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You are > Home > Lady footballers are left facing luck of the draw
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Thursday, August 14, 2008
Lady footballers are left facing luck of the draw
by Noel Holohan
AFTER SCORING a crucial win over Longford the previous week, the Wexford lady footballers knew that a win over Kilkenny last Friday at Wexford Park would at least guarantee them a play-off for the semi-finals of the All-Ireland intermediate championship.
The purple-and-gold duly dispatched Kilkenny, last year’s All-Ireland junior champions, in ruthless fashion.
But, with Longford securing victory over Fermanagh in the final group game, it means that Wexford, Longford and Fermanagh will now go into a draw to determine which goes straight to the semi-finals from Group B of league section, and what teams meet next weekend in the play-off.
The draw was due to be staged by the Ladies’ Gaelic Football Board in Athlone, County Westmeath last night (Tuesday).
Wexford hit Kilkenny hard right from the start, and after 15 minutes led by 1-5 to 0-1. Tara Maloney and Kilkenny attacker Kelly-Ann Cotterall swapped early points, before wind assisted Wexford engineered a sixth-minute goal, when Josie Dwyer got in to find the net after good work by Caroline Murphy and Kate Kelly.
A point each from Michelle Doyle, Tara Maloney, Dwyer and Bridget Curran continued Wexford’s good start as they took complete control. Indeed, further points from Maloney (2), Dwyer, Kate Kelly and Caroline Murphy eased them clear by 1-10 to 0-1.
Caroline Murphy visited further woe on Kilkenny just on half-time, when she found the net thanks to Josie Dwyer, to help the home-side break leading by a commanding 2-10 to 0-1.
The scores dried-up somewhat in the secondhalf, as Wexford eased off the throttle and rested the dual players, although Kate Kelly added two nice points before heading for the sideline, as the Wexford management gave her as well as Caroline Murphy and Bridget Curran a deserved rest with next Saturday’s All-Ireland camogie semifinal against Galway in mind.
It was a wise move for all concerned, and with Wexford ‘keeper Mary-Rose Kelly also missing, after sustaining injury in the Longford game, this runaway win provided an ideal opportunity for Wexford to give other players a chance to impress.
Tara Maloney added another point, before similar scores from Kelly-Ann Cotterall and Keeva Fennelly, in addition to a goal from Sarah Walsh, offered Kilkenny some measure of consolation.
Wexford completed the job with a point from Ali Evered, before Tara Maloney coolly slotted home a penalty, after Naomi Fogarty had been impeded.
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