Dilworth and Buckley on fire for Croker-bound Inniscarra
The switch of Niamh Dilworth from full-forward to centre-forward proved crucial for the Cork champions while midfielder Rena Buckley was inspirational throughout.
O’Donovan Rossa gave as good as they got for the opening half, with Adams unerring from placed balls. Indeed all the Glenswomen’s points, apart from one, came from placed balls and all came from Adams.
They were a little unlucky to trail at the break, 1-4 to 0-4, with Niamh McCarthy’s cracking goal the difference.
Adams responded with a brace of frees but with captain Margaret Noelle O’Sullivan on target and Dilworth adding two from frees, the mid-Cork outfit kept their noses in front at the change of ends.
Adams brought her tally to six points after the resumption and it took a brilliant Orla Healy interception to deny O’Donovan Rossa’s a certain goal.
Natalie McGuinness netted 10 minutes into the second-half but they could not cope with Inniscarra’s power in the middle. Dilworth brought her tally to seven and she had good support from the likes of McCarthy who added two points from play including a wonderful effort from an acute angle. With Fiona O’Connell, Buckley and Joanne Casey also on the mark, Inniscarra gradually pulled away to cement their berth in the decider. Eoghan Rua made sure that there was some joy for Ulster camogie when overcoming Lismore in the intermediate semi-final on a 2-6 to 1-6 scoreline.
The National League also kicked off yesterday with champions Wexford defeating Galway at Ballinasloe, in a repeat of the All-Ireland final (3-9 to 2-6).
An Evelyn Quigley goal after eight minutes helped the visitors to a four-points lead. They held that advantage until the 20th minute when Veronica Curtin finished a Niamh Kilkenny delivery to the net. Jessica Gill and Aislinn Connolly added frees before Gill goaled from a 20m free to fire the Tribeswomen four points clear.
Perhaps significantly though, Wexford hit back for two late points and by the time Gill converted a free less than three minutes before the end of normal time, Kate Kelly had done likewise from three opportunities at the other end, while Ciara O’Connor had scored from play and it was the Model County outfit ahead.
O’Connor made sure of the points with a goal on the hour and though Curtin raised a white flag for Galway’s only score from play of the second half, Quigley found the net for her second goal almost immediately after.
Meanwhile, Offaly marked their first ever game in the top tier by securing a 1-10 to 0-13 draw against Clare while the only scheduled game in Group 2, between Dublin and Tipperary, was postponed due to the waterlogged pitch.
In Group 1 of Division 2, Galway beat Wexford by 2-9 to 1-8 at Duggan Park.
In Division 2, Limerick and Tipperary played out a 1-11 to 2-8 draw while in Division 3, last year’s double-champions Kildare just edged out Armagh 2-4 to 2-3.
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