Dublin U16’s can look to the rest of the Leinster Camogie championship with plenty of optimism
Dublin 1-05
Wexford 2-10
The Dublin U16’s began their first competitive match of the season with a loss to Wexford in the Leinster Camogie Championship this afternoon In Abbotstown.
Wexford were full value for the win in a game they looked probably a small percentage better in terms of match sharpness, but Dublin showed plenty of glimpses of what they are capable of and today’s game will bring their match sharpness on ten fold.
After what was a tense and competitive opening nine minutes Wexford opened up a two point lead with scoring efforts from Orla O’Rourke and the impressive Layla Staffed.
Dublin responded just before the quarter mark with a pointed free from Charlie Murphy who was one of the standout players in the game.
A pointed free from Stafford ended a nine minute scoreless spell and when the same player added another from play with two minutes left in the half it looked like Wexford would take a three point lead with them into the dressing rooms.
But a minute into first half injury time a good Dublin move was finished to the net by Chloe O’Shea to leave it all square at the break with the score 1-01 to 0-04.
Wexford started the second half brightly and built up a two point lead in the opening minutes with points from Lucia Goggins from play and a Layla Stafford pointed free.
Dublin were competing well for the ball but were finding it difficult to make the ball stick up front and Wexford took full advance as first Emma McCarthy grabbed The Slaneysiders first goal.
It got worse for Dublin just a minute later when a long range effort at a point from Layla Stafford was misjudged by the Dublin goalkeeper and it dropped just under the bar and into the net.
In fairness to the Dublin U16’s they never dropped their heads and battled on, a Charlie Murphy converted free reduced the deficit with a quarter of the game to go.
A point from Emma McCarthy for Wexford was followed with two points from Charlie Murphy for Dublin as the action swept from one end of the pitch to the other.
Emma McCarthy added two more points as Wexford tried to dampen any ideas Dublin had of staging a late comeback. Charlie Murphy struck over a cracking point in the final minute, but seconds later Wexford swept back down the pitch and Kayla Reddy split the posts for another Wexford point.
Dublin needed goals to get anything from the game but for all their effort it was one of those game were nothing would drop right for them and Wexford ran out deserving winners.
Not the result the Dublin U16’s wanted but there was plenty of positives to take from the game with a number of players standing out on the day which they can take forward into the rest of the round robin series of games.
Scorers – Dublin – Charlie Murphy 0-05 (3f), Chloe O’Shea 1-00. – Wexford – Layla Stafford 1-04 (2f), Emma McCarthy 1-03, Orla O’Rourke 0-01, Lucia Goggins 0-01, Kayla Reddy 0-01.
Dublin: Rachel Peters, Jess Hughes, Ella Walsh, Charlene Sone Lenou, Nessa Bolger, Eile Caffrey, Rachel Johnson, Orla Keighran, Ciara Kelleher, Niadh Mooney, Charlie Murphy, Mae Duignan, Gemma Connolly, Chloe O’Shea, Davina Strumble.
Subs: Aoife Kane for Niadh Mooney (15), Sinead Kelly for Rachel Johnson (HT), Seodha O’Riain for Nessa Bolger (37), Éabha Gannon for Davina Strumble (41), Ailbhe Ní Ghairbhí for Gemma Connolly (57).
Wexford: Ellie O’Connell, Grainne Hourihane, Emma O’Leary, Alanna Firman, Cara Parker, Sarah Kirwan, Ciara Whelan, Anna Hughes, Layla Stafford, Lucia Goggins, Orla O’Rourke, Emma McCarthy, Rachel Cullen, Kayla Reddy, Lucia Donohoe.
Subs: Caoimhe Byrne for Lucia Donohoe (48), Aoibhinn Egan for Alanna Firman (56).