Updated 19.00pm
CORK SHOWED THE advantage of having already played a game in the National Camogie League as they came on strong in the second half to carve out a 0-9 to 0-5 win over Kilkenny in the Mardyke. The defending champions were having their first outing of the season and it showed.
Fintan Deegan’s Kilkenny charges began well with an Aoife Neary point and though Orla Cotter slotted three frees around a Denise Gaule successful placed ball for the visitors, when Megan Farrell and Neary found the target, it was 0-4 to 0-3 for Kilkenny. And thanks to Cotter’s 28th minute penalty being saved, that’s how it stayed at half time.
It got even better, as Gaule converted a fantastic free from a very tight angle soon after the resumption but Kilkenny didn’t score again as Cork upped the tempo. Katriona Mackey began the flurry of points for the All-Ireland champions and Cotter flashed over a number of frees to bring her tally to seven points and open a gap that was significant in the context of such a tight game.
Davina Tobin was outstanding for Kilkenny but they just couldn’t get any change from the tremendous Cork defence.
Also in Group 2, Dublin continued the Shane O’Brien era with a magnificent win over last year’s League finalists Clare in Clonlara by 1-13 to 1-11.
The Dubs opened their campaign with a home win over Derry but this was a significant step up on that, thanks to the excellence of Ali Twomey, Louise O’Hara, Alison Maguire and goalkeeper, Síle Nic Coitir.
The teams went in at the break on 0-6 apiece, with the only score from play coming from Clare’s Fiona Lafferty. Chloe Morey completed the home team’s tally from frees, while Twomey registered all Dublin’s scores from placed balls.
The defining moment came right at the start of the second half. Dublin won a free at the throw in and O’Hara doubled on Twomey’s delivery spectacularly to send the sliotar to the corner of the Clare net. Dublin defended resolutely thereafter and were five points ahead when Morey goaled from a 25m free on the right in the 59th minute.
In Group 1, goals from Áine Leacy and Jackie Quigley gave Wexford a hard-earned 2-4 to 1-8 win over Offaly. Offaly will rue a missed early penalty, when Siobhan Flannery’s shot was saved by Laura Brennan.
Flannery did finish with seven points but it was the goals from Leacy, in the first half, and most essential, from Quigley six minutes from time that snatched it for the youthful Model County women.
Limerick continued their good start with a 1-14 to 1-7 win over Tipperary. The Mulcahy sisters, Niamh and Judith shone for the Shannonsiders with the former hitting 10 points in blustery conditions.
Niamh Ryan got an early goal for Limerick and Tipperary never could claw their opponents back. It might have been worse but for Orla McEniry saving a 15thminute penalty.
Tipp did improve in the second half but the goal from substitute Megan Ryan came too late to make any impact on the result.
Schools
Galway’s Seamount Collee edged out St Flannan’s in a fiercely-fought O’Neill’s All-Ireland second level schools’ senior A camogie final played in very blustery conditions in Gort yesterday.
Scores were at a premium and indeed, there was only one point from play – via the stick of Seamount’s Cliona Walsh – in the 1-5 to 0-6 scoreline.
Carrie Dolan was the scoring star for the victors, providing a goal and four points, with the goal from a penalty just before half time that turned the momentum in the South Galway side’s favour.
Flannan’s began well and thanks to four pointed frees from Sinéad Quinn – their only scorer – led by three by the 22nd minute. The penalty goal gave Seamount parity though and their Clare opponents never recovered the same brio.
Instead it was Seamount that were energised and with centre-back, Emma Helebert giving a player-of-the-match performance, they resumed with four points and kept Flannan’s scoreless until the 53rd minute. Quinn did convert two frees but despite five minutes of injury time, the Ennis team were unable to find the equaliser.
Champions
In the B final, Gorey Community School beat Holy Rosary, Mountbellew by 2-6 to 1-3 at the Ballykelly grounds in Monasterevin. Hayley Murphy, and a granite strong defence, were the major differences between two evenly-matched teams who played out an entertaining, breathless battle.
Full-forward Murphy grabbed a goal in either half to help the North Wexford school overcome a slow start to win.
Victory
The C decider was won by St Dominic’s College as they just got the better of Sacred Heart Secondary School Clonakilty by 2-6 to 1-6 in Nenagh. Two second-half goals from Ciara Glynn secured the honours for the Cabra team, with the second coming in the closing minutes to deny the West Cork crew, who had hit the front thanks to Claire Sexton’s 50th minute goal.
Glory
Coláiste na Phiarsaigh Glanmire annexed the D title after another close final, coming out on the right side of a 1-9 to 1-7 scoreline against Loreto High School in the opening game of a Nenagh double-header, while Our Lady of Mercy, Waterford accounted for St MacDara’s Community College Dublin by 2-8 to 1-3 in Ballykelly.