Routine win for Galway to end group campaign
Date Published: {J}
Galway 4-19Dublin 2-5
Darren Kelly in Nowlan Park
No scares, no worries on Saturday for Galway. It was a routine effort for the senior camogie team as they completed their group campaign in the GALA All-Ireland championship with this comfortable 20 point win over Dublin.
Now they’ll sit and wait. Noel Finn’s side have the bye in this Saturday’s final round of fixtures so whether it’s Kilkenny, Cork or Wexford that the Tribeswomen face on August 14 in the semi-final won’t be known until after this weekend.
It was about completing their fixtures and, unlike their previous meeting with Clare, Galway didn’t waste time commanding control of this encounter. The Metropolitans briefly led by 0-2 to 0-1 with the wind – after Veronica Curtin opened the scoring after just 18 seconds, Ciara Burgess and Anne Kirwan responded for the home team by the third minute.
But then the visitors took off with 2-4 unanswered to hold a nine point advantage by the quarter hour mark. Tara Rutledge, Lorraine Ryan and Aislinn Connolly(2) picked off the points while the two corner forwards also hit the Dublin net. The first goal on 10 minutes started with a good run from Ryan down the left before she delivered into Connolly who didn’t need a second invitation. Four minutes later, it was Rutledge making the run but she finished it herself for her third goal in as many matches.
Louise O’Hara sent over a Dublin free in the 16th minute but Galway finished the half with four more points through Orla Kilkenny, Ryan and two Connolly frees. It could have been better for the maroon and white when Curtin forced an excellent one handed save from Stephanie Carty a minute before the break but Galway still led 2-9 to 0-3 at the interval.
It was Curtin again who opened the scoring just 24 seconds after the restart. O’Hara replied for Dublin with a point from play but further Galway scores from Sinead Keane, now in midfield, and a Connolly free made it 2-12 to 0-4 after five minutes.
For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.