Rebel girls seal last four slot

CORK extinguished Tipperary’s hopes of reaching the All-Ireland senior camogie championship semi-finals with a hard-fought victory at the Cork Institute of Technology’s grounds on Saturday.

The Leesiders cemented their place in the last four alongside champions Wexford, Kilkenny and Galway thanks to a 0-13 to 1-7 win.

They had 10 scorers, with Jennifer O’Leary leading the way on three points. Joanne Casey and Katrina Mackey added a pair apiece and though Jill Horan hit four points and Cora Hennessy goaled for Tipperary, they could never get their noses in front.

Wexford continued their impressive form with a 16-point victory over Offaly at Wexford Park. Whereas goals were the key to their success last week, they will have been delighted with their points tally on this occasion, registering 3-19 to Offaly’s 1-9.

Una Leacy continues to find the net with regularity and she struck the first of her two in the 10th minute.

It took Offaly until the 21st minute to get off the mark through an Elaine Dermody free and the centre-forward added two more 45s soon after. Katrina Parrock’s goal in first-half injury time was a massive blow to Offaly as the hosts led 2-7 to 0-4 at the interval.

Dermody brought her tally to six points in the second-half and Siobhan Flannery pounced for an opportunist goal but Parrock, Kate, Kelly, Lenny Holohan and Ursula Jacob all kept the scoreboard ticking over for Wexford before Leacy bagged her second major six minutes from the end.

Galway and Kilkenny played out an entertaining tie in Ballinasloe with the hosts claiming a 0-12 to 0-9 victory

Playing with the wind in the first-half and inspired by centre-back Therese Maher, Galway led 0-9 to 0-4 at half-time.

Brenda Hanney hit two points to give the hosts a good start and though the outstanding Kilkenny midfielder Anne Dalton hit three points in response, four successive points left the westerners in good stead.

Susan Earner made a splendid stop from Aoife Neary’s penalty in the second, but Neary converted the resultant 45 and further scores from Denise Gaule and Aoife Neary reduced the deficit to one with time running out.

Sandra Tannian raised a white flag at the other end though and Kilkenny couldn’t get the goal they required.

Meanwhile, Clare registered their second victory of the campaign by beating Dublin 3-10 to 1-8. It was a much improved effort by the Dubs, who trailed by 2-8 to 1-5 at the interval. Claire McMahon shot five points from placed balls for the winners, with the goals coming from Fiona Lafferty, Naomi Carroll and Deirdre Murphy. Aisling Carolan shot four points for Dublin, while Amy Murphy’s first-half goal kept them in contention for much of the proceedings.