Carlow edge home
U-16 seconds so close to success
WEXFORD CAME agonisingly close to grabbing victory against Carlow in their final group game in the Leinster Under-16 ‘B’ camogie championship in the Halo Tiles and Bathrooms Ferns Centre of Excellence.
The Slaneysiders were looking for the win, in what was a straight battle to take second spot in the group, after both sides had fallen to Dublin ‘B’ but beaten Westmeath previously.
What will hurt this young Wexford team is that they had more than enough chances.
They dominated the second-half territorially but didn’t get the scores on the board, eventually paying the price.
The visitors played with a howling breeze in the opening half and undoubtedly had their best spell in the opening quarter. Wexford defended well, keeping the ball out of the net, but Carlow did grab a brace apiece from Emma Byrne and Tara Bermingham to take a 0-4 to nil lead.
Both times that the Slaneysiders made inroads in the opposition half in the first 15 minutes they looked dangerous, with Elena Kenny and Aoife Dempsey both seeing shots saved by useful visiting ‘keeper Aoife Power.
When Emma Dempsey burst out of a bunch and flipped over the opening Wexford score in the 18th minute, it gave her side confidence. Moments later Eimear Byrne broke away down the left, fired the ball crossfield to Mary Kate Doyle and the powerful wing-forward drilled low past Power.
Dempsey’s second score gave the girls in purple and gold their first lead of the afternoon. Mary Kate Doyle was becoming a big influence on the counter. When the Rathnure attacker was fouled, her free fizzed low and found its way to the Carlow net.
Leading by 2-2 to 0-4, Wexford couldn’t protect that advantage until half-time.
Carlow’s first goal came from a long Aine Nolan ball that bounded past the hosts’ defence and landed in the path of Eibhe Lawler who found the net.
Level at the break, after a late Bermingham point, Doyle added a nice free after Amy Cousins was felled.
The big damage to Wexford hopes came within three second-half minutes when both Lawler and Catherine Kavanagh found the net.
Lorna Fortune knocked over a nice point in between those majors but Wexford still trailed by 3-5 to 2-4 after 39 minutes. From there it was all one-way traffic. Elena Kenny was proving difficult to handle, and the Horeswood forward pointed after breaking out of a melee with the ball.
Siobhán Sinnott pulled her side within two with ten minutes left. Wexford had a succession of frees but they tried to force the issue by going low and Carlow defended superbly. Emma Dempsey did tap one over but the visitors clung on to take the win.
Wexford: Niamh Dempsey; Tara Doyle, Leanne Rowe, Clodagh White; Sarah Flynn, Orla Fitzgerald (capt.), Loren Doyle; Lorna Fortune (0-1), Amy Cousins; Mary Kate Doyle (2-1, 1-1 frees), Emma Dempsey (0-3, 1 free), Siobhán Sinnott (0-1); Eimear Byrne, Aoife Dempsey, Elena Kenny (0-1). Subs. - Eva Mooney for Flynn (40), also Orla Hoey, Eadbha Farrell, Muireann Fitzpatrick, Andrea Kinsella, Ciara O’Sullivan, Naoise Hennessy, Shauna O’Leary, Michaela Hawkins, Claire Barrett, Susan Boyle.
Carlow: Aoife Power; Rebecca Brennan, Rachel Breen, Katie Garry-Murphy; Gillian Doyle, Aine Nolan, Chloe O’Dwyer; Aine Behan, Emma Byrne (0-2, 1 free, 1 ‘45); Chloe Beck, Tara Bermingham (capt., 0-3), Hannah Ferry; Emily Doyle, Catherine Kavanagh (1-0), Eibhe Lawler (2-0). Subs. - Aoife Carroll for Ferry (39), Emma Byrne for Breen (52).
Referee: Suzanne Ford (Dublin).