Threat of demotion
Defeat to Tipp increases presssure
TIPPERARY 5-12 WEXFORD 0-8
WEXFORD’S NATIONAL Camogie League Division 1 fate hangs in the balance after they succumbed to Tipperary in St. Patrick’s Park, Enniscorthy, on Sunday.
With the walkover thrown in, this was the Slaneysiders’ fourth defeat on the trot, leaving them rooted to the bottom of the table and on course for a relegation final against either Offaly or Dublin.
While numbers have been a problem for Wexford in their two away games (walkover to Cork, 13 against Galway), they scratched together 16 for the visit of Tipperary and gave it a go.
They still do not have a manager in place, over a month after the County Board ditched previous boss Martin Carey, and Tipperary were in no mood to go easy on the beleaguered Leinster side, blitzing them with an intensity they couldn’t match from the first minute.
Chairperson Jacinta Roche expects to have a new boss confirmed by the end of the week, with Kevin Murphy now the red-hot favourite to fill the void.
Murphy was at the game taking notes, but Roche was only willing to confirm that his name was in the hat.
Despite rumours to the contrary, Roche also stated that Wexford camogie had asked to play this game as a double-header with the hurling in the Park, but she said the request was turned down by the G.A.A. County Board.
On a windy afternoon in Enniscorthy, Billy Mullaney’s Tipperary side took the elements in the first 30 minutes and set about building an advantage.
Things were humming along just fine in the first eleven minutes, with his side able to race into an eight-point lead (2-4 to 0-2).
Wexford actually opened the scoring with a Joanne Dillon deadball, but two from Cáit Devane at the other end quickly put the home side on the back foot.
Grace O’Brien and Ciara McKeogh soon added points from play, and Andrea Loughnane forced a solid save from Emma Kiely as Tipp took control.
Under intense pressure, the composed Róisín Kelly then scored one of just two Wexford points from open play in the game, but the opening goal, which had been coming, arrived when Devane got away and netted with a handpass in the tenth minute.
Less than 60 seconds later the superb Megan Ryan sauntered past two defenders and drilled home a second Premier major.
Just when it looked like a massacre was on the cards, Tipperary started to misfire, slashing six wides in a row.
Coming out of retirement to make up the numbers, Josie Dwyer was drafted back as an extra defender for Wexford, but it was still surprising that a Sarah Delaney point was the only score Tipperary could add in the 19 minutes to half-time, a point that was countered by Joanne Dillon’s injury time free after Lauren Murphy was fouled.
Given the windy conditions, the score (2-5 to 0-3) might have suggest that Wexford had a chance, but the pattern of the game screamed otherwise.
Indeed, it took Devane less than a minute after the re-start to apply the close range finish to another goal.
Wexford did show some life and Kelly pointed after Orla Molloy was fouled. The Gorey girl then came closest to netting for the hosts, but Tipperary scrambled the ball behind and Dillon converted the resulting ‘45.
Rathgarogue-Cushinstown’s Dillon impressed throughout and her next score soon followed, but Devane registered the following four points for the visitors as they eased into a 3-9 to 0-6 lead with just a quarter of the game remaining.
The home team - who are seriously lacking training and the fitness that it provides - looked leaden-footed as the half wore on. It allowed Tipp boss Mullaney the chance to empty his bench and give his squad of players a run.
That didn’t happen until after Andrea Loughnane got her point and Devane completed her hattrick of majors with a successful penalty, after Miriam Campion was hauled to the ground by Kiely when attempting to round the Wexford ‘keeper.
Campion and Ereena Fryday added their names to the list of Tipperary scorers as it reached eight in the last ten minutes.
Orla Molloy completed a tidy half when she popped over her side’s second score from play under pressure in the 56th minute.
Fittingly, given her excellent performance throughout, Megan Ryan had the final say in the 59th minute, racing away and thumping home Tipp’s fifth goal off the inside of Kiely’s post.
Wexford must now wait until Dublin play Clare to see who they will face in March’s relegation final.
Wexford: Emma Kiely; Clodagh Jackman, Síona Nolan, Sorcha Foley; Tara Doyle, Ciara Storey, Leah Walsh; Shauna Sinnott, Una Sinnott; Mag Byrne, Joanne Dillon (0-5, 4 frees, 1 ’45), Róisín Kelly (0-2, 1 free); Lauren Murphy, Katie Kenny, Josie Dwyer. Subs. - Orla Molloy (0-1) for Kenny (30), Kenny for Foley (60).
Tipperary: Aoife Butler; Cannait Walsh, Gemma Grace, Eimear Loughman; Laura Loughnane, Caoimhe Maher, Aoife McGrath; Megan Ryan (20), Sarah Delaney (0-1); Áine O’Dwyer, Ciara McKeogh (0-1), Ereena Fryday (0-1); Grace O’Brien (0-1), Cáit Devane (3-6, 0-5 frees, 1-0 pen.), Andrea Loughnane (0-1). Subs. - Mary Ryan for L. Loughnane (45), Miriam Campion (0-1) for O’Brien (47), Shauna Quirke for Devane (50), Caroline Mullaney for McGrath (50), Nicole Walsh for A. Loughnane (53), Eibhlis McDonnell for O’Dwyer (53).
Referee: Ray Kelly (Kildare).