Dominant first half laid the foundations for Dublin’s comfortable Camogie League triumph
Dublin 4-12
Limerick 0-04
The Dublin Intermediates recorded their second straight Division 3B Camogie League win this afternoon against Limerick in Abbotstown.
A dominant first half laid the foundations for what was a comfortable win in the end with Dublin putting the icing on the cake with four second half goals and now sit top of the table on score difference from Antrim and Clare the two sides they play in the remaining two divisional games.
Dublin raced into a four point lead inside the eight minute of todays game with points from Chloe O’Connor, Meabh Hicks and two from Eile O’Ceallaigh.
An eleventh minute converted free from Saoirse Fitzgerald finally got Limerick on the scoreboard but Dublin were on top all over the field with the defence and midfield winning all the one on one battle and the Dublin forward unit constantly offering an attacking option.
Six further unanswered points, three from Meabh Hicks, two from Grace Shanahan and one from Aoife Deegan put Dublin in a commanding lead, it should have been even more but Dublin failed to convert a couple of goal opportunities and had to settle for a nine point advantage at the break with the score 0-10 to 0-01.
Limerick now playing with the stiff breeze changed their defensive shape to a more offensive one pushing a couple of forwards further up the pitch.
That led to a fairly flat opening twenty minutes but even in what was a very low scoring period Dublin extended their lead with two successful frees from Grainne Skelton.
The visitors pulled one back from a Saoirse Fitzgerald free but Dublin had regained the momentum and attacked in waves.
Three minutes from time Dublin were awarded a penalty for a foul in the square which Grainne Skelton converted. Thirty seconds later and Skelton found the back of the net again this time from a free.
Limerick grabbed their third and fourth points of the game from Cliodhna Hall and a free scored by Saoirse Fitzgerald.
But the Dublin tails were up and they pressed forward, Lynn McMahon Keenan cut in from the right to smash the ball to the net and a minute later almost grabbed her second goal of the game but her shot was deflected across the face of the goal and Aoife Deegan was on hand to sweep the ball to the net for Dublin’s fourth goal and put the seal on their second straight Camogie League win.
Scorers – Dublin – Grainne Skelton 2-02 (1-00 pen 1-02f), Meabh Hicks 0-04, Aoife Deegan 1-01, Lynn McMahon Keenan 1-00, Eile O’Ceallaigh 0-02, Grace Shanahan 0-02, Chloe O’Connor 0-01.
Limerick – Saoirse Fitzgerald 0-03 (3f), Cliodhna Hall 0-01.
Dublin: Lauryn Campbell, Grace Shanahan, Hannah Gibbs, Shauna McCarty, Meabh Hicks, Grainne Skelton, Siobhan Keohe, Leonie Power, Eile O’Ceallaigh, Aoife Deegan, Robyn Buckley, Caoimhe Walshe, Cara Feeney, Emily Adderly, Chloe O’Connor.
Dublin Substitutions: Ciara Murphy for Siobhan Kehoe (45), Cliodhna Ni Bhuachalla for Caoimhe Walshe (54), Lynn McMahon Keenan for Eile O’Ceallaigh (55), Emma Young for Hannah Gibbs (60), Aisling Groake for Shauna McCarty (60).
Limerick: Fiona Power, Dawn O’Shaughnessy, Leah Twomey, Elaine Frawley, Aisling Irwin, Ann Kennedy, Ciara Houlihan, Valerie Shanahan, Saoirse Fitzgerald, Cara Davern, Lisa English, Phoenix Mulcaire Shire, Sarah Cosgrove, Annie Giltenane, Ciara Enright.
Limerick Substitutions: Cliodhna Hall for Annie Giltenane (HT), Ciara English for Aisling Irwin (39), Laoise Fitzgibbon for Ciara Enright (39), Ciara McMahon for Cara Davern (50), Reba Kenny for Sarah Cosgrove (51), Katelyn O’Dea for Ciara Houlihan (60), Emily Lynch for Dawn O’Shaughnessy (61).