Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie Championship
Group 2, round two
Carlow 0-6 Derry 6-15
DERRY booked their spot in the knock-out stages of the All-Ireland intermediate championship with a comprehensive win in Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday and their high-scoring forwards may well have helped Antrim as well.
The Saffrons had drawn with Carlow in their opening game, but if they win their second-round game in Wexford next Saturday, they just need to avoid a heavy defeat to Derry in their final game to make it into the quarter-finals.
As with Derry’s opening game in Group 2, there was a number of wides before the Ulster side hit form, led by Aoife Shaw’s accuracy.
In fact, apart from a four-minute spell during each half when Carlow mustered a burst of three points, the Oak Leaf were dominant in every position and could have won by a wider margin.
They shot the opening four points before Carlow were awarded a ninth-minute penalty that Niamh Gribben saved. That sparked a reaction from the home side who hit three of the next four points including two from Ciara McCavannagh.
But it proved a false dawn as they didn’t raise another flag until five minutes from the end.
Derry dominated the second quarter with five more points up to added time when Aimee Lennon pushed up on a short poc out and off-loaded to Shaw for the opening goal.
A minute later Áine McAllister soloed through from 55 metres to fire home a second goal and Derry turned around with a healthy lead of 2-11 to 0-3.
Máiréad McNicholl set Mary Heggarty up for a third goal a minute into the second half and Aoife Shaw made it 4-11 to 0-3 a few minutes later.
Any chance of a comeback from Carlow was dead in the water and PJ O’Mullan immediately set about running his bench with five new players seeing out the final quarter.
One of those, Bronagh McCullagh, announced her arrival with a goal and a point and close to the end Áine McAllister completed another excellent personal performance with goal number six.
Derry: A Shaw (2-5, 0-3 frees), Á McAllister (2-2), M Heggarty (1-2), B McCullagh (1-1), A Lennon (0-3), M McNicholl (0-2)
Carlow: C Cavannagh (0-2), K Nolan (0-2), E Treacy (0-1 free), E Doyle (0-1)
Group 1
Galway 0-11 Kilkenny 0-19
Cork 2-11 Dublin 0-5
KILKENNY have topped this group as they completed their programme of games with a comfortable victory in Athenry.
Cork and Galway will battle it out for second place on July 1.
Group 3, round two
Kerry 0-11 Meath 3-15
Laois 1-10 Westmeath 2-17?
MEATH sent out a clear message on their championship intentions with a resounding victory in Causeway to go top of Group 3.
They lost to Kerry a couple of months ago in the Very National League Division 2A final in Croke Park but finished strongly to convincingly beat the Kingdom.
The turning point was a penalty goal from Aoife Minogue eight minutes into the second half to put them 1-9 to 0-8 up.
Minogue and Nadine Doyle scored further goals during the final quarter as Meath recorded their second high-scoring victory.
Their final game is against neighbours Westmeath who were comfortable enough in beating bottom side Laois by 2-17 to 1-10
