Kilkenny remain in control of Group 2 of the Glen Dimplex senior camogie championship after they picked up a superb win over Dublin.
Sarah Barcoe led the way for the Cats with a personal tally of 2-02 as the visitors won 2-16 to 1-12 at Parnell Park.
While Aisling Maher opened the scoring in the fifth minute for the hosts, they would find themselves 0-09 to 0-02 behind after 23 minutes as Kilkenny raced clear with a tremendous display of fast attacking play.
Asha McHardy, Aoife Prendergast and Barcoe were on song, the latter in particular posting a phenomenal second-half performance.
Points from Maher and Sinead Wylde - pictured below - cut the Kilkenny lead to five, 0-10 to 0-5 at the break.
The margin would remain at five by the 45th minute when Barcoe struck the first Kilkenny goal, doing well under pressure from two Dublin defenders to get her shot away and hit the corner of the net.
Maher did what she could to stem the tide while Barcoe forced a brilliant save from Ciara Jones in the 55th minute, which kept the Dubs in contention as the game crept towards full-time.
However, Barcoe would seal the deal a minute from time with her second major to push Kilkenny ten to the good.
Maher raised a consolation green flag at the death for Dublin from a penalty, but they would not stop last year’s beaten quarter-finalists from posting two wins from two, while Dublin themselves are now in real trouble if they want to get back to the knockout stages of the championship, with no points from their opening fixtures.
Clare join Kilkenny at the head of the table in the other quarter-final place after they defeated Wexford 3-09 to 1-11 to get their second win of the campaign.
Róisín Begley top-scored for the Banner at Chadwicks Wexford Park as she hit 2-2 from play. Her goals arrived in quick succession the first in the 26th minute and the second in the 30th, as Clare moved 2-05 to 0-07 clear before the half-time break.
When Siobhan Sinnott pointed in the 34th minute for the hosts they had the margin down to three, but substitute Maeve Millea popped up seven minutes later to land the next Clare goal and extend the lead to six.
Despite a gallant effort from Chloe Cashe who scored 1-02 in the fourth quarter for Wexford, the visitors kept their lead intact and held out for a four-point win.
Cashe would end the game with 1-05 (1-03 from play) while Caoimhe Byrne finished with 0-03 from play for Wexford.
Clare’s Lorna McNamara, Aoife Anderson, Jennifer Daly, Roisin McMahon and Ellen Casey added each contributed a point but manager Eugene Foudy and his selectors will watch the news regarding McNamara closely, as she was withdrawn in the opening half with a knee injury.
Limerick made amends for the heavy defeat they suffered at the hands of Kilkenny last weekend, getting the better of Offaly at TUS Moylish. A strong first half display was crucial to the Treaty’s 3-13 to 1-14 victory, securing their first points.
They were 0-03 to 0-01 behind after six minutes when Laura Southern hit the first Limerick major, assisted by Donna Kenny’s pass.
While Offaly would have parity again after 13 minutes following back to back points from Sarah Harding and Rachel Brennan, an excellent display from Kenny ensured that Limerick would regain the lead. This time they would not lose it, despite a second-half red card shown to Teresa Dore.
Three from Kenny pushed Limerick clear again before Lizanna Boylan hit their second goal, as the Shannonsiders finished the half with a burst of 1-03 unanswered to lead by eight at the break
Offaly fought well to get back into it in the third quarter. Clodagh Leahy was influential from frees for the Faithful while Rachel Brennan and substitute Ellen Regan each pointed on the resumption, before Leahy drove home Offaly’s goal in the 46th minute.
Add in Dore’s second yellow card and Limerick were suddenly under a real threat with just a two-point lead.
That was until the 49th minute when Kenny hit the third Limerick goal to push them five ahead. Her long-distance strike slipped through the grasp of Emer Reynolds and into the net and while Offaly fought desperately to try and produce something in the closing stages, excellent defending from Steph Woulfe and Orlaith Kelleher ensured Limerick hung on for the five-point win.
