Heavy defeat

Intermediate side walloped

WEXFORD SUFFERED a heavy defeat to hosts Galway in their opening game in Division 2 of the Littlewoods National Camogie League in Gort on Sunday.

The Slaneysiders faced the disadvantage of coming into the tie against a side that already had a competitive fixture under their belts, and it showed as the hosts dominated throughout to take their second big victory.

After the long trip west, Wexford were on terms when Jessie Harding knocked over a point in the sixth minute.

Yet despite some solid goalkeeping from Áine Wright, the home side got on a bit of a run to race into a 1-6 to 0-1 lead by the 17th minute.

When Chloe Cashe was fouled, Ellen Roche popped over the resulting free for Wexford’s second point of a one-sided contest.

She picked off another in the 25th minute and a third when Harding was impeded just before half-time (2-8 to 0-4).

Any hopes of a big comeback were significantly dented when the home side nabbed their third goal just 72 seconds into the second-half.

Wexford did respond with their best score of the day, a classy Roche point that she took after hauling in a long free before firing over.

Galway led by 4-10 to 0-5 at the end of the third quarter and went on to add seven more points as the visitors tired. Wexford did manage one more score, Roche’s fifth of the afternoon, five minutes from full-time.

Wexford will have the chance to see where they stand a little better this coming weekend when they head to Kerry to take on the Kingdom in their own backyard, and they follow that with another away tie in Westmeath.

Wexford: Áine Wright; Becky Doyle, Lorna Cushe, Sinéad Nolan; Aisling Halligan, Ciara Donohoe (capt.), Caitríona O’Brien; Chloe Cashe, Emma Doyle; Jessie Harding (0-1), Ellen Roche (0-5, 4 frees), Sarah Banville; Clodagh Fitzhenry, Emma Walsh, Muireann Nic Corcráin. Subs. - Nessa Wickham for O’Brien (16), Shauna Kelly for Nic Corcráin (31), Farren Byrne for Cushe (41), Marie Claire Byrne for B. Doyle (50), Nancy Dunphy for Nolan (50), Lauren Carroll for Fitzhenry (50), Lauren Finn for Banville (50), Grace O’Halloran for Halligan (50).

Galway: Laura Glynn; Eimear Porter, Laura Ward (capt.), Lorraine Coen; Niamh Murphy, Louise Brennan, Catríona Lee (0-4, 2 frees, 2 ‘45s); Molly Mannion, Elisha Broderick (01); Ava Lynskey (1-5), Lisa Casserly (0-2), Dearbhaile Walshe (0-1); Becky Gilchrist (3-0), Mairéad Dillon (0-1), Tara Ruttledge (0-2 frees). Sub. - Rachel Monaghan (0-1 free).

Referee: Mike Ryan (Tipperary).