Antrim well beaten by Waterford in final group game

Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior Camogie championship – Group 3:

Waterford 5-16 Antrim 0-10

**Both teams stand together during the anthem as part of the Camogie United for Equality protest**

Antrim Camogs suffered their heaviest defeat since their promotion to the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior championship when they were beaten by 21 points by an excellent Waterford team at the SETU Arena in Waterford on Saturday. The Saffrons went into the game with hopes of booking a semi-final spot as leaders of the group but the girls from the Deise turned in a superb display as they showed their class throughout the field and in this kind of form they must surely be contenders for their first All Ireland Senior title.

However all is not lost for the Antrim girls who now face Tipperary in next Saturday quarter final at Croke Park, the game played as a curtain raiser to the Limerick v Galway All Ireland Hurling semi-final

Antrim had fared well in the opening quarter of the game and were level on 0-3 apiece after fifteen minutes, two of the scores coming from Roisin McCormick and one from Siobhan McKillop. but it was clear Waterford were gaining the upper hand and in a ten minute spell of total dominance at the start of the second quarter they put the game beyond Antrim’s grasp.

Player of the match Beth Carton led the goal charge with a goal on 16 minutes as she lobbed the ball to the Antrim net and corner forward Mairead O’Brien got in for a second soon afterwards.

Katie McKillop pulled a point back for Antrim but O’Brien got in for her second goal and when left half forward Niamh Rockett got her team’s fourth in a ten minute spell, Antrim had a mountain to climb.

Ahead by 4-6 to 0-7 at half time Waterford had an early scare when Roisin McCormick cut through on goal, but her shot flashed over the bar. The home side hit back emphatically when player of the match Carton got in for her second goal, her team’s fifth and from then on the destiny of the points was clear.

To their credit Antrim kept fighting to the end, but they could not match the Waterford girls in most departments. However they have a big day out in Croker to look forward too next weekend against Tipperary. That will undoubtedly be another big challenge but one that the Saffrons will relish.

***Antrim’s Laoise McKenna grabs a high ball***

Waterford: B Carton (2-10, 0-8 frees), M O’Brien (2-0), N Rockett (1-2), A Fitzgerald (0-1), L Bray (0-1), O Hickey (0-1), R Kirwan (0-1)

Antrim: R McCormick (0-4, 2 frees), C Dobbin (0-3, 2 frees), S McKillop (0-1), K McKillop (0-1), N Cosgrove (0-1 free)

Waterford: B O’Regan, V Faulkner, I Heffernan, K Lynch, K Corbett-Barry, L Forest, M Power, O Hickey, L Bray, N Rockett, B Carton, A Flynn, A Fitzgerald, R Walsh, M O’Brien.

Subs: R Kirwan for M O’Brien (39), A Corcoran for A Fitzgerald (46)

Antrim: C Graham, C Patterson, K Laverty, M Lynn, N Cosgrove, C Conlon capt, L McKenna, A Boyle, A Connolly, S McKillop, M McKillen, K McKillop, Á Magill, R McCormick, C Dobbin

Subs: F Kelly for M McKillen (31), E Kearns for C Conlon (45), C McArthur for K McKillop (45), L McNaughton for Á Magill (45), M McGarry for N Cosgrove (52), E McShane for M Lynn (52).

Referee: A Larkin