Limerick fall short to Champions Galway in Camogie opener

Galway 4-11
Limerick 1-7

A second-half burst from All-Ireland champions Galway saw off a gallant effort from Limerick in the first round of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship.

John Lillis’ side must regroup for a clash with 2020 All-Ireland Champions Kilkenny next weekend.

The Treaty were always up against it on the road but they held their own in the opening thirty minutes. The class of this Galway side showed in the third quarter and they pulled clear, winning 13 points and relative ease in the end. Scores from Caoimhe Costello (frees) helped to repel the Galway challenge but they looked dangerous at every juncture. Niamh Hannify raced clear for the opening goal on 10 minutes and Carrie Dolan finished one handed for their second on 26 mintues, when it looked like the Treaty full-back line had done enough to stop the impressive forward.

Limerick played with the breeze in the opening half and had relative joy in the middle third. However, hitting five first half wides meant Limerick were not closer, or even ahead at the interval. The half-time score in Salthill read Galway 2-1 Limerick 0-4.

When Orlaith Kelleher pointed the first score in the second half, there was feint hope but a Galway blitz, led by Niamh Hanniffy, saw them pull clear. 2-4 unanswered settled this contest with Hanniffy finding a hat-trick.

Neamh Curtin was stretchered from the pitch with 10 minutes remaining, after a clash around the middle of the field.
There was a consolation score for Costello who saw her mis-hit free go low into the bottom corner in stoppage time. She also added two points as Limerick finished with some quality in attack.

Scorers for Galway: Niamh Hanniffy 3-0; Carrie Dolan 1-4 (0-4 frees); Ailish O’Reilly 0-4, Niamh Kilkenny 0-2, Aoife Donohue 0-1.

Scorers for Limerick: Caoimhe Costello 1-5 (1-4 frees, 0-1 ‘45’); Rebecca Delee, Orlaith Kelleher 0-1 each.

Limerick: Claire Keating (Cappamore); Stephanie Wolfe Templeglantine, Muireann Creamer (Cappamore), Marian Quaid (Bruff); Mairead Ryan (Bruff), Niamh Ryan Bruff, Neamh Curtin (Ballybrown); Sophie O’ Callaghan (Adare), Orlaith Kelleher (Croagh); Ailbhe Larkin (Mungret St. Paul’s), Rebecca Delee (Newcastle West), Lizzie Boylan (Na Piarsaigh); Caoimhe Costello (Adare), Sarah O’Brien (Templeglantine) Caoimhe Lyons (Monaleen)

Subs Used: Lorraine McCarthy (Bruff) for Boylan (45 mins), Aoife Coughlan (Crecora) for Curtin (inj -51 mins), Caroline Brennan (Kileedy) for O’Brien (58 mins).
Galway: Sarah Healy; Shauna Healy, Sarah Dervan ©, Heather Cooney; Roísin Black, Emma Helebert, Dervla Higgins; Rachael Hanniffy, Niamh Kilkenny; Niamh Hanniffy, Rebecca Hennelly, Aoife Donohue; Carrie Dolan, Ailish O’Reilly, Catherine Finnerty
Subs Used: Áine Keane for R Hanniffy (45 mins), Orlaith McGrath for Finnerty (45 mins), Sarah Spellman for Hennelly (49 mins), Tara Kenny for Helebert (57 mins),

Referee: Aaron Hogg (Clare)