Minors chalk up first victory
Wexford’s championship campaign is back on track
WEXFORD LAOIS 4-4 1-5
THE WEXFORD Minor camogie team got their championship campaign back on track with a commendable 4-4 to 1-5 victory over Laois in Saturday’s second group game played amid the fury of Storm Jorge at Coolgreany.
Given there was a consistent gale blowing across the field, any hopes of a free-flowing game were hindered, with most of the play confined to the near sideline. The first-half in particular was littered with line-balls and throw-ins.
The hosts opened their account on four minutes when Siobhán Sinnott floated over a lovely point off her left side following some good work from Faye Codd and Emma Tomkins, and they pounced for the game’s opening goal three minutes later.
Captain Muireann Fitzpatrick and her midfield partner, Lauren Delaney, combined to supply Andrea Fielding, and the full-forward produced a scruffy finish under some duress.
The O’Moore county girls responded when Gráinne Delaney slapped over on eleven minutes, while Andrea Scully hit a rousing point for the visitors to cut the gap to 1-1 to 0-2 halfway through the second quarter.
Wexford were in the midst of a sticky patch in front of goal during this period, hitting six wides as the elements continued to wreck havoc, but they gained a fillip some three minutes into first-half injury-time when Kerri Doyle-Kinsella’s pass over the top located Emma Tomkins, and the lively Kilrush forward pulled first-time underneath the legs of goalkeeper Aideen Lowery to open up a 2-1 to 0-2 lead at the break.
However, that five-point cushion was evaporated within the first four minutes after the interval when the visitors hit 1-2 in their most productive spell of the entire match.
Hannah O’Connor converted a ‘45 after a Wexford back got her hurl up to prevent a potential goal chance, while substitute Emily Duggan caught and goaled into the far corner, although her shot appeared to take a deflection in flight.
Lucy O’Connor then levelled proceedings at 1-4 to 2-1 despite breaking her hurl in shooting, and it appeared that Wexford had a job on their hands to notch their first win of the campaign following a narrow 1-8 to 0-9 loss to Waterford just up the road in The Rock the previous Saturday.
But substitute Loren Doyle’s excellent point on 42 minutes kick-started a winning run, while a brave flick from Tomkins opening up a chance for Aoife O’Connor, and she buried the ball on the second attempt to re-assert Wexford’s control with twelve minutes remaining (3-2 to 1-4).
Lucy O’Connor hit the final Laois point on 51 minutes, but Grace
Roche fed Tomkins to skip away and roll home the game-clinching fourth goal five minutes from time, before Sinnott added two late insurance points.
Up next is a daunting trip away to Tipperary next weekend, against a Premier side who dashed Wexford’s championship hopes last year.
Wexford: Abbie Dagg (Rapparees); Rachel Murphy (Glynn-Barntown), Miria O’Dowd (Oulart-The Ballagh), Niamh Cogley (Glynn-Barntown); Eilish O’Rourke (Kilrush), Aoife O’Connor (St. Martin’s, 1-0), Eabha Farrell (Rapparees); Muireann Fitzpatrick (Castletown-Liam Mellows, capt.), Lauren Delaney (Davidstown-Courtnacuddy); Kerri Doyle-Kinsella (Marshalstown), Emma Dempsey (Glynn-Barntown), Siobhán Sinnott (Oulart-The Ballagh, 0-3); Emma Tomkins (Kilrush, 2-0), Andrea Fielding (St. Ibar’s/Shelmalier, 1-0), Faye Codd (Cloughbawn). Subs. - Loren Doyle (Oylegate-Glenbrien, 0-1) for Doyle-Kinsella (HT), Grace Roche (Glynn-Barntown) for O’Rourke (53), Nadine Fortune (Ferns St. Aidan’s) for Tomkins, inj. (60+1)
Laois: Aideen Lowery; Fiona Scully, Sarah Fleming, Katie Dunican; Jade Bergin (capt.), Karla Whelan, Lusine Delaney; Gráinne Delaney (0-1), Gráinne O’Reilly; Andrea Scully (0-1), Hannah O’Connor (0-1 ‘45), Chloe O’Riordan; Eireann Cole, Lucy O’Connor (0-2), Enya Carroll. Subs. - Emily Duggan (1-0) for O’Riordan (HT), Aliva Coss for Carroll (40), Ellen Meagher for Bergin (45), Lorna Phelan for L. Delaney (57), Jill Gaughan for J. Delaney (57).
Referee: Paul Ryan (Kildare).