LIMERICK maintained their grip on the top of the Group One table of Division One with a comprehensive twelve point victory over Wexford in Bruff on Sunday.
Niamh Mulcahy was the star of the show with a hugely impressive personal tally of fifteen points, seven of which came from play.
The Treaty women led by nine points at the interval and despite Áine Leacy finding the back of the net ten minutes into the second half for Wexford, there was no stopping a rampant Limerick.
Caoimhe Costello, Aoife Wilson and Rebecca Delee all got in on the scoring action alongside the devastating Mulcahy as they sent out a statement of intent to the rest of the teams in the top flight
Elsewhere in Group One Galway picked up their first win of the season as they came away from Tipperary with a hard fought five point victory. The sides were level on four occasions in the opening half and went into the interval all square 0-6. It remained close in the opening minutes of the second half until Laura Mitchell pounced for the all important goal twelve minutes from time.
That put Galway four points clear and although Cáit Devane struck back for Tipperary with a point, Galway were able to hang on as Niamh Kilkenny and Mitchell hit the final scores of the game to leave the Connacht side within striking distance of the top of the table.
In Parnell Park Dublin suffered their first defeat of the season when they went down to the All-Ireland champions Cork who themselves kept up their 100% record with their third win of the league campaign.
The Metropolitans held a 0-6 to 0-4 lead at the end of a tight first half but they were rocked two minutes into the second half when an Orla Cotter free dropped into the Dublin square where Katrina Mackey was on hand to eventually force the ball over the line.
Dublin hit back almost immediately though with a goal from Siobhán Kehoe who nipped in to raise a green flag from an Ali Twomey 45 for the hosts.
The game was nip and tuck thereafter and with fifteen minutes left the sides were locked together 1-8 apiece. Cork’s experience began to tell though in the final quarter and points from Briege Corkery, Mackey, Cotter, Julia White and Cotter yet again ensured that the Rebels remain on course for a place in the semi-finals.
Kilkenny proved far too strong for their Northern rivals Derry as the Cats picked up their first win of the campaign by 4-17 to 0-9 in Castlecomer.
Karen Kielt, who finished with all of Derry’s scores on the day, opened the scoring for the Oakleaf county with a point from play but once Denise Gaule found the back of the net for Kilkenny’s first green flag, the home side took control and by the interval they held a 1-8 to 0-3 advantage.
Edel Maher hit the second goal in the 40th minute while Aoife Neary struck for a third goal seven minutes later.
Gaule added a second goal to her personal tally with a cracking long range strike to put the result beyond doubt.
Irish Daily Star National League Division 1 Group 1
Limerick 0-19 Wexford 1-4
Tipperary 0-9 Galway 1-11
Irish Daily Star National League Division 1 Group 2
Kilkenny 4-17 Derry 0-9
Dublin 1-8 Cork 1-13
Irish Daily Star National League Division 2 Group 1
Kildare 3-14 Galway 0-5
Westmeath 1-10 Antrim 1-11
Wexford 1-9 Laois 0-9
Irish Daily Star National League Division 2 Group 2
Kilkenny 3-10 Down 0-10
Cork v Tipperary – conceded by Tipperary
Meath 1-13 Waterford 2-14
Irish Daily Star National League Division 3
Roscommon v Armagh – conceded by Armagh
Limerick 1-5 Carlow 0-14
