WATERFORD took a huge step towards securing their Division 1A status in the Very Camogie League as three first-half goals set up a 3-16 to 0-12 win over DUBLIN at Parnell Park.
The Dubs, with one point, travel to Galway for their next game — while their home clash with yet-to-register Kilkenny one week later now looks like a relegation decider.
Maggie Gosti tackles Emma O’Byrne in their 3-16 to 0-12 victory at Parnell Park[/caption]
But Waterford, on three, need at least a draw against their neighbours before then to be fully safe.
There was not much between the sides in the opening ten minutes in Donnycarney when Niamh Rockett and Gaby Couch traded points.
But after Rockett got the faintest of touches on an Abby Flynn shot to net the game’s first goal after 16 minutes, the visitors never looked back.
Lorraine Bray laid claim to the second goal, getting the rub of the green when her shot for a point rebounded off the crossbar into keeper Eimear Hurley and back over the line.
But there was no luck attached to the third when Flynn’s vision and stick-work allowed her to pick out Mairéad O’Brien for a one-on-one finish just before the break.
Both sides enjoyed lengthy purple patches in the second half, with Rockett — who finished with 1-5 — and Beth Carton — 0-6 — building up their tallies as Waterford moved 3-12 to 0-7 in front, before Dublin emptied their bench and finally got their running game going.
Aisling O’Neill, in particular, caught the eye with two fine scores from play.
The Dubs’ visit to GALWAY will be crucial for the hosts as well after league champions TIPPERARY handed the Tribeswomen their first defeat of the year in Kilbeacanty, 2-14 to 1-13.
In a game of two halves, 23 of the 30 scores on show came before the break.
Niamh Mallon and Caoimhe Kelly were in sharp form for the home side, who led by three points on a handful of occasions.
But Tipp’s Grace O’Brien was ruthless from play and placed balls, adding a stoppage-time goal to her seven first-half points to make it 1-11 to 0-11 at the interval.
The Tipp half-back trio of Mairéad Eviston, Caoimhe McCarthy and Sarah Corcoran were simply imperious after the restart, with Casey Hennessy also getting through a mountain of work in the middle third.
That platform allowed them to starve the Galway forwards of ball and with nearly 25 minutes gone in the second half, just two Tipp points and a Tribe goal from Mairéad Dillon had been added to the scoreboard.
And once Clodagh McIntyre hit the net for the visitors, their victory was inevitable as they leapfrogged Galway into second place on seven points.
All-Ireland champions CORK continue to be the form team in the division with three wins out of three.
But they got more of a challenge from KILKENNY than the 3-17 to 0-13 result at Páirc Uí Chaoimh suggests.
An excellent Aoife Norris save to deny Orlaith Cahalane, allied to early points from midfield duo Laura Murphy and Aobha O’Gorman, helped the Cats establish a 0-6 to 0-2 lead.
But Cahalane did not miss when she got a second chance to hit the net.
Cork led 1-7 to 0-9 at the interval after struggling to hit the high notes but the next 20 minutes told a completely different story, with the Rebels adding another 1-7 unanswered.
Sorcha McCartan hit four points out of her own 1-7 in that run, and once Saoirse McCarthy got the first of her two goals, Ger Manley’s troops could coast over the finish line.
OTHER ACTION
With no matches in Division 1B this weekend, the top-of-the-table clash in Division 2A between OFFALY and MEATH at O’Connor Park looked like the big game outside of the top flight.
In a battle between two sides that will be strong contenders for the All-intermediate Championship later this year, six points from Clodagh Leahy and three from Fianait Dooley helped the Faithful recover from conceding an early 1-2 to prevail 0-16 to 1-10.
A 3-7 to 0-6 win for DERRY over ARMAGH and the thrilling 0-15 to 2-8 victory KERRY eked out over CARLOW leave the two victors leading the hunt for the second final spot, with Offaly all but over the finish line.
