U16 shield success
Wexford end Leinster campaign on high
WEXFORD BACKED up their round-robin win against Offaly by beating the Faithful girls again to take the Leinster Under-16 camogie ‘A’ shield in Rathleague, Portlaoise, on Sunday.
The Slaneysiders were disappointed not to pick up a win against either Dublin or Kilkenny and force themselves into the ‘A’ final proper, but they knuckled down and thoroughly deserved to take the shield.
The basis of this success was an excellent showing from the Wexford spine. Right from fullback Amy Cahill, through Maria O’Dowd, the midfield pairing of Aoife O’Connor and Ciara Walsh, into attackers Emma Dempsey and Molly Crowdle, Brendan Tobin’s side bossed things.
Offaly’s main attacking threat came in the guise of wing-forward Ellen Regan. She did the bulk of her side’s point scoring and was a thorn in the Wexford defence throughout, eventually picking up the ‘player of the game’ award.
She had the only Offaly point of the first-half but the scores were flowing at the other end.
Emma Dempsey grabbed a couple of points but it was the accuracy of Andrea Fielding that caught the eye as she picked off three minors.
As well as those scores, Aoife Mahon nailed a long-range free and Siobhán Sinnott pointed as Wexford motored into a 0-7 to 0-1 lead at the change of ends.
Things continued to go well after the re-start, with Dempsey and Mahon sending their county further clear.
However, goals do change the complexion of relatively low-scoring games, and when Elaine Hanlon netted to make it 0-9 to 1-2 it was suddenly game on. One of the most impressive things about this Wexford side was how they responded to adversity.
Emma Tomkins hit back with a major to settle the ship. Sarah Pearl made it 1-10 to 2-4 near the end of the second quarter but goal-scoring supremo Molly Crowdle hit right back again to calm her team-mates down.
Wexford chipped away with points as the game moved into the last few minutes, and there was still time for Crowdle to score her second goal to ease them to an eight-point win.
This side has a break now, and they return to action with their first game of the All-Ireland series away to Tipperary on July 8.
Wexford: Sophie Roche; Muireann Fitzpatrick, Amy Cahill, Yvonne Kelly; Aoife Mahon (0-3, 2 frees, 1 ‘45), Maria O’Dowd, Loren Doyle; Aoife O’Connor (capt.), Ciara Walsh; Siobhán Sinnott (0-1), Emma Dempsey (0-4, 1 free), Lorna Fortune; Andrea Fielding (0-3), Molly Crowdle (2-0), Emma Tomkins (1-1). Subs. - Niamh Cogley for Fortune (40), Eilish O’Rourke for Fitzpatrick (46), Lisa Kelly for Fielding (53), Amy Miten for Y. Kelly (60), also Eimear Goland, Tanya Kennedy, Naoise Hennessy, Nadine Fortune, Ciara O’Connor, Eimear Doyle, Áine Tobin, Katie Codd.
Offaly: Caoimhe Kinsella; Laura Clancy, Áine Currams, Jenny Bracken; Lauren Temple, Eibhlis Gleeson, Niamh Ryan; Jane Cleary, Grace Leonard; Ellen Regan (0-5), Sarah Pearl (1-0), Ciara Murtagh; Maria Cantwell, Sharon Shanahan, Clodagh Leahy. Subs. - Elaine Hanlon (1-0), Claire Murphy (0-2), Rachel O’Donohoe, Eabha Flanagan, Shauna Byrne, Rebecca McGarry, Elaine Troy, Kerri Leonard, Kathy Dermody, Emma Mulrooney.
Referee: Alan Doheny (Laois).