Galway 0-13

Waterford 0-11

Daragh Ó Conchúir reports from UPMC Nowlan Park

GALWAY ENDED A run of two consecutive final defeats to add the Centra Camogie League Division 1A title to the All-Ireland championship they already possess from last August.

The westerners lived on their nerves, but their experience of finals told down the stretch as they scored the last three points to squeeze home by two.

This will hurt Waterford but the progress they are making is evident.

They will regret a slow and ponderous start with a strong wind at their backs, when they could make nothing stick and laboured in possession, leading to Niamh Rockett and Mairéad O’Brien being let down by poor service, or no service at all.

Thanks to O’Brien, when relocated to the half-forward line, Clodagh Carroll, Vikki Falconer and skipper Lorraine Bray, among others, they got themselves a foothold in the game and at it was tiny margins that decided the outcome.

Carrie Dolan was monumental for the winners, though, her seven-point contribution just one element of an all-action display. The team captain was involved in everything, and with Ciara Hickey, Róisín Black, Dervla Higgins like rocks in defence and Caoimhe Kelly hitting two points after coming off the bench, Cathal Murray’s crew got over the line.

Time and again Waterford players took the ball into contact and were turned over in the first quarter, which is a testament to Galway’s trademark work rate and physicality but it the lack of speed was a worry, as was the poor execution.

And so the All-Ireland champions moved to an early 3-1 lead, even though Beth Carton sent over from tight to the sideline to open the scoring, Dolan converting frees either side of a Shannon Corcoran point.

Keeley Corbertt Barry did get a point but she didn’t see O’Brien standing completely unmarked inside her, and a goal chance went abegging.

They began to settle and get to the pitch of proceedings though and actually hit the front in the 24th minute, when after Rachel Hanniffy pointed for Galway, the Déise hit three on the trot from Rockett (free), Abby Flynn and O’Brien, who had just been moved to the half-forward line.

Waterford were in front and you could see the belief growing. Galway would have been pleased to go in at the interval level at 0-7 apiece, given the elements, but at the same time, the Déise will have felt that they were now in the game.

And so it proved. Galway were unable to get Aoife Donohue and Niamh Mallon involved as much as they would like as the levels ratcheted ever upwards. It wasn’t always pretty but it was so honest.

Over and back the scoring went. Waterford led through Rockett, then it was Galway through a Dolan brace. Then Waterford again, O’Brien’s sensational score preceding a Rockett free at the three-quarter mark.

Waterford supporters felt they might have had a penalty as Bray thundered through but was sent to the ground by a shuddering Black tackle. Liz Dempsey did not concur.

Maggie Gostl did well off the bench for Waterford, and after Kelly equalised, she supplied O’Brien who put Waterford ahead again in the 49th minute. Once more it was a classy effort but crucially, and decisively, it was the last score Mick Boland’s side would register.

Galway don’t panic in these conditions. Dolan levelled and after Brianna O’Regan made an astounding full-length save from Mairéad Dillon, the skipper nudged the Tribeswomen ahead on the hour.

Those were her first two scores from play. Cometh the hour and all that. Kelly made it a two-point game, and that was enough.

Elsewhere, Clare exorcised the ghosts of last year’s Division 1B League final defeat to Antrim with a 3-11 to 0-17 win over Dublin, reports Kevin Egan from Nowlan Park.

It was a performance that was full to the brim of zest and desire, edging out Dublin through a combination of relentless graft in the middle, and ruthless punishment of defensive hesitation.

Dublin might well reflect on the concession of three second-half goals as where it all went wrong, but even before they turned around to play into the fresh breeze in Kilkenny, it was the Banner County who were in the driving seat, just two points adrift on a day when the scoring zone for the side playing into the City End was perhaps half that of their opponents.

Bill McCormack’s Dubs registered some sublime scores in that opening half hour, with Sinéad Wylde, Aisling Maher and Grace O’Shea each splitting the uprights with some wonderful strikes from a variety of angles and distances.

It was in the trenches where Clare held a slight upper hand. Jennifer Daly, Ziyan Spillane and Abby Walsh all threw themselves into the scrums and contests to secure turnovers and keep themselves in touch, creating the possessions from which Lorna McNamara was able to score four first-half points, two each from play and from frees. Joint captain Clare Hehir was imperious in this battleground too, repeatedly turning scrappy ruck ball into good front foot possession for her side.

To Dublin’s immense credit, their own attacking play was vastly improved when they were forced to run the ball that bit more into the wind. Maher, O’Shea and Aisling Gannon all picked off points on the run and in heavy traffic, but every time they got a strong foothold in the game, Clare dealt them a hammer blow in the form of a goal at the other end.