Minors miss out on win despite battling display
THE UNERRING accuracy of Carrie Dolan from placed balls fired Galway to a narrow victory over Wexford in their All-Ireland Minor ‘A’ camogie championship encounter in St. Patrick’s Park on Saturday .
The full-forward slotted over a deadly dozen of her side’s scores from frees, with the only point from play the westerners could muster coming from Ciara Helebert with less than four minutes gone.
In difficult conditions, Wexford didn’t fare much better in that regard, with a stylish goal from Lettie Whelan late in the first-half the only time the Slaneysiders worked the scoreboard from open play.
Dolan wasn’t long about showing her proficiency from dead balls as she floated over a free in the third minute, which was quickly followed by a nice point on the run from Ciara Helebert.
Ciara O’Connor got the Model county girls off the mark in the seventh minute, making no mistake from a ‘45, but Dolan was quickly back centre stage, converting two frees in quick succession midway through the half to extend Galway’s advantage to three (0-4 to 0-1).
Free-takers O’Connor and Dolan then exchanged points before the Slaneysiders got the shot in the arm they needed when Lettie Whelan pounced to drag them level on 28 minutes.
Aisling Byrne gathered possession and sent a perfectly-weighted crossfield ball to Whelan, who rifled a powerful shot to the corner of the net.
Galway responded well, however, and Dolan continued to punish any indiscretions in the Wexford defence by converting two more frees, although those scores did come either side of a decent goal chance for Wexford, following a flowing move.
Orla Molloy hared down the right wing and picked out Aisling Byrne. Byrne quickly got the ball away to Jessie Harding but her effort was just off target.
Galway stretched their lead to four points within six minutes of the re-start with another brace of frees from Dolan, the second of which had to be tipped over the bar by Wexford netminder Liza Bates.
Ciara O’Connor arrowed over a placed ball at the other end to put Wexford back within striking distance, and two minutes later the St. Martin’s player grabbed a rather fortuitous goal to tie up the scores.
O’Connor sent in a dangerous delivery from a free near the halfway line, and with players stretching every sinew to get a touch in front of goalkeeper Sarah Healy, the ball made it all the way to the net.
A pointed Ciara O’Connor free three minutes later edged Wexford in front from the first time and although Dolan did likewise at the other end, O’Connor again held her nerve from a placed ball to give the hosts a 2-5 to 0-10 points advantage with twelve minutes remaining.
A Carrie Dolan free in the 51st minute drew Galway level and both sides gave everything they had to get their noses in front in a frantic finale, with Sarah Harding-Kenny, who put in a Trojan effort throughout the contest, to the fore for Wexford.
However, despite their best efforts, Wexford couldn’t add to their tally in the remaining minutes and they coughed up a couple of scorable frees, which is never a good idea with a free-taker of the calibre of Carrie Dolan on the field.
In the first minute of injury time Galway’s Elisha Broderick went on a lung-bursting run which was brought to a halt illegally, and predictably Dolan split the posts.
The Connacht outfit almost put the game to bed seconds later when Dolan teed up Mairéad Dillon but her low shot was well stopped by Liza Bates, although a Dolan free with 63 minutes on the clock did give Galway a two-point cushion.
Wexford had one last chance to pull the game from the fire when Jessie Harding was dragged down 21 yards out to the right of the posts, but Ciara O’Connor’s effort from the placed ball skidded off the turf and drifted narrowly wide of the left upright.
Wexford: Liza Bates; Lara Campbell, Anna Hennessy, Clodagh Jackman; Aisling O’Leary, Róisín Cooney (capt.), Katie Roche; Derbhla Doyle, Sarah Harding-Kenny; Orla Molloy, Aoife Guiney, Lettie Whelan (1-0); Jessie Harding, Aisling Byrne, Ciara O’Connor (1-5, 1-4 frees, 0-1 ‘45). Subs. - Emma Furlong for Roche, Mary Barrett for Guiney, Holly Hynes for Doyle, also Rebecca Doran, Zoe O’Leary, Aoife Dunne, Orla Fortune, Aisling Halligan, Anna-Mai Stafford, Kaitlyn Whelan-Kinsella, Laura Kelly, Andrea Creane, Emma Codd, Emma Kiely.
Galway: Sarah Healy; Niamh Jenkins, Leah Burke, Olga Burke; Caoimhe Garvey, Leanne Helebert (capt.), Katie Stephens; Shannon Ridge, Kate Screene; Niamh Horan, Ciara Helebert (0-1), Mairéad Dillon; Elisha Broderick, Carrie Dolan (0-12 frees), Lauren O’Dea. Subs. - Aine Murphy for Stephens, Mary Dunphy for O’Dea.
Referee: Mike Ryan (Tipperary).