CAMOGIE ROUND-UP: NATIONAL LEAGUE champions Kilkenny completed their All-Ireland senior camogie campaign with a 4-13 to 1-7 win against hosts Dublin at Ballyboden yesterday afternoon.
Kilkenny collected a third victory from six outings but it was not enough to secure a coveted place in the last four of the competition as Wexford and Tipperary had booked their places in the semi-finals on Saturday, joining already qualified Galway and Cork.
Although Kilkenny's game was effectively a "dead rubber", they still showed plenty of appetite and they will look to finish their season on a high when they face Dublin again on August 16th in the Leinster final.
Kilkenny managed to open up a 2-4 to 0-0 advantage after just 20 minutes, the goals supplied by Aoife Neary after seven minutes and Elaine Aylward four minutes later.
At half-time, Kilkenny led by 2-4 to 0-2 but Dublin showed good battling qualities and hit back with a goal from Louise O'Hara.
The visitors responded with some excellent scores from Marie Dargan, Ann Dalton and Sinéad Millea but the introduction of Aisling Jordan injected some life into the Dublin challenge and she scored two points from play.
However, that brace of scores provided only brief respite for Dublin as Neary's second goal and a late strike from Anna Farrell put an impressive gloss on the scoreline for Kilkenny.
Tipperary's 2-11 to 1-14 draw against Galway at Semple Stadium on Saturday had eliminated Kilkenny from the championship race.
Galway's lethal Jessica Gill, who had been substituted, was brought back on two and a half minutes into stoppage time to convert a penalty which salvaged a 1-14 to 2-11 draw for the Tribeswomen.
Tipp led by 1-6 to 0-7 at half-time, the goal courtesy of Geraldine Kinnane who handpassed the ball to the net in the 17th minute.
With 12 minutes remaining, Claire Grogan set up Emily Hayden for Tipperary's second goal and the same player was denied another major soon after by a smart Susan Earner save.
Tipp were clinging onto a three-point lead deep in stoppage time but there was a late twist as Gill added a goal to the three points she had collected earlier.
Meanwhile, defending champions Wexford booked their place in the last four with a 7-27 to 0-4 victory over Limerick in Kilmallock on Saturday, with Una Leacy and Ursula Jacob scoring 2-8 apiece for the Leinster side.
Wexford lost their opening two matches in the competition but bounced back impressively with four successive wins.
Una Leacy and Ursula Jacob were in scintillating form against Limerick and the deadly inside forwards weighed in with 2-8 apiece.
Bridget Curran justified her inclusion with a 2-2 haul while Áine Codd was also in good scoring form as she notched 1-2.
