by Kevin Egan

A new-look Cork side launched their bid to win back the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie championship with a sensational away win against O’Duffy Cup holders Galway in Athenry this afternoon, easily brushing aside the Tribeswomen to win by 0-18 to 1-8.

Having been forced by injury and retirements to blood a number of new players during the League, Cork started this match with just eight players from the 15 that started last year’s All-Ireland final, of which five were forwards, but that transformed defensive and midfield unit was utterly dominant from start to finish, with the more experienced Libby Coppinger and Méabh Murphy exceptional along the spine of the defence.

Laura Hayes opened the scoring while Saoirse McCarthy shot two of her six points as Cork hit four of the first five points, and with the wind at their backs, they pushed on to lead by 0-13 to 0-4 at the interval.

Amy O’Connor, back in the Cork side after missing the League through injury, shot two frees early in the second half to stretch the lead to double figures and even though Niamh McPeake fired over a majestic score that should have rallied the champions, there was still ten between the sides (0-16 to 0-6) going into the last ten minutes.

Sarah Healy had already made one superb save to deny Orlaith Cahalane a goal and she delivered another world-class stop to repel a McCarthy strike. There was a goal in the game, coming late on from Caoimhe Kelly, but Ciara O’Sullivan rounded off the scoring for Cork, becoming the eighth Rebel to get on the scoresheet as she did so.

The other Group 1 tie between Tipperary and Waterford takes place tomorrow afternoon (Sunday) in Azzurri Walsh Park in Waterford, but there were three Group 2 games down for decision, yielding victories for Dublin, Kilkenny and Clare.

The pressure was on both Dublin and Wexford at Parnell Park, with both sides coming into the tie on the back of two consecutive defeats. The Dubs settled into the game quickly however, raising five white flags in the first eight minutes to set the tone against the side that edged them out four weeks ago in a brilliant Leinster final.

Three of those five points came from Aisling Maher who ended the game with ten, four from play, in a comprehensive 1-18 to 0-8 win.

Aisling Gannon shot 1-4, her goal arriving after 24 minutes to help push Bill McCormack’s crew seven points clear by the half-time turnaround.

Wexford couldn’t make any inroads in the second half, adding just one point through a Chloe Cashe free in the first 25 minutes, with Dublin’s half-back line of Niamh Gannon, Claire Gannon and Aoife Higgins dominant.

At UPMC Nowlan Park, Offaly made a fine start with the breeze at their backs, kicking off with two Mairéad Teehan points and following that up with scores from Grace Teehan and Faye Mulrooney to lead by 0-4 to 0-1.

An Emma Shortall goal sucked the wind out of their sails however and Kilkenny quickly pillaged another 1-3, featuring two Asha McHardy points and another goal from the in-form Sarah Barcoe, adding to her brace last week against Limerick.

Clodagh Leahy gave Offaly a lifeline with a goal in reply but there was to be a fifth goal in the first half, this time from Steffi Fitzgerald, to push the gap out to eight by half-time.

Twice in the second half there were two green flags in a row, first with Mairéad Teehan hitting back against an Aoife Prendergast goal, then Grace Teehan and Emma Mulhall both hit the net in the 56th minute. At all stages however, Kilkenny had at least nine points to spare, while it was 5-15 to 3-9 when Donnacha O’Callaghan sounded the long whistle.

Zimmer Biomet Cusack Park was the venue for a Shannonside derby between Clare and Limerick where Clare struck an early goal through Róisín Begley and that proved to be the crucial score in a 1-13 to 0-11 home win, where Clare Hehir crowned a fine display with a crucial late insurance point, wrapping up their third win out of three championship games so far.

With the Cats also on nine points from their opening three outings, they and the Bannerwomen have one foot in the All-Ireland quarter-finals, and any return from their final two games will cement their knockout berths, though they might not even need that.

RESULTS:

GLEN DIMPLEX ALL-IRELAND SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

GALWAY 1-8 CORK 0-18

WATERFORD v TIPPERARY (Sunday)

KILKENNY 5-15 OFFALY 3-9

CLARE 1-13 LIMERICK 0-11

DUBLIN 1-18 WEXFORD 0-8

GLEN DIMPLEX ALL-IRELAND INTERMEDIATE CHAMPIONSHIP

DOWN 1-11 DERRY 1-11

LAOIS 2-11 MEATH 2-9

WESTMEATH 4-6 CARLOW 3-12

ANTRIM 2-16 KERRY 1-9

GLEN DIMPLEX ALL-IRELAND PREMIER JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

KILDARE 2-10 ROSCOMMON 4-12

WICKLOW 0-6 TYRONE 4-15

CAVAN 3-13 ARMAGH 1-10

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