Goals fire Roscommon to victory against Kildare
Roscommon camogie players Áine O'Meara, Anna Hussey, Hazel Kelly, Sinéad Mannion and Orla Connolly at the recent Roscommon Camogie Golf Classic at Roscommon Golf Club. Picture: Gerard O'Loughlin
Roscommon hit the net four times to record an impressive victory against Kildare and put one foot in the semi-finals of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Junior Camogie Championship at Manguard Plus Park, Hawkfield on Saturday afternoon.
Mary Grehan’s side backed up their 2-8 to 1-6 victory against Tyrone a week earlier with an impressive eight-point success ahead of their next game against winless Wicklow at King and Moffatt Dr. Hyde Park on Saturday next.
Áine O’Meara and Rachel Fitzmaurice grabbed first-half goals to procure a 2-4 to 0-6 interval lead for the visitors.
Roscommon got the second half underway with a score from Katelyn Egan and two frees from Orla Connolly — all in the first three minutes.
Fitzmaurice's second goal of the contest gave Roscommon further leeway on the scoreboard, and even though Caoimhe Ní Bhuircéal and Sara Carroll replied with green flags for Kildare, Oonagh Kelly goaled to leave Roscommon joint top of the table with Cavan, who surprisingly defeated Armagh, after two games.
After next Saturday's game against Wicklow, Roscommon travel to Armagh before hosting Cavan in their final group game.
The top four teams reach the semi-finals, meaning Roscommon are well on course to reach the knockout stages of this year's championship.
ROSCOMMON: Michaela Finneran; Michelle Rogers, Mairead Lohan, Anna Hussey; Erin McDermott, Aimee O'Connor, Sinead Mannion; Sally Bolger (0-1), Orla Connolly (0-4, four frees); Alannah Sutton (0-3), Katelyn Egan (0-1), Grace Geraghty (0-2); Áine O'Meara (1-1), Rachel Fitzmaurice (2-0), Oonagh Kelly (1-0). Subs: Aideen O'Brien and Grace Jones for Rogers and Egan (both 47), Hannah Murray for Mannion (50).
KILDARE: Roisin Roche; Caoimhe O’Sullivan, Laoise Mimnagh, Sadhbh Horgan; Niamh Krahn (0-1), Aine Conway, Kate Murphy; Shauna Dunne, Caoimhe Ní Bhuircéal (1-5, four frees); Aoife Stynes (0-1), Sara Carroll (1-0), Sadhbh Buckley; Niamh Mortell (0-1), Roisin Forde (0-1), Aoife McDermott. Subs used: Aoife McCarthy for Dunne (26), Hannah Davis for McDermott (half-time), Lea Sutton (0-1) for Conway (45), Sophie Hazzard for Mortell (55).
Referee: Ciarán Groome (Offaly).
