By Daragh Ó Conchúir
Dublin came out on top of a crunch tie with Wexford at Parnell Park to place one foot in the quarter-finals of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie championship.
Gerry McQuaid’s crew had snatched the Very Division 1B title from the grasp of the Yellowbellies thanks to an injury time goal by Grace O’Shea but they made sure far earlier on this occasion, though their ability to record three-pointers remained crucial in the 4-13 to 1-10 triumph.
Wexford felt the loss of injured skipper, Ciara O’Connor keenly, though they had the dream start when Chloe Foxed goaled after just 67 seconds. Points from Aoife Gannon and Aisling Maher settled Dublin and Elyse Jamieson billowed the Wexford net in the 13th minute to give them the lead.
Emma Flanagan grabbed a goal just before the break and that was probably the crucial score, as the hosts began to impose themselves on proceedings.
They led by 2-7 to 1-5 at half-time and extended that with goals by League final hero O’Shea and Aisling Gannon, to open up a 15-point advantage at the three-quarter mark, with Wexford yet to score in the second half.
Colin Sunderland’s side showed plenty of pride from that juncture, points coming from Foxe, Anais Curran, Joanne Dillon and the outstanding Sarah O’Connor but Dublin had done more than enough to see out the game.
Neighbours Kilkenny and Waterford played out a thrilling draw at UPMC Nowlan Park, Mairéad O’Brien coming up with an equalising point in the fourth minute of injury time to secure a share of the spoils for last year’s All-Ireland finalists.
O’Brien has added significant scoring power to her renowned industry during this year’s Glen Dimplex Championship, and her goal on the half-hour that gave Jerry Wallace’s squad a 1-7 to 1-5 interval lead, was her fifth in three outings.
Waterford already had suffered one loss, to Tipperary, and while another would not have been catastrophic, it would not have done much for confidence as they attempt to go one step further than last year.
As for Kilkenny, while they will undoubtedly be disappointed not to have maintained their 100% record having led so late on, Peter Cleere will be pleased with how his charges performed and battled in their first major test after two easy wins on the road.
This was a game that ebbed and flowed throughout. Waterford’s top scorer, Beth Carton had the first pair of her nine points either side of a Lorraine Bray minor to give the visitors a good start but Katie Nolan and Katie Power settled the Stripeywomen and when Aoife Doyle goaled in the 30th minute, the teams were level.
O’Brien struck from the puckout however and while there was still time for Nolan to point for Kilkenny before the short whistle, it was Waterford with their noses in front.
The Noresiders resumed in determined fashion and had five more points on the board in 12 minutes of action to turn that deficit into a two-point lead. Aoife Prendergast, Miriam Walsh, Nolan, Julianne Malone and Doyle split the posts for the Cats, with Carton managing the sole score at the other end in that period.
Back came Waterford, however, Carton slotting three points and Niamh Rockett another. But they could not shake off the home team, who edged ahead thanks to scores from Walsh, Sarah Barcoe and Sophie O’Dwyer before O’Brien had the final say.
Derry cemented their senior status with a 0-19 to 0-13 victory in Owenbeg against Limerick, who are now in serious relegation trouble. Indeed the win by last year’s intermediate champions keeps them in contention for a place in the last six, with the last round game in Waterford on June 29 likely to decide the third qualifying spot from Group 1.
That is putting PJ O’Mullan’s women in bonus territory however, given it is their first season back in the big time. All six of their starting forwards scored and while it was no surprise that Áine Barton was a primary contributor with five points, it was a tally matched by Aoife Shaw, while Bríd Rogers and Aimee Lennon were other multiple scorers. In all the Oak Leafers had eight different players getting on the scoresheet.
In contrast, Limerick were heavily reliant on Caoimhe Costelloe. Yet Joe Quaid’s outfit were more than competitive and when Costelloe slotted her sixth point in the 42nd minute, it put them two in front. But they wouldn’t score again while their opponents shot the lights out, with eight points on the trot to record a very significant win.
It was a third straight loss for Limerick and with Antrim in the same position after falling to high-flying Tipperary by 1-17 to 0-6 at The Ragg, their clash will decide who drops to intermediate next year. The Saffrons hit some late points from Róisín McCormick and Maeve Kelly that could prove critical if score difference comes into play but the verdict was never in doubt.
Denis Kelly’s unit won the Division 1A League title without Cáit Devane. The All-Star forward, who got married earlier this year, returned for the championship and marked her first start of the year with nine points for the Premiers.
Grace O’Brien struck for a 24th minute goal, as Tipp moved cemented their qualification, with the last round outing against Kilkenny likely to determine who will go straight to the semi-finals as group winner.
There were easy wins too for Cork and Galway in Group 2, the All-Ireland champions beating Clare by 2-19 to 1-4 in Cusack Park and the Maroons blitzing Down by 6-27 to 0-4.
Amy O’Connor and Orlaith Cahalane scored 1-5 and 1-4 respectively for Cork, and Clare could thank Rachel Daly that the scoreline didn’t have a worse look to it, as the netminder made four outstanding saves. The sight of Laura Treacy coming on as a sub at the three-quarter mark after an absence due to a hamstring injury was probably the highlight of the day for the Rebels, who are assured of qualification now.
It was far too easy for Galway at Pearse Stadium. Their goals came from Niamh Niland (two), Sabina Rabbitte (two), Ailish O’Reilly and Orlaith McGrath and they look destined for a last round clash with Cork to decide who progresses directly to the last four as group winners.
