CAMOGIE NATIONAL LEAGUE FINALS: IT WAS National League success on the double for Wexford at Parnell Park on Saturday when they lifted both the Division One and Two titles at the expense of Tipperary and Antrim respectively.
The Division One side – captained by newly-wed Aoife O’Connor who delayed her honeymoon to lead out the team – brought the AIB cup to the south-east after a lapse of 32 years with an impressive 2-12 to 0-11 victory.
It took two brilliant strikes from full forward Una Leacy to decide the destiny of the silverware. Both goals late in the first half were sheer class. Her first was drilled from well outside the 20-metre line, while the second she buried from a similar distance.
In contrast a Tipperary attack that had scored 2-19 against Kilkenny a week earlier never got going – this was due mainly to the unrelenting nature of the Wexford defence backboned by half-backs Áine Codd and Mary Leacy.
The Division Two final was a much closer affair (2-10 to 0-11) with the teams locked on six occasions. At the break it was 1-5 to 0-8 with the Slaneysiders’ goal coming from the stick of Evelyn Quigley. Again the scoreboard showed parity right up to the three-quarter stage.
Antrim, whose trump card was captain and centre forward Jane Adams, eventually ran out of steam and had to yield to a physically stronger Wexford side. Ciara O’Connor’s goal 12 minutes from time signalled the end of the Ulster side’s brave effort.
