Super Galway make a strong statement of intent in easy win

Date Published: 18-Jul-2012

Galway 3-14

Wexford 0-10

Eoghan Cormican at Kenny Park

UNLESS the O’Duffy Cup crosses the Shannon this September, this 13 point hammering of the All Ireland champions will serve as yet another reminder of the unfulfilled potential of the Galway camogie side.

As the crowd filtered out of Kenny Park on Saturday evening, the questions weren’t so much about how Galway had overcome Wexford, but rather how they had succeeded in making the back-to-back All Ireland champions look so average.

Beating Wexford in the championship may represent an enormous challenge for other counties, but for Galway, round-robin victories over JJ Doyle’s charges have now been achieved three years on the trot.

A crucial footnote to add, however, is that over the past two years Wexford have reversed the result on September’s second Sunday.

Now, with four wins from four, Galway have moved ahead of League champions Cork as the main pretenders to Wexford’s throne, but whether they can replicate this performance in the knock out stages remains to be seen.

As noted, this isn’t the first time Galway have set the world alight in July, but failure to cross the final hurdle on All Ireland final day, so far, has been the defining legacy of this team.

Nonetheless, in a remarkable high-octane display, Galway restricted Wexford to two points in the first half. Even then, all Wexford could offer in response to Galway’s explosive opening was an Ursula Jacob free in the 6th minute. By then, Galway had hit 2-1 and by the time Jacob added her second from the placed ball, Galway’s tally stood at 3-5.

The Wexford sharpshooter grabbed her first from play on 22 minutes, proving but a brief interlude in Galway’s relentless onslaught, the Westerners receiving a rousing reception as they headed for the dressing room carrying a 14 point lead, 3-9 to 0-4.

Their dominance had its origins in an incredible scoring burst inside the opening four minutes where Galway pilfered 2-1 in setting out on the road to victory.

Galway’s opening major arrived less than 24 seconds in as Brenda Hanney blocked Louise O’Leary’s attempted clearance, gathered possession and bore down on Mags D’Arcy’s goal where a mix up between the goalkeeper and Catherine O’Loughlin enabled Hanney’s effort slip through their grasp.

Less than a minute later, Martina Conroy, swarmed by a sea of Wexford defenders, somehow grabbed Orla Kilkenny’s delivery before hand-passing the leather beyond D’Arcy. Orla Kilkenny returned the ensuing puck-out between the sticks to complete a sensational opening.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.