Intermediates end promising league with defeat

WEXFORD ENDED what would, overall, have to be considered a promising National Camogie League Division 2 campaign with their third consecutive defeat in Celtic Park, Derry, on Sunday.

After a couple of really poor seasons for the Intermediates, there were plenty of positives to take from a league round-robin stage that saw them win twice and remain competitive in the other three outings.

They have been right in contention in every game and were smack-bang in this one too until Derry pulled away at the end. The Slaneysiders started on the front foot, and playing with the breeze they were able to build a lead.

Mags Byrne burst to attention with her heroics for Kilrush two seasons ago and impressed enough last year to make her Senior league debut. However, she has been somewhat the forgotten woman this year.

Her pace alone is an asset that nobody in the Senior team can match. While the first string continue to struggle to get scores, Byrne tore a Derry side, relegated from the top tier at the end of last year, to shreds.

A first-half hat-trick of typical Byrne goals, along with a bundle of Róisín Kelly scores, a Joanne Dillon point and a rare point from busy and feisty midfielder Eimear Nolan ensured Wexford took a 3-8 to 2-4 lead in at the break.

Wexford had strong performers all over the field in the first-half, with Aideen Brennan doing a superb job as sweeper, Deirdre McMahon at her best for the goals, and Michelle Harding filling in well for the absent Niamh Walsh.

Against the breeze things proved a lot harder for the visitors. They did add two more minors through the impressive Dillon and actually did better than their returns suggest but Derry, with their Slaughneil contingent fully back in the side, proved too strong.

Wexford now have a five-week break before they return to action in the Leinster championship on May 6. They will host Westmeath in that clash, with the winners advancing to a semi-final away to Kilkenny a week later.

Wexford: Liza Bates; Farren Byrne, Marie Claire Morrissey, Nancy Dunphy; Mairéad Sheehan, Michelle Harding, Chloe Cashe; Eimear Nolan (0-1), Shauna Kelly; Róisín Kelly (0-6, 5 frees), Joanne Dillon (0-3), Margaret Byrne (3-0); Aideen Brennan, Aoife Sheil, Deirdre McMahon. Subs. - Aoife McCrea for Cashe, Mary Cummins for S. Kelly.