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Cork get campaign off to winning start

CAMOGIE/SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: THERE WERE victories for Cork, Galway and Tipperary as the Gala All-Ireland senior camogie championship…

Mon Jun 02 2008 - 01:00

CAMOGIE/SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP:THERE WERE victories for Cork, Galway and Tipperary as the Gala All-Ireland senior camogie championship roared into life yesterday.

Cork, who won the title two years ago, produced a strong second-half performance against hosts Dublin at Naomh Mearnóg to record a 1-13 to 0-5 win.

Dublin were very much in contention at half-time, trailing by 0-6 to 0-4, but Cork upped a gear after the break and clinched a comfortable 11-point victory.

The Cork midfield gained a firm stranglehold while Joanne O'Callaghan also excelled in defence as Dublin were restricted to just one Ciara Lucey free in the second half.

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Una O'Donoghue scored 0-5 for last year's beaten All-Ireland finalists, Cork, Rachel Maloney chipped in with 0-4 after making the move from wing forward to full forward and Emer O'Sullivan bagged 0-3.

Orla Cotter grabbed Cork's goal two minutes from time to add gloss to the final scoreline.

Meanwhile,Galway recorded a 4-18 to 1-6 victory against Limerick, newcomers to this year's senior championship. Jessica Gill scored 2-6 en route to a 21-point victory at Kenny Park in Athenry.

Galway scored three goals in five first-half minutes as Gill (16), Therese Maher (18) and Orla Kilkenny (20) did the damage with a quickfire treble.

Galway led by 3-8 to 0-3 at half-time but the Munster side hung in there and were rewarded when Michelle Casey found the net midway through the second half.

Galway, however, struck back with a penalty two minutes later as Jessica Gill netted on her way to a 1-4 second-half tally.

Tipperary, looking to add to their five titles, got their championship campaign off to a perfect start with a 2-12 to 2-10 victory against league champions Kilkenny at Nowlan Park.

The sides were level at the break, 1-4 to 0-7, as Sinéad Millea struck for the first of her two goals for Kilkenny.

Tipperary took control of the game when Therese Shortt and All Star Philly Fogarty scored crucial goals before Millea responded as Kilkenny tried to force their way back into contention.

In the closing minutes, Kilkenny laid siege to the Tipperary goal and Aoife Neary was unlucky not to score a late winning goal. Tipperary held on for an exciting two-point victory as Claire Grogan scored nine points.