Wexford girls suffer narrow loss against Dublin in All-Ireland Minor ‘A’ camogie shield final replay

The Slaneysiders were looking to take advantage of a second opportunity after snatching a draw one week earlier, but they were unable to slow a firing Dublin attack down and 20 scores proved too many to overcome.

In fairness to Wexford they battled right to the very last whistle, with a last-gasp Layla Stafford ‘45, that would have sent the game to extra-time, tailing wide of the far post to leave Dublin as champions.

It was a tough situation for the young Glynn-Barntown starlet but she didn’t shirk the responsibility, stepping up to a critical dead-ball with the Dublin supporters making a racket in the stands.

The noise had advanced from one person with an air horn, who also interfered with Wexford free-taking in the first game, blowing during the striking of dead-balls. With Stafford over the placed ball to tie the game, there was more than one ‘fan’ trying to prove how classless they were.

It was a pity as everything else about both of these battles was sporting and these two teams gave every ounce they had over 120 enthralling minutes, respecting each other like one would expect of two talented teams.

For Wexford this is going to hurt for a while. Over the two games they could have won it, but it would be hard to argue that Dublin didn’t deserve their success after registering more scores in both games.

A good smattering of these young women will be back next year and with Emma McCarthy, Ciara Whelan and a few others thrown in with them, one would expect a very strong Minor team in 2025.

While the sides set up the same as they did in the first game, the action on the pitch was very different. Wexford might have struggled down their left last week, but they had no answer to Dublin’s attack at all this time.

The Metropolitans scored from everywhere in their attack, whereas nobody was winning for Wexford in defence, and 1-19 was a massive total to give up.

At some stage one wondered would even trying a sweeper have been the way to go. The Slaneysiders did move Layla Stafford to half-back at half-time, but a positional switch was never likely solve six problems in one fell swoop.

Stealing from Peter to pay Paul would have obviously had repercussions at the other end of the field. Had you given Wexford a 2-15 tally before the start they would surely have expected to be champions, but it just wasn’t to be.

The predominant feeling in the opening few minutes, from a Wexford point of view, was one of concern.

Beth Maguire and Gemma Connolly were both on the scoresheet in the first three minutes and while Shauna Mac Sweeney responded, the third member of the inside forward line was about to grab a big score.

Anne Marie Durkan’s long ball in was caught on the run by Emma Moran, and the Dublin full-forward broke in on goal and fired past Jane Duggan. The first quarter continued to be problematic for Wexford, despite Robyn Kinsella adding a point.

However, at the other end the scores kept flowing and with Éabha Gannon and Eimear Kehoe adding their names to the growing list of finishers, Dublin held a 1-6 to 0-2 lead after just 15 minutes.

The eventual victors were playing with the breeze, which helped the execution of shots but was not creating the space and scoring opportunities, as the second-half would confirm. However, Wexford did better as the half wore on and tied the second quarter 0-5 each.

Wexford initially pulled points back from an excellent Karen Hayden score before Abbie Doyle got her first on the board. After two more frees at the other end from Gannon, Katie Bolger broke through only to flash over the crossbar.

Kinsella was next to narrowly miss out on a goal for Willie Hayden’s side when she flighted just over, but Dublin did score three of the last four points of the half, with Liadh Murray and Ella O’Connell both on target to make it 1-11 to 0-7 at the interval.

There was a better intensity about Wexford across the field in the second-half and they started to pick away at the deficit, with Doyle, Mac Sweeney and Kinsella all adding points.

However, Dublin appeared to re-establish their strong position after the introduction of Caitlin McKenna as she registered four points in seven minutes (1-16 to 0-12).

Wexford now needed a goal and it came right at a time of desperation, when Ciara Kavanagh’s ball onto the edge of the square appeared to deflect off the outstretched hand of Kayla Reddy and wrong-foot Mia Farrell between the Dublin posts.

With tails now up and the tempo through the roof, Karen Hayden pointed a free before Kavanagh flighted over to put two between the sides.

Gemma Connolly pointed for Dublin who were always able to find a free from referee Mike Ryan just when they needed it, and they went four ahead with a McKenna dead-ball.

Back came a gallant Wexford with a second goal. Again Reddy caused consternation inside, as she pulled a shot against the foot of the post and Abbie Doyle was on hand to turn in the rebound from close range.

When Kavanagh was fouled in the 59th minute, Wexford were in the process of removing now free-taker Karen Hayden. It was a really tough one, but Layla Stafford stepped up and drilled it from the left touchline to level the scores.

However, Wexford still had a problem and that was stopping Dublin scoring. In their next attack there was just too much space for the winners to operate, and the ball was eventually worked to Ella O’Connell who nailed what proved to be the winner.

There was still time for Wexford to win a ’45 on the right of goal. Stafford’s connection was strong but the reaction on the Dublin goal-line told the story, as the ball sailed just left of the uprights to see the Slaneysiders come up one point short.

Wexford: Jane Duggan (Glynn-Barntown); Emma O’Leary (Glynn-Barntown), Leagh Maddock (St. Martin’s, joint-capt.), Kate Flood (Cloughbawn); Róisín McGonigle (Tara Rocks), Eirin O’Brien (Blackwater), Róisín Egan (Buffers Alley); Layla Stafford (Glynn-Barntown, 0-1 free), Orla O’Rourke (Kilrush); Katie Bolger (Ballygarrett, 0-2), Robyn Kinsella (Buffers Alley, 0-4), Lucia Goggins (St. Martin’s); Karen Hayden (Oylegate-Glenbrien, joint-capt., 0-2, 1 free), Shauna Mac Sweeney (Kilrush, 0-3, 2 frees, 1 ’45), Abbie Doyle (Davidstown-Courtnacuddy, 1-2). Subs. - Kayla Reddy (Rathnure, 1-0) for Egan (31), Ciara Kavanagh (Buffers Alley, 0-1) for Mac Sweeney (35), Jane Murphy (Glynn-Barntown) for Hayden (59), also Grace O’Connor (St. Martin’s), Ellie O’Connell (Rathnure), Caoimhe Tobin (St. Ibar’s/Shelmalier), Aisling Hughes (Ballygarrett), Erin McDonald (Cloughbawn), Mary Byrne (Ferns St. Aidan’s), Rachel Cullen (Glynn-Barntown), Chloe Whelan (St. Ibar’s/Shelmalier), Ella Jones (Tara Rocks), Ailbe Oakes (Marshalstown-Castledockrell), Anna Hughes (Tara Rocks), Anna Tomkins (Kilrush).

Dublin: Mia Farrell; Aoife Kane, Seodhna Ó Riain, Eile Caffrey; Ava O’Shea, Anna Marie Durkan (capt.), Emma Maher; Eve Pennie, Ella O’Connell (0-2); Eimear Kehoe (0-1), Liadh Murray (0-1), Éabha Gannon (0-4 frees); Beth Maguire (0-1), Emma Moran (1-1), Gemma Connolly (0-4). Subs. - Caitlin McKenna (0-5, 3 frees, 1 ’45) for Gannon (41), Rebecca Gaughran for Maguire (54), Laoise Conaghan for Pennie (60+1).

Referee: Mike Ryan (Tipperary).