 45-metre line.

Jackie Horgan had an excellent game at full forward for Kerry, and she got the Kingdom up and running with their first point of the day, with Player of the Match Patrice Diggin joining her on the scoresheet moments later.

But Domhnall Nugent’s side were still well in control, and after taking six shots they had six scores,. O’Hagan got the fifth of those by landing an impressive free from the left wing, before Beth Fitzpatrick drove forward from defence to send over a score, which hit the crossbar on its way over

Kate Lynch brought it back to a one-score game, before Kerry scored a fortuitous goal which brought them level.

O’Sullivan appeared to be shooting for a point, but the sliotar dropped over head of Down goalkeeper Cassie Fitzpatrick and ended up in the far corner of the net.

Spurred on, the Munster side took the lead for the first time in the game soon after with Diggin converting from a free.

However, Down responded well to the setback by hitting three of the final four points in the first half.

O’Hagan hit her second from play to level it, but Kerry hit the upright post from a Caoimhe Spillane effort, before Horgan restored their lead in first half stoppage time.

But there was enough time on the clock for Down to take the lead once more, with McAleenan nailing the score of the half with a spectacular point from 50 metres out, and Dearhbla Magee concluding the half’s scoring.

Goals win Kerry the game

Diggin got Kerry up and running in the second half with a pointed free from the halfway line, before she notched one from play to put them back ahead.

However, whilst Diggin was doing the majority of the scoring at one end, O’Hagan was doing likewise, and she levelled the game from a free before assisting a Niamh McGrath score.

But the game took a downwards turn for Down 10 minutes into the second period, when they were sucker-punched with two goals in the space of a minute.

The first came from a penalty, which Diggin buried into the bottom corner, after Ann Marie Leen had been brought down by Dearbhla Coleman.

Kerry won the next puck-out and worked it to Horgan, who drove clear of her marker, took the ball along the by-line, cut back and smashed her shot into the roof of the Down net.

All of a sudden Kerry led the game by five points.

Down began to chase a goal in response and substitute Tara Monan almost got one, but was smothered by Kerry goalkeeper Aoife Fitzgerald near the goal-line. Although Down did get a score, as O’Hagan knocked over from the resulting ‘45.

At the other end, Kerry could have had a fourth goal, as Diggin found herself in a dangerous position, but her ferocious shot flashed over the bar rather than underneath it.

Down hit back with scores from McAleenan and Sara Louise Graffin, but Kerry kept the scoreboard ticking over with a Diggin free.

When Monan saw a goal-chance saved by Fitzgerald, it began to look like it wasn’t going to be Down’s day. Despite that, they kept battling and two frees from O’Hagan saw them bring it back to a two-point game late on.

But Kerry had one last purple patch, and a top-class score from Spillane out on the right side-line let them breathe a sigh of relief, before Horgan notched an insurance point.

It wasn’t to be for Down, and with the last action of the game, Diggin took her tally to 1-7 and confirmed the final score-line of 3-12 to 0-16 in her county’s favour. MATCH STATS

Down: Cassie Fitzpatrick; Aoife McDowell, Dearbhla Coleman, Clare McGilligan; Orlaith McCusker, Beth Fitzpatrick (0-1), Blannaid Savage; Deirbhle Savage, Paula O’Hagan (0-9, 2’45, 5f); Saoirse Sands, Sara Louise Graffin (0-1), Dearbhla Magee (0-1); Sophie McGrath, Niamh McGrath (0-1), Aimee McAleenan (0-3).

Subs: Tara Monan for S McGrath (40), Grace Cunningham for N McGrath (54). Kerry: Aoife Fitzgerald; Michelle Costello, Sara Murphy, Rachel McCarthy; Roisin Quinn, Niamh Leen, Aoife Behan; Patrice Diggin (1-7, 4f, 1pen), Ruth O’Connor; Amy O’Sullivan (1-0), Kate Lynch (0-1), Ann Marie Leen; Shannon Collins, Jackie Horgan (1-3), Caoimhe Spillane (0-1)

Subs: Ellen O’Donoghue (for Lynch (44), Aine O’Connor for Murphy (50), Emma Conway for Collins (50).

Referee: Patrick Murphy (Carlow).