Lowly Dubs spring surprise
Wexford slump out after worst performance of season
WEXFORD, looking completely lost and severely lacking confidence, slumped out of Littlewoods National Camogie League Division 1 reckoning with their worst performance of the season to date in Innovate Wexford Park on Sunday.
Getting a battering at the hands of a genuinely talented team like Cork is one thing, but losing miserably to a previously win-less, limited-quality bunch of perennial under-achievers like Dublin is something to warrant a lot more concern altogether.
In the course of the last three games Wexford have managed just 1-7 from play. The goal, which came in this game, was an absolute gift from visiting ‘keeper Faye McCarthy who somehow let a floated Linda Bolger effort from just inside the ‘45 pass by her raised hand.
Otherwise it’s fairly putrid stuff. Defending in numbers is fine with enough quality at the other end of the field to make limited chances count. Unfortunately for Wexford, they don’t possess the game-changing personnel to continually hurt decent teams.
Maybe management will wheel Kate Kelly out again come the championship and that will paper over some of the cracks. A little false hope and a run to the All-Ireland knockout stages will likely follow but long-term hopes look fairly bleak.
Wexford came into the game needing a 32-plus point win to overhaul Kilkenny for second place and a semi-final spot opposite Galway. However, that was already looking unlikely when Aisling Maher opened the scoring in the sixth minute.
When the Slaneysiders battered Dublin by 43 points at the same venue in 2010, Claire O’Connor, wearing number 2, grabbed a rare point. When Ciara Storey, wearing the same number, opened her side’s account from inside her own ‘65, omens were probably more impressive than reality.
It did get even better for Wexford moments later when Linda Bolger worked some space on the right. Her effort was short of the crossbar but McCarthy missed it completely and the sliothar nestled in the back of the net.
Emma Flanagan narrowed the deficit at the other end with a closerange point but Bolger responded after she was fouled at the start of the second quarter. One player that did really impress for the visitors was Siobhán Kehoe, and her first score curled just inside the upright to make it 1-2 to 0-3.
Maher’s free dragged the visitors within one in the 18th minute but Wexford soon had their only real purple patch. In just over two minutes, the hosts scored all three of the points they managed from play.
Una Sinnott popped over the opener from right of the posts, Una Leacy, who would surely be more use closer to goal than at centre-forward, hauled in a linedrive pass and swatted over, and Bríd Gordon used the inside of the upright to make it 1-5 to 0-4.
Rather than push on with the breeze, Wexford retreated into their shell. They failed to score in the last seven minutes of the half but Dublin did register through Maher to pull within a goal at the interval (1-5 to 0-5).
An early exchange of minors between Flanagan and Bolger meant there was still three between the sides after 37 minutes. However, the girls in blue went on a run of three points in four minutes to ensure the sides were level heading into the final quarter.
Wexford’s best goal chance of the second-half saw McCarthy partially make up for her earlier error with a fine low save from a sharp Nicole Fortune pull. A break of ten minutes without a score for either side ended when Maher put her side ahead for just the second time.
They didn’t look back. Ali Maguire pointed twice and Kehoe added a superb score as Dublin completed a run of seven straight points. Bolger responded with a free but the visitors were not to be denied and Zoe O’Donoghue added a couple of late points.
Wexford now have a five-week break before they return with a Leinster championship tie at home to Offaly on May 6. The All-Ireland series starts on June 24 with the Faithful girls travelling again.
Wexford: Mags D’Arcy; Louise O’Leary, Karen Atkinson, Sarah O’Connor; Katie O’Connor, Ciara Storey (0-1 free), Aoife Cousins; Emma Walsh, Mary Leacy; Bríd Gordon (capt., 0-1), Una Leacy (0-1), Chloe Foxe; Amy Cardiff, Linda Bolger (1-4, 0-3 frees, 0-1 ‘45), Una Sinnott (0-1). Subs. - Shelley Kehoe for K. O’Connor (42), Nicole Fortune for Cardiff (42), Stacey Kehoe for Foxe (52).
Dublin: Faye McCarthy; Arlene Cushen, Gráinne Quinn, Aine Woods; Hannah Hegarty, Aisling Carolan, Eve O’Brien (capt.); Eimear McCarthy (01), Miriam Twomey; Ellen McGovern, Alex Griffin, Siobhán Kehoe (0-3); Emma Flanagan (0-3), Aisling Maher (0-4 frees), Ali Twomey. Subs. - Ali Maguire (0-2) for Griffin (31), Doireann Mullany (0-1) for McGovern (36), Zoe O’Donoghue (0-2) for Maher (59).
Referee: Owen Elliott (Antrim).