Camogie National League finals Galway 1-6, Cork 0-6: Selector Damian Coleman reacted with understandable delight to Galway's first National League Division One victory over Cork in Semple Stadium yesterday.
A beaming Coleman said, "Those girls did everything that was asked of them. I'm so proud."
Last year Galway failed to win a league match, but this year, under the new management of Sharon Glynn, Damian Coleman and former hurling All-Ireland winner PJ Molloy, they are thriving.
Galway had to take the field without two of their stars, the injured Lourda Kavanagh and Áine Hilary.
They started slowly and had to wait 23 minutes for their first score, a point from Veronica Curtin. But they warmed to their task, and just before the break a great move saw Brenda Kerins feed Curtin, who smashed the ball to the Cork net. That left it 1-4 to 0-3 at the break, the Cork points having come from Úna O'Donoghue, Jennifer O'Leary and Emer Dillon.
The Rebels were first to score in the second half, an Emer Dillon point. But Curtin immediately replied in kind. And though Galway failed to score again until the 20th minute, when Curtin got her fifth point, Cork managed only two pointed frees from O'Leary between there and the end.
With seven minutes left Galway had a great chance to boost their tally when awarded a penalty and goalkeeper Stephanie Gannon, the 2004 young player of the year, ran the length of the pitch to take it - only for the Cork defence to stop it on the line.
In the Division Two final, Galway looked for a long time like making it a double, but though they got off to a great start with goals in the opening 12 minutes from Molly Dunne and Rachelle O'Brien, Cork stepped up the pace once full forward Ellen O'Herlihy got their first goal midway through the half and went on to win 2-10 to 2-7.
In the Ulster junior championship semi-finals Down beat Derry 3-9 to 2-9 and Armagh beat Antrim 5-16 to 1-6.
GALWAY: S Gannon; R Glynn, S Cahalan, N Gavin; L Lally,T Maher (capt), A Kelly; S Murphy, C Glennon; A Lynskey, B Hanney, O Kilkenny; B Kerins (0-1), V Curtin (1-5, 0-2 frees), E Kilkelly. Subs: K Glynn for Glennon (43 mins), A Connolly for Hanney (52 mins), J Gill for Lynskey (58 mins), F Healy for Murphy (62 mins).
CORK: A Murray; J Browne, S Dunlea, J O'Callaghan; A O'Regan, M O'Connor, N Ahern; R Moloney, B Corkery; A Walsh, E Dillon (0-2), J O'Leary (0-3, 1 45, 2 frees); C Desmond, Ú O'Donoghue (0-1), C Healy. Subs: V Harris for Corkery (half-time), E Burke for Desmond (43 mins), R Holland for O'Callaghan (54 mins), P O'Connor for Healy (58 mins).
Referee: A Lawlor.
