Wexford crash to ugly defeat

Camogie Seniors thrashed

CORK WEXFORD 0-16 0-4 WEXFORD CRASHED to an ugly defeat against All-Ireland runners-up Cork in their latest outing in Division 1 of the Littlewoods National Camogie League in C.I.T. on Sunday.

The good news, the return of the Leacy sisters to the Senior squad, was more than a little overshadowed by the sheer flood of scores that the hosts picked off at will, condemning Wexford to their second defeat on the bounce.

The victory over Kilkenny in their second outing seems a long time ago now, with confidence sure to plummet after being completely overawed and outplayed by the Rebelettes.

Wexford have concentrated on being defensively solid in the opening stages of the league, and the design of this line-up was no different. However, their dynamism in attack has suffered and a four-point return for 60 minutes of camogie is very un-Wexford like.

Niamh McCarthy took less than two minutes to open the scoring for the hosts, a score that was followed by an effort from Julia White. Cork made it 0-3 to nil when Amy O’Connor hit the target with just four minutes on the clock.

Chloe Foxe returned to the starting line-up and made a quick impact, bursting through to register her side’s first score. It was a heinous 41 minutes before Wexford added their second score.

The ageless Gemma O’Connor added a long-range point to leave the Leesiders 0-4 to 0-1 ahead at the end of the first quarter. After Katriona Mackey raised a white flag, Síona Nolan prevented a Cork goal with a solid block.

A handpassed point from youngster Niamh McCarthy made it 0-6 to 0-1 to Cork in the 24th minute. Orla Cronin opened her account and Mackey picked off her second dead-ball to move the home side seven points clear at the interval.

The flood continued early in the second-half. McCarthy scored her third point and Gemma O’Connor registered too. Only a fine save from Mags D’Arcy, from Mackey’s goalbound shot, stopped the rout from getting even worse.

Two Mackey points and a Cronin point from Amy O’Connor’s clever feed made it a shambolic 0-13 to 0-1 at the end of the third quarter. Wexford loaded on the substitutions as the final quarter began.

On came Mary Leacy, a key figure if Wexford are to make any impact in the summer. Una Leacy also made her return and her goalscoring ability is vital to team which has failed to find the net in the last two games, scoring just four points from play in the process.

Linda Bolger’s 47th-minute free finally ended the Cork run of ten consecutive points. Mackey added another for Cork but Una Leacy showed her quality with a long-range minor.

Off the bench mere seconds, Eimear O’Sullivan made it 0-15 to 0-3. Mackey ended her afternoon with her sixth point before Linda Bolger notched the final score of a truly forgettable afternoon for Wexford.

In the form they are in, the side managed by John Kelly and Matty Flynn-O’Connor will be up against it to beat Dublin in their final league game on Sunday week. Should they take the points, they must rely on results elsewhere to go their way to advance to the last four.

Wexford: Mags D’Arcy; Ciara Storey, Síona Nolan, Karen Atkinson; Sarah O’Connor, Aine Lacey, Shauna Sinnott; Amy Cardiff, Shelley Kehoe; Nicole Fortune, Chloe Foxe (0-1), Louise O’Leary; Bríd Gordon (capt.), Linda Bolger (0-2 frees), Stacey Kehoe. Subs. - Emma Walsh for Lacey, temp., Walsh for Foxe, Katie O’Connor for Lacey, Una Sinnott for Cardiff, Leah Walsh for Stacey Kehoe, Mary Leacy for Sinnott, Una Leacy (0-1) for Shelley Kehoe, Aoife Cousins for O’Leary, Joanne Dillon for Gordon, also Niamh Potter, Ciara Donohoe.

Cork: Aoife Murray; Leanne O’Sullivan, Laura Treacy, Libby Coppinger; Pamela Mackey, Gemma O’Connor (0-2), Rena Buckley (capt.); Aisling Thompson, Jennifer Barry; Amy O’Connor (0-1), Orla Cronin (0-2), Julia White (0-1); Katriona Mackey (0-6, 5 frees), Niamh McCarthy (0-3), Linda Collins. Subs. - Eimear O’Sullivan (0-1), Rachel O’Shea, Amy Lee, Finola Neville, Chloe Sigerson, Hannah Looney, Rachel O’Shea, Lauren Homan, Róisín Killeen, Orla Cotter.

Referee: Ray Kelly (Kildare). ACFL Division 1A: Shelmaliers 2-10, Sarsfields 2-10; Kilanerin 1-13, St. Martin’s 1-11.

ACFL Division 1B: Horeswood 0-10, Adamstown 0-6; Gusserane 3-13, Bannow-Ballymitty 2-11; St. James’ 5-11, St. Anne’s 3-10.

ACFL Division 2A: HWH-Bunclody 3-13, St. Joseph’s 2-6; St. Mary’s (Maudlintown) 7-8, Starlights 1-8; Ballyhogue 2-19, Réalt na Mara 0-7.

ACFL Division 2B: Taghmon-Camross 1-13, Kilmore 0-8; Fethard 2-10, Crossabeg-Ballymurn 0-6; St. Mary’s (Rosslare) 2-13, Clongeen 1-11.

ACFL Division 3A: Naomh Eanna 0-11, Craanford 2-3; Kilanerin 2-10, Kilrush 0-7; Duffry Rovers 2-9, Ferns St. Aidan’s 1-6.

ACFL Division 3B: Cloughbawn 6-8, Shamrocks 2-9; Rathgarogue-Cushinstown 4-9, Volunteers 2-5.

ACFL Division 4A: Shelmaliers 4-19, St. James’ 0-3; St. Martin’s 4-19, St. Anne’s 1-5; Blackwater w.o., Kilmore scr.

ACFL Division 4B: Ballyhogue w.o., Monageer-Boolavogue scr.

ACFL Division 5A: Marshalstown-Castledockrell 3-11, Volunteers 1-9; Duffry Rovers 3-17, St. Mary’s (Maudlintown) 1-12.

ACFL Division 5B: Fethard w.o., Sarsfields scr.; Clongeen 2-8, Adamstown 2-8.

ACFL Division 6A: Clongeen w.o., Our Lady’s Island scr.; Bannow-Ballymitty 2-10, St. Joseph’s 2-2.

ACFL Division 6B: Naomh Eanna 5-7, Craanford 3-9; Clonee 3-7, Kilrush 1-12.

Leinster club hurling league Division 1, Group 1: Kilcormac-Killoughey 3-16, Rathnure 0-8.

Leinster club hurling league Division 1, Group 2: Camross 2-16, Faythe Harriers 0-12.

Leinster club hurling league Division 1, Group 3: Oulart-The Ballagh 1-19, Kilmacud Crokes 0-15.

Leinster club hurling league Division 1, Group 4: Ferns St. Aidan’s 1-14, Buffers Alley 2-10.

Top Oil Leinster Post-Primary Schools Senior football ‘A’ league final: St. Peter’s (Wexford) 3-13, Patrician (Newbridge) 0-9.

Top Oil Leinster Post-Primary Schools Juvenile hurling ‘A’ league semi-final: Good Counsel (New Ross) 2-9, Laois Schools 0-13.

Top Oil South Leinster Post-Primary Schools Juvenile hurling ‘B’ semi-finals: St. Mary’s C.B.S. (Enniscorthy) 5-11, Coláiste Mhuire (Johnstown) 4-5; Gorey C.S. 4-13, F.C.J. (Bunclody) 2-4.

WEDS. MARCH 22 AT DROGHEDA: Masita All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Senior football ‘A’ championship semi-final, St. Peter’s (Wexford) v. St. Mary’s (Magherafelt), 2 p.m.

THURS. MARCH 23 ACHL Division 1B (8 p.m.): Oulart-The Ballagh v. Rapparees (James Flood).

ACHL Division 2B (8 p.m.): v. Rathnure (John Tobin).

FRI. MARCH 24 AT FERNS C.O.E.: Top Oil South Leinster Schools Juvenile hurling ‘B’ championship final, Gorey C.S. v. St. Mary’s C.B.S. (Enniscorthy), 12.30 p.m.

ACHL Division 1B (8 p.m.): Craanford v. Cloughbawn (Eddie O’Sullivan).

ACHL Division 3A (8 p.m.): Rovers (Aiden O’Brien). Rathgarogue-Cushinstown HWH-Bunclody v. Duffry

ACHL Division 3B (8 p.m.): Taghmon-Camross v. Shelmaliers (Fintan O’Reilly); Fethard v. Faythe Harriers (Eric Molloy).

ACHL Division 4B (8 p.m.): (Noel Whelan).

ACHL Division 6B (8 p.m.): (Dickie Murphy). Horeswood v. St. Martin’s Ballyhogue v. Clongeen

SAT. MARCH 25 Leinster club hurling league quarter-finals (times TBC, first-named at home): Oulart-The Ballagh v. Ferns St. Aidan’s; Buffers Alley v. Kilmacud Crokes.

AT AWAY VENUE: Leinster MH Shield semi-final, Wexford v. Wicklow, 2.30 p.m.

ACHL Division 1A (3 p.m.): Rathnure v. Crossabeg-Ballymurn (Anthony Tobin); Faythe Harriers v. Shelmaliers (Brian O’Leary); St. Martin’s v. Glynn-Barntown (Gearóid McGrath).

ACHL Division 1B (2 p.m.): Aidan’s (Niall McDonald).

ACHL Division 2A (2 p.m.): St. Patrick’s v. Askamore (John Carton); Oulart-The Ballagh v. Monageer-Boolavogue (Joe Kelly).

ACHL Division 2B (3.30 p.m.): gate-Glenbrien (David Jenkins).

ACHL Division 3A (2 p.m.): Shamrocks v. Tara Rocks (David O’Leary).

ACHL Division 4A (3.30 p.m.): Buffers Alley v. Naomh Eanna (Justin Heffernan); Liam Mellows v. Davidstown-Courtnacuddy (Shane Quinn).

ACHL Division 4B (3.30 p.m.): Clongeen v. Our Lady’s Island (Fintan Whyte); Bannow-Ballymitty v. St. Mary’s, Rosslare (Bob Treacy).

ACHL Division 5A (3.30 p.m.): (Seán Whelan).

ACHL Division 5B (3.30 p.m.): Oulart-The Ballagh v. Monageer-Boolavogue (David Owens).

ACHL Division 6A (12.30 p.m.): HWH-Bunclody (Nicholas Kehoe).

ACHL Division 6B (3.30 p.m.): Rapparees v. St. James’ (Martin Quigley); Oylegate-Glenbrien bye.

ACHL Division 7: Clonard v. Blackwater (3.30 p.m., Aidan Foley); St. Anne’s and St. Patrick’s byes.

SUN. MARCH 26 AT INNOVATE WEXFORD PARK: Allianz FL Division 4, Wexford v. Westmeath, 1 p.m. 3 p.m. - Allianz HL Division 1B, Wexford v. Laois. ACHL Division 2A (6 p.m.): Ballygarrett v. Naomh Eanna (James Owens).

ACHL Division 2B (6 p.m.): (Dan Crosby).

ACHL Division 3A (6 p.m.): Buffers Alley v. Marshalstown-Castledockrell (Pádraig Byrne).

ACHL Division 3B (6 p.m.): St. James’ v. Geraldine O’Hanrahans (Brendan Holohan).

ACHL Division 4A (6 p.m.): Tara Rocks v. Rapparees (Paul Browne).

ACHL Division 5A (6 p.m.): Glynn-Barntown v. Adamstown (Stephen Burke); Cloughbawn v. Rathnure (John O’Rourke).

ACHL Division 5B (6 p.m.): Craanford v. Ferns St. Aidan’s (Pat Owley); Duffry Rovers v. Crossabeg-Ballymurn (Aiden O’Brien).

ACHL Division 6A: Shamrocks v. HWH-Bunclody (12.30 p.m., Nicholas Kehoe).Monageer-Boolavogue v. Askamore (6 p.m., Martin Armstrong); Ballygarrett bye. Buffers Alley v. Ferns St. Adamstown v. Oyle- Kilmore v. Gusserane Shamrocks v. Blackwater v. St. Anne’s