Littlewoods Ireland Camogie Leagues Division Two: Antrim 1-12 Galway 1-8
A LATE goal from Róisín McCormick gave Antrim their second set of points in Group Three of the Littlewoods Division Two league in Portglenone on Saturday.
Both counties showed changes from the teams that contested a high octane intermediate championship semi-final in Clones in August with the Saffrons bringing through five new starters. Three of these, Méadhbh Laverty, Siobhán McKillop and Caoimhe Wright, were not even on the panel last year, but the trio contributed seven points.
Laverty, McCormick (free) and Wright picked off the first three points and, although Laura Loughnane came back with two points for Galway, two more points from Wright, one from McKillop and a free from McCormick had the home side looking good coming into half-time.
However, Galway scored a goal through Tara Rutledge and Katie Gilchrist added a point in the couple of minutes before the short whistle and Antrim only led by 0-7 to 1-3 after a promising start.
Galway hit two points on the restart through Gilchrist and Farragher to take the lead and the game was level at 0-10 to 1-7 going into the last 10 minutes.
Áine Magill and Róisín McCormick edged Antrim ahead with Gilchrist pointing a free in reply to leave the game finely balanced over the last five minutes, until McCormick’s goal killed it off.
Antrim have one group game left, away to Laois on March 12. It will be a huge surprise now if they do not top the group.
Meanwhile Derry, without the Slaughtneil or Eoghan Rua players involved in All-Ireland club games, fell to a second defeat, this time a double-scores loss to Wexford at Owenbeg.
Wexford, who play in the senior championship, were ahead by 0-10 to 0-5 at the break and went on to record a 2-20 to 1-10 victory.
In the same group, Cork had a big win over Kildare at Hawkfield and that means that Derry need to beat Kildare this coming weekend to avoid a relegation dog-fight at the end of next month.
Antrim scorers: R McCormick (1-4, 0-4 frees), C Wright (0-4), S McKillop (0-2), Á Magill (0-1), M Laverty (0-1).
Galway: T Rutledge (1-0), K Gilchrist (0-3, 0-2 frees), C Farragher (0-2), L Loughnane (0-2), T Canning (0-1).
Littlewoods Ireland Camogie Leagues Division Three: Antrim 1-9 Dublin 1-7
ANTRIM’S new look reserve team hit the ground running with a two points’ win in Division Three at Portglenone against the visiting Dubs on Saturday.
Star of the show was midfielder Dervla Cosgrove who scored seven of Antrim’s nine points, six of those from frees.
She opened the scoring with two frees in the first few minutes. But Dublin hit back and took the lead when Aoibhe Dillon’s speculative shot dropped into the net in the 15th minute. However the home side were soon back in the lead when Brogan Abram’s effort for a point dropped short and Tara O’Neill swept the sliotar to the net.
At half-time it was 1-4 to 1-2 and that increased to 1-8 to 1-3 during the third quarter with Fionnuala Kelly’s point followed quickly by three from Cosgrove.
However entering the final ten minutes Niamh Comerford, Aoibhe Dillon and Aoife Deegan closed the gap to two points. Cara Feeney then brought that down to a single point in the third minute of injury time. But Cosgrove relieved the pressure with her seventh point a minute later.
The weather wiped out the other fixtures in Group Two, while there was just one game in Group One with competition favourites Wexford enjoying a three points’ victory over Clare
Antrim: T O’Neill (1-0), D Cosgrove (0-7, 0-6 frees), O Laverty (0-1), F Kelly (0-1).
Dublin: A Dillon (1-1, 0-1free), N Comerford (0-2 frees), E Young (0-1), A Deegan (0-1), C Feeney (0-1), S Fenlon (0-1 free).
RESULTS
Littlewoods Ireland Camogie Leagues
Division Two
Derry 1-10 Wexford 2-20
Kildare 2-6 Cork 4-16
Antrim 1-12 Galway 1-8
Division Three
Wexford 2-9 Clare 2-6
Antrim 1-9 Dublin 1-7
