Late Strike Sends Galway Into Final

Date Published: 22-Aug-2008

GALWAY qualified for their first All-Ireland senior camogie final in a decade after Jessica Gill struck for a fourth minute injury time goal against champions Wexford in a pulsating semi-final at Nowlan Park, Kilkenny on Sunday.

The Tribeswomen had commanded a four-point lead with just four minutes to go, but when the reigning champions struck for 1-1 in the closing minutes, it looked like Galway’s chance of victory had gone a begging.

However, with the signalled injury-time already lapsed, a long delivery in from the outstanding Therese Maher was broken by the wily Molly Dunne. For an instant, time stood still, before Athenry’s Gill emerged from the haze and with a quick flick of the wrist sent the ball crashing to the back of the Wexford net to secure a 1-13 to 1-10 win.

Galway had started tentatively enough, though. Indeed, despite having the wind at their backs in the first half, they had failed to acquire the lead by the break, with the score tied at 0-5 apiece.

Gill (2), Veronica Curtin (2) and Therese Maher were the Galway providers during this period, while Kate Kelly was the scorer-in-chief for the Model County, registering all of her outfit’s points.

Galway, though, came out a team transformed in the second half, outscoring their opponents by…