U-16 side on brink of exit
CORK 2-11 WEXFORD 1-4
WEXFORD ARE on the brink of elimination from the All-Ireland Under-16 camogie championship after falling to Cork in O’Kennedy Park, New Ross, on Sunday.
Despite beating Offaly last time out, the Slaneysiders had no room for manoeuvre after losing their first game against Galway. However, they started slowly and were never able to recover.
The visitors arrived just 20 minutes before throw-in but their hurried entrance possibly stood to them.
Starting on-edge, Cork blitzed their hosts with a superb first-half, eventually going in at the break 2-10 to 0-2 to the good.
The Rebelettes made their intentions known in the opening minute when Fiona Nelligan slalomed past two and sent a 30-metre shot in off the top of Mikaela Lanigan’s left-hand post.
Cork had further points from Emma Murphy, top scorer Cliona Healy and Aoife Hurley on the board by the time Lettie Whelan launched over Wexford’s first score from a long-range free in the ninth minute.
With the marking a little loose, Cork continued to prosper. Healy scored four of the next five points and drove to the net at the second attempt as the visitors built a 2-8 to 0-1 lead.
Anais Curran broke out from a pack and slotted over from 45 metres out, but two more Healy points, bringing her first-half tally to 1-7 in the process, gave Cork a 2-10 to 0-2 advantage at the change-around.
Wexford improved significantly after the resumption, particularly in defence.
Healy managed just a 47th-min- ute free although the hosts did survive her saved penalty and Emma Murphy’s rebound that came back off the crossbar.
At the other end Whelan added two frees and Wexford got their just desserts for the hard work of the second-half when Curran found the net after taking in Whelan’s attempt that dropped short.
Wexford visit The Ragg next Sunday with throw-in set for 5 p.m. A win will only keep their faint hopes of progress alive if Galway fail to beat Offaly earlier in the day.
Wexford: Mikaela Lanigan; Alannah Davis, Máire O’Rourke, Anna Hennessy; Hannah Keating, Lara Conran, Anna Mulligan; Ciara O’Connor, Sarah Harding-Kenny; Ella O’Connor, Anais Curran (1-1), Lettie Whelan (capt., 0-3 frees); Orla Fortune, Nora Higgins, Eimer Byrne. Subs. - Aisling Halligan for Davis (24), Ciara Bridges for Fortune (31), Naoimh Kehoe for C. O’Connor (42), Oonagh Barden for Mulligan (56), Kate Devereux for Byrne (57), also Emma Sweeney, Saoirse Dunne, Orla Fitzgerald, Emma Sinnott, Imogen Fanning, Cora Doyle, Caitlin Carroll, Molly Power, Kaitlyn Whelan-Kinsella.
Cork: Molly Lynch; Eimear Buckley, Aideen Buckley, Sarah O’Sullivan; Grace Collins, Katie Daly, Orla Fahy; Saoirse McCarthy, Laura Hayes; Michelle Fitzpatrick, Moira Barrett, Fiona Nelligan (1-0); Aoife Hurley (0-2), Emma Murphy (0-1), Cliona Healy (1-8, 0-6 frees). Subs. - Olivia Murphy for Fitzpatrick (47), Ellen O’Regan for Collins (55), Clare Mullins for Hayes (60+1).
Referee: Liz Dempsey (Kilkenny).