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Camogie round-up: Galway and Wexford advance to final four

Meanwhile, Tipperary kept their All-Ireland hopes alive with a dramatic win over Offaly. Dublin and Clare must do it all over again.

GALWAY LAID DOWN a marker with their best performance of the All-Ireland senior camogie championship to date, two goals in the opening two minutes setting them up for a 3-14 to 0-10 win over champions, Wexford.

That cemented the westerners’ place in the semi-finals, to be played on August 18, while Wexford had already secured their place in the last four prior to this tie.

Brenda Hanney and Martina Conroy gave Galway that dream start and when player of the match, Conroy poached her second green flag after 20 minutes, that enabled Tony Ward’s side go in at the break leading 3-9 to 0-4.

Ursula Jacob was the sole attacking threat for a Wexford unit denied the considerable talents of Mary and Una Leacy, scoring three of those four points and finishing with seven. The game fizzled out in the second half and with little at stake, ended with an inevitable result.

It was another late, late show for Tipperary as they snatched victory in the dying moments for the second week in succession, overcoming Offaly 1-12 to 1-10 in Birr. It was a brilliant effort by the Blue and Golds, who were at a numerical disadvantage from the time Siobhán McGrath was sent off in the first half.

Underage star, Caoimhe Maher was the heroine, pouncing for a goal to decide this titanic tussle. It wasn’t the end of the drama though as Offaly were awarded an injury time penalty after Elaine Dermody was fouled.

Unfortunately for the Faithful girls, their sharpshooting full-forward was injured in the process and so Siobhán Flannery was entrusted with the duties. Her shot was saved and Tipperary will now take part in a play-off with Cork next week to determine who goes straight into the quarter-finals, to be played on August 4.

The Leesiders had a comfortable 2-15 to 1-7 win over Kilkenny in Ballincollig, courtesy of goals from Katie Buckley and Linda Dorgan. It was still all to play for at half time, with just five points between the sides, but with Katriona Mackey, Jennifer O’Leary and Anna Geary keeping the scoreboard ticking over it was an easy win in the end. Miriam Walsh goaled for Kilkenny, for whom Michelle Quilty provided four points.

Kilkenny now have a play-off with Offaly to decide who will make the last eight, with the losers joining Dublin, Clare and either Cork or Tipperary in the quarter-final play-offs on June 28.

Dublin and Clare drew a terrific game 1-9 to 0-12. An Aileen Murphy goal in the 42nd minute put Dublin three points clear, but a couple of scores from the excellent Claire McMahon and another from Susan Fahey brought the sides level for the seventh and final time.

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