Waterford blitz Rebels to ease relegation pressure

THERE was a big surprise at Páirc Uí Rinn yesterday as a Cork side looking for their second win was blown away by Waterford who had lost all three opening games. But the Déise got on top from the outset and a goal from Aine O’Neill helped them lead 1-9 to 0-1 at the break. They didn’t relent after the restart and a goal from Clare Walsh helped open a 2-12 to 0-3 lead and Cork, who had a late consolation goal from Lydia McDonagh, are now firmly in the relegation scrap after a 2-12 to 1-6 loss. ‘I think that performance has been coming over the last three games,’ said Waterford manager Pat Sullivan. ‘I knew this performance was in us but look it’s a results based game and we hadn’t got results up to today. So we knew this was a massive game we had to get it and we were possibly down if we didn’t. ‘We still have a massive battle over the next three games. That performance gets us up and running and we know what we have in the locker but we should be a lot more clinical and we will work on that in the next two weeks.’ Galway are in deep relegation trouble after they got caught in the closing stages by AllIreland champions Dublin at Parnell Park and fell to their fourth loss, which now sees them propping up the table after being pipped by 0-16 to 1-12. A goal from Linda Booth helped Galway lead by 1-7 to 0-8 at the break but Dublin came with a late surge with points from Kate Sullivan and Orlagh Nolan levelling the match before Hannah Tyrrell kicked a free in the dying moments to claim a second win of the campaign for Mick Bohan’s charges. ‘We probably stole it in the end,’ admitted Bohan. ‘But their character in that last 15 minutes was fantastic. A lot of young kids still, we’d a couple of girls making their debut there. ‘So for them to experience that i in Parnell Park was very pleasing. I feel a little bit sorry for Galway and I’m not sure that we deserved the three points.’ Galway manager Daniel Moynihan agreed. ‘It’s a tough one to take. In each of the four games, we’ve been very much in it. But at the final whistle, we’ve come out the wrong side of it.’

On Saturday, holders Kerry, who had started the defence of their crown with three wins, were held to a draw by Mayo, 0-8 apiece. ‘We missed too many chances to win,’ said joint Kerry manager Declan Quill after 11 wides. In Division 2, Kildare took a big step towards promotion when they edged out Tipperary by 0-8 to 0-7 as they maintained their perfect start after four games with Róisín Byrne shooting six points.