Wexford FC Women beat DLR Waves and finish top of All-Island Cup group
Wexford ended their All-Island Cup round-robin slate with a victory over DLR Waves, in the process taking top spot in the Group B table in the Belfield Bowl on Saturday.
Seán Byrne's side came into the game knowing victory would see them advance to the quarter-final stages, but they would need help from Lisburn Rangers against Shamrock Rovers to head the table.
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Irish Examiner
6 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Cork wear down battling Waterford to stay on track for camogie hat-trick
All-Ireland camogie semi-final: Cork 1-21 Waterford 1-11 A Saoirse McCarthy-inspired Cork eventually wore down Waterford in the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie semi-final at UPMC Nowlan Park on Saturday. The Rebels stellar championship run, which sees them unbeaten since Galway overcame them in the round-robin two years ago, ensures they stay on track for three-in-a-row All-Ireland titles. This feat was last achieved by Cork between 1970-1973. No doubt Galway will have something to say about that in two weeks time when these familiar foes meet for a second year running in what should be another fascinating showdown in Jones Road (5.15pm throw-in). Today's encounter was a far cry from when Cork totally outclassed Waterford in the 2023 final, the south-east side were in this game right up until the fourth quarter, only to be overrun in the closing stages. Twelve of that starting team lined out in this penultimate round. The finishing touches to the Cork victory were applied by substitute Orlaith Mullins who entered the fray three minutes from time and ended with a hefty 1-2. But it was McCarthy who shone the brightest, scoring seven wonderful points - three from play. There was one change to Ger Manley's side with Katrina Mackey replacing Clodagh Finn after the Fr O'Neill's forward picked up an injury during the week. Keeley Corbett Barry, left, and Orla Hickey of Waterford react after their side's defeat in the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Camogie Senior Championship semi-final match between Cork and Waterford at UPMC Nowlan Park, Kilkenny. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile Being able to call on a player of that calibre tells how strong this panel is, and the Douglas forward ended with four points. In front of an attendance of 7,120 spectators, Cork won the toss and elected to play against the wind and while they were first on the scoreboard through an Amy O'Connor free, Waterford's response four minutes later from a Niamh Rockett placed ball was a significant reply. The teams traded points before Waterford, mainly through the brilliance of Beth Carton, moved into a 1-4 to 0-3 lead midway through the half. The De La Salle attacker's first point could well have been a green flag but her shot sailed over the bar. She made no mistake on the quarter hour mark when she moved into space and was set up by Mairead O'Brien and her finish was low to the far corner. Emma Murphy and Sorcha McCartan white flags were cancelled by Carton and a Rockett free - Waterford keeping their noses in front as the wind appeared to swirl, 1-6 to 0-5. Cork came more into the game through the next four points - three of these excellent returns from the speedster McCarthy to draw level. But with corner-forward Kate Lynch playing a deep role for Mick Boland's outfit, Abby Flynn pushed her side into the lead, 1-7 to 0-9 at the interval, after she capitalised from a long Rockett free. The first 10 minutes of the restart was frenetic. Cork obviously benefitted from a good half-time pep talk with Katrina Mackey showing the way with a trio of points, Cork were beginning to work their way back. The Rebels would outscore their opponents six points to two. Waterford did well to keep the ball out of the net in the 38th minute, as the scores at the other end started to dry up. This due to the Cork rearguard maintaining a strong defensive shape. The champions clearly had got any rustiness out of the system from their four week lay-off since competitive action. As the third quarter came to a conclusion, the lead had extended to 0-16 to 1-9. Rockett ended a 12 minute drought for Waterford with a 48th minute free. There was no let up from Cork, McCarthy landing another brace. The alertness of Brianna O'Regan in the Waterford goal denied Cliona Healy, but O'Connor split the posts from the '45. Mullins put the icing on the cake in the first minute of stoppage when she was picked out by Orlaith Cahalane. Scorers for Cork: S McCarthy (0-7, 0-4 frees), O Mullins (1-2), K Mackey (0-4), A O'Connor (0-3, 0-2 frees, 0-1 45), E Murphy and S McCartan (0-2 each), L Hayes (0-1). Scorers for Waterford: B Carton (1-4), Rockett (0-5, 0-3 frees), L Bray and A Flynn (0-1 each). CORK: A Lee; P Mackey, L Coppinger, M Cahalane (Capt); A Healy, L Treacy, L Hayes; H Looney, A Thompson; E Murphy, S McCartan, E Murphy; O Cahalane, K Mackey, A O'Connor. Subs: C Healy for E Murphy (53), M Murphy for A Thompson, O Mullins for S McCartan (both 57), A Fitzgerald for L Hayes (62). WATERFORD: B O'Regan; A McNulty, K Corbett Barry, V Falconer; B Bowdren, R Walsh, O Hickey; L Bray (Capt), A Flynn; E O'Neill; B Carton, E O'Neill, M O'Brien; A Fitzgerald, N Rockett, K Lynch. Subs: T Power for B Bowdren (40), M Gostl for M O'Brien (46), M Comerford for A Flynn (55), N Ahearne for A Fitzgerald (63). Referee: Gavin Donegan (Dublin).
Irish Independent
7 minutes ago
- Irish Independent
Wexford FC suffer defeat in Dundalk to lose further ground in play-off race
A first-half double from Gbemi Arubi put the Lilywhites in control, but Wexford got a real foothold in the game when substitute Muhammad Haris halved the deficit shortly after the interval. However, Keith Ward restored the two-goal cushion in the 63rd minute and, although Mikie Rowe pulled one back late on, the visitors couldn't force an equaliser, leaving them seven points adrift of fifth-placed Treaty United. Stephen Elliott named an unchanged eleven from the previous weekend's 4-0 defeat to Shamrock Rovers in the FAI Cup and the visitors again got off to a nightmare start – something that has happened too often this season. There was little over 90 seconds on the clock when the hosts struck the front through Arubi. Daryl Horgan turned smartly to his right and whipped in an inviting delivery. Former Wexford player Eoin Kenny headed the cross towards goal and, although Paul Martin made the save, the alert Arubi was on hand to finish from close range. The lively attacker quickly threatened to grab a second when he broke clear, but his shot was well blocked by Dean Larkin. After a difficult opening, Wexford had their first sight of goal in the 11th minute when Ben McCormack found Ajibola Oluwabiya, and the winger curled a right-footed effort over the crossbar from just outside the 18-yard box. Mikie Rowe then cut inside but was well off target with his left while, at the other end, Aodh Dervin showed good feet before getting a shot away, but his long-range effort was always rising. After Dervin dragged another effort wide, Dundalk did grab their second goal just before the half hour mark and they did so in style. Declan McDaid glanced a header towards Arubi and the frontman blasted a sweet first-time effort to the corner of the net, giving goalkeeper Paul Martin no chance. The hosts were threatening to run riot and, after good work from Arubi, Daryl Horgan tried to pick out McDaid, but he was denied by good defending from James Crawford. Wexford weathered the storm and when Michael McCarthy played a long ball forward for Aaron Dobbs to run on to in the 38th minute and the striker was taken down by goalkeeper Enda Minogue, it briefly looked like the visitors would have a route back into the game. However, the offside flag was quickly up for what was a marginal call, so the referee didn't have a decision to make. Muhammad Haris, who only recently joined Wexford from the Lilywhites, was introduced for the start of the second-half and he quickly came back to haunt his former side as he brought the visitors back into the contest in the 50th minute. Another former Dundalk player, Robbie McCourt, played a hopeful ball forward which Minogue inexplicably allowed to slip from his grasp, and Haris had the simple task of rolling to the net for his first League of Ireland goal. Unfortunately, the wind was soon taken out of Wexford's sails when another substitute, experienced campaigner Keith Ward, grabbed Dundalk's third goal in the 63rd minute. A dangerous McDaid cross was only cleared as far as Ward and the playmaker fired a stunning volley that flew past Martin and into the net. Having started the second-half well it was a bitter blow for the Slaneysiders but, to their credit, they kept plugging away and Dean Larkin steered a McCormack free-kick narrowly wide moments later. Arubi and Ward were both off target with efforts as the hosts tried to put the contest to bed, while McDaid couldn't generate enough power on a header from a Horgan cross. Wexford managed to just about stay in the game though and, after McCormack shot wide, they were right back in the contest in the 87th minute when Mikie Rowe grabbed a lifeline. McCourt clipped a free-kick to Calum Flynn, with the substitute lifting the ball across the box and when it fell to Dean Larkin, he nodded on to Rowe, who applied a tidy finish past Minogue for his 16th league goal of the season. Aodh Dervin's strike deflected wide off McCourt as Dundalk threatened a quick response, but Wexford almost rescued an unlikely share of the spoils in the 94th minute as Dean Larkin got his head to a Cian Browne long throw, but the ball drifted narrowly wide of the far post. It was Wexford's second successive 3-2 defeat to the league leaders, having suffered the same fate in their previous meeting in Ferrycarrig Park at the end of May. Wexford will be hoping to get a much-needed win when they host Finn Harps on Friday and the Donegal side should be in high spirits, having held high-flying Cobh Ramblers to a 2-2 draw at the weekend. Dundalk: Enda Minogue; John Ross Wilson, Conor O'Keeffe, Vinnie Leonard, Shane Tracey; Aodh Dervin, Harry Groome; Declan McDaid, Eoin Kenny, Daryl Horgan; Gbemi Arubi. Subs. – Andy Parashiv for Groome (56), Keith Ward for Kenny (56), Rohan Vaughan for Horgan (78), Dean Ebbe for Arubi (78), Luke Mulligan for Tracey (90+1), also, Peter Cherrie, Sammy Safaei, Seán Spaight, T.J. Molloy. Wexford FC: Paul Martin; Michael McCarthy, Dean Larkin, Robbie McCourt, James Crawford; Matthew O'Brien, Kaylem Harnett, Ben McCormack; Mikie Rowe, Aaron Dobbs (capt.), Ajibola Oluwabiyi. Subs. – Muhammad Haris for Harnett (HT), Darragh Levingston for O'Brien (58), Cian Browne for Crawford (64), Filip Wasilewski for Oluwabiyi (64), Calum Flynn for Dobbs (71), also, Alex Moody, Zayd Abada, Ryan Butler, Patrick Manning. SSE AIRTRICITY FIRST DIVISION P W D L F A Pt Dundalk 24 15 7 2 39 18 52 Cobh Ramblers 24 14 4 6 41 24 46 Bray Wanderers 23 14 1 8 39 29 43 UCD 24 10 6 8 27 23 36 Treaty United 24 9 7 8 38 25 34 Wexford FC 24 7 6 11 28 33 27 Longford Town 23 6 7 10 22 39 25 Finn Harps 24 5 9 9 26 31 24 Kerry FC 24 6 3 14 24 41 21 Athlone Town 24 3 8 13 18 39 16
Irish Examiner
36 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Galway ready to 'right the wrongs' of last year's final loss to Cork
Muted Galway celebrations. No shouting or jumping or roaring. The attitude was measured and spoke of this semi-final being a means to an end. The Saturday scenes at Nowlan Park were worlds apart from the same venue this weekend last year. On that occasion, Galway also bettered Tipp to reach the decider. The margin then was a single point. Here, it was seven. Read More Impressive Galway inflict more semi-final torture on Tipperary In last year's final, Galway delivered a performance that pushed Cork to almost breaking point. Maybe Galway didn't realise they were that close to standard-bearers Cork until they were level with them going down the stretch. The westerners, in the end, came up three points short. They are determined that the rematch in two weeks' time has a different outcome. This is a Galway group much further down the road than the crowd who shouted and jumped and roared when edging Tipp 12 months ago. 'Last year, we were never going well,' began Galway manager Cathal Murray. 'Cork beat us by double digits in the group. We had a week to prepare for the Waterford quarter-final. We were poor in that quarter-final. 'It was the first time we had come into a semi-final as underdogs in a while. Then the way we won it too, a point in the last minute. We were down for a lot of that game, four behind at the break, so it was a brilliant comeback. 'Today, we were on top for most of the game. It's a different feeling. It looked out there like we were the better team for a lot of the second-half. 'Also, we lost last year's All-Ireland final. It is huge for us to get back there. We are not going to celebrate getting back to an All-Ireland final, we have to go now and right the wrongs of last year. Whoever wins [that second semi-final], it is going to be a massive test, but one we are embracing.' Getting back there was no straightforward road. All-Star full-back Roisín Black, because of injury and travel, made her first start of the year in this semi-final. Niamh Hanniffy and the legendary Niamh Kilkenny are unavailable. 2024 centre-back Áine Keane and centre-forward Niamh McPeake both did their cruciate earlier in the campaign. Stepping up in their first semi-final appearance were Mairead Dillon and Caoimhe Kelly, both of whom sniped a pair from play. 'To be honest, we showed huge resilience. We were missing five all year, so this team has shown huge resilience to even get this far. To put in a performance like that with players who weren't on the team last year but have really, really stepped up to the plate, that is massive for the group. 'Losing a final last year was really hard. That was the goal all year to get back there. We are not being euphoric about getting there because we don't want to lose another one. We are there now so we want to win it.' While maybe unhappy with the concession of Tipp's first-half goal, which was the first dent in a six-point Galway lead being eradicated by half-time, Murray wasn't unhappy at being level at the break. 'They got a huge amount of oxygen from the goal. We always knew coming down today that the crowd would get behind Tipp if we allowed that to happen. We were doing really well in the game, and they got a big bounce from the goal. We limited the damage against the breeze to four points after the goal. 'That breeze, we talked about it before the start, we felt it was a four or five-point breeze, so we said we would be happy if we were within two or three at half-time, but instead we were level and we probably felt we should have been ahead. Things were going well, we felt we were doing the right things, and we were in a good spot. 'Took our scores really, really well in the third quarter. When the wind is behind you, you can take the wrong options, shoot from too far out, but we delivered good ball to our forwards, they were out in front, and really worked the scores well.' Cork, again, are the last stop on Galway's road to glory.
