Indomitable Galway end Model’s reign

Galway 1-12 Wexford 0-06

With seven of last year’s championship-winning team unavailable, it was an onerous task for JJ Doyle’s outfit, and though they battled throughout, they never looked like winning once Niamh Kilkenny hit a 23rd minute goal.

Aisling O’Reilly opened the scoring for Galway in the second minute but a couple of points in three minutes from Ursula Jacob put Wexford in front. It was significant though that those two scores came from placed balls as they failed to score from play throughout. Indeed the entire game was a staccato affair punctuated by frees but as Galway gained dominance around the middle, they gradually pulled clear.

Emer Haverty brought the sides level and Niamh McGrath slotted three points as the Tribeswomen pulled clear. Brenda Hanney flashed a low shot into the side-netting but Kilkenny made no mistake as she drove a powerful shot beyond the helpless Mags D’Arcy from close range. An injury-time point from O’Reilly left Galway 1-6 to 0-2 clear at half-time.

With the outstanding Therese Maher revelling as a free player at centre-back, as Wexford attempted to gain a foothold further out the field, the westerners fired over three of the next four points to extend the margin to nine.

Hanney and Jacob exchanged points before O’Reilly’s angled drive rose over the bar and Hanney notched up her second to put nine between the sides.

Wexford hit back through Jacob and Kate Kelly but they were rocked by the dismissal of Katrina Parrock for a second yellow after 48 minutes.

Jacob landed another free to leave six between them but Galway points from Kilkenny, and an excellent effort by Noreen Coen, sealed the win.

Scorers for Galway: N Kilkenny 1-2; N McGrath (2fs), A O’Reilly 0-3 each, B Hanney 0-2; E Haverty, N Coen 0-1.

Scorers for Wexford: U Jacob 0-5(fs); K Kelly 0-1(f).

GALWAY: S Earner, T Manton, S Dervan, H Cooney, S Cahalan, T Maher, L Ryan, N Kilkenny, M Dunne, E Haverty, N McGrath, E Kilkelly, B Hanney, A Hayes, A O’Reilly. Subs: N Coen for Kilkelly (39); AM Starr for Haverty (60+1).

WEXFORD: M D’Arcy, C Donohoe, N Lambert, Atkinson, B Curran, Shelly Kehoe, S Sinnott, K Kelly, F Kavanagh, J Dwyer, K Parrock, B Gordon, E O’Connor, F Rochford, U Jacob. Subs: F Doran for Donohoe (37); Stacey Kehoe for O’Connor (43); S McGivern for Rochford (52).

Referee: C Egan (Cork).