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Champs UL Bohs run riot ahead of table-topping clash in Dublin next weekend

Table-toppers UL set themselves up nicely for their trip to face second-placed Railway.

Women’s All-Ireland League Round 4

Allison Miller Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

Old Belvedere 49 Tullamore 0, Anglesea Road
Blackrock 6 Railway Union 62, Stradbrook
Highfield 0-7 Cooke, Woodleigh Park
UL Bohs 48-7 Galwegians, Annacotty

THE OLD BELVEDERE Women got back to winning ways in no uncertain terms at Anglesea Road on Saturday. The Dublin outfit scored at will throughout the game and were fully deserving winners, but Tullamore will feel they were far more competitive than the scoreline suggests.

The winners were powered by Jenny Murphy and Alison Miller in the back-line and were always in charge as the scoreboard ticked along quite nicely. Three early tries got the home side up and running in the first quarter and they never looked back.

Tullamore, who are still searching for their maiden All-Ireland League victory, welcomed back Rose Dunne and Kate Conway for this one and despite the scoreline, the Offaly side were pleased with their performance in the middle third of the match.

They created a number of scoring opportunities and made some telling line-breaks but failed to trouble the scoreboard. The home side finished strongly to seal a confidence-boosting home win.

Blackrock’s first home league game of the season did not deliver the result they were hoping for as rampant Railway Union ran in ten tries.

‘Rock are currently embedding a new system which is in its infancy and while the result went against them, assistant coach Joe Halpin believes that the benefits will be seen very soon.

Thei hosts’ scores came courtesy of two Hannah O’Connor penalties while Manuela ‘Nini’ McCarthy and Mairead Holohan were very impressive in set piece and loose play as the ‘Rock scrum worked well.

However, Railway were much more clinical in attack as Rachel Healy, Larissa Muldoon, Cliodhna Moloney, Ciara Cooney and Melissa Slevin all crossed the whitewash, while Ailsa Hughes bagged a brace of tries and captain Meg Kendal scored a hat-trick. Claire Ryan added six conversions and Kendal said afterwards that she was happy with her side’s display.

“We played well at times and were happy to keep ‘Rock try-less. We did lose our urgency a bit in the second half and got a bit loose which was disappointing. We’ll go through the video on Tuesday and work on this,” she said. “We’ll integrate our Irish Sevens players back this week and are really looking forward to welcoming UL Bohs to Sandymount next Saturday. It should be a great game.”

Cooke were in fine form as they left Cork with a hard-fought 7-0 win over their Highfield hosts. As the scoreline suggests, there was very little to choose between the sides throughout and it was a real battle for possession and territory.

Highfield came into the match buoyed by their triumph over Tullamore last time out but they could not break down a Cooke defensive barrier that refused to yield at any stage. The Belfast side took pride in protecting their line and won the game thanks to a try from Teah Maguire which was converted by Jemma Jackson.

Highfield tried everything they knew to balance the scores but Cooke, who had Ilse van Staden and Alanagh Chipperfield to the fore, were in no mood to leave Cork with anything other than victory.

Reigning champions UL Bohemians recorded an impressive 41-point success against Galwegians at Annacotty while running in eight tries.

Bohs secured the bonus point in the first half after two tries from Anna Caplice and one apiece from Mairead Kelly and Niamh Kavanagh. Edel Murphy added two conversions and the scoreboard read 24-0 at the interval.

At times the game lacked intensity, but there was always great skill and endeavour on view. Influential back rower Caplice completed her hat-trick early in the second half and was followed over the whitewash by Syphonia Pua and Aine Staunton.

Galwegians replied when their international full-back Mairead Coyne got over for a try, converted by Denise Redmond. The Blue Belles rallied at that stage with Amelie Roux, Edel ‘Tricky’ McMahon, Redmond and new cap Oceane Plet all prominent.

However, table-topping Bohemians got back on track again near the end when Chloe Pearse got over for a fine try to seal the deal and set the champions up nicely for their much-anticipated trip to the capital to take on second-placed Railway next weekend. Just a single point separates the sides at the summit.

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    Mute Ray Ridge
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    Feb 11th 2024, 6:03 PM

    How long more will padraig Joyce and Henry Shefflin stand over the embarrassing regression in Galway football and hurling. They are both light years away from winning anything.

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    Mute Richard Ford
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    Feb 11th 2024, 6:16 PM

    @Ray Ridge: . Go to sleep. It’s early February.

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    Mute Ray Ridge
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    Feb 11th 2024, 6:51 PM

    @Richard Ford: There’s been a lot of early Februaries come and gone and the regression continues. Your right it’s only early February but you can already hang your hat at Galway football and Hurling for the foreseeable unfortunately.

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    Mute Joe O'Regan
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    Feb 11th 2024, 7:59 PM

    Some amount of negativity towards Galway in the comments here. They battled back twice when Tipp were well ahead and were only 2 down in injury time before the penalty.

    From a Tipp perspective it would have been very disappointing not to win after building big leads twice.

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    Mute John Kearns
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    Feb 11th 2024, 6:19 PM

    Tj brennan a disaster not up2 inter County hurling same with Jason flynn…as for cooneys great club players for st thomas wen comes to inter County s#ite work rate

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    Mute Pat Flynn
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    Feb 11th 2024, 10:25 PM

    @John Kearns: was Brennan taken off injured or was he playing that bad. Though he played good for UL during the week

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    Mute Michael McGrath
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    Feb 11th 2024, 7:15 PM

    Im just going to say I’m absolutely disgusted by the amount of simulation that the Galway players engaged in today it was a disgrace. If this sh i te is allowed to continue to creep into the gaa we may as well put on soccer jerseys.

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    Mute John Kearns
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    Feb 11th 2024, 6:27 PM

    @ Ray Ridge

    Henry’s on there for d €€€€€

    Doesn’t give a f…. bout galway hurling

    I’d bring back Anthony Cunningham

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    Mute Ray Ridge
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    Feb 11th 2024, 6:33 PM

    @John Kearns: Agree. Doing his apprenticeship and Galway gaa paying for it. KK and Henry only laughing at Galway.

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    Mute Barry Baz
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    Feb 11th 2024, 6:50 PM

    @Ray Ridge: yeah, it’s all a big conspiracy headed up by the Kilkenny County Board.

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    Mute John Kearns
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    Feb 11th 2024, 7:28 PM

    As for St thomas County champions 6 in a row properly 7 in a row next year and will barely have 1 player maybe 2…probably be different wen burkes come back but David in d 30s now enna mid 20s..

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    Mute Patrick Walsh
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    Feb 11th 2024, 9:44 PM

    Don’t think shefflin would get kk job if it became available,should and could have taken under age job in kk instead of going elsewhere, don’t think outside managers work in the long term for counties

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    Mute Ray Ridge
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    Feb 11th 2024, 9:51 PM

    @Patrick Walsh: He’ll get it eventually. Once he’s finished his apprenticeship at the expense of the Galway County board. He was damn right to take a well-paid position with Galway instead of an underage job with kk. The laughing stock here is not Henry, it’s Galway gaa.

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    Mute Matthew Delaney
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    Feb 11th 2024, 10:20 PM

    Very open game really, good run out, tipp have some good players to come back yet, Jason forde etc hopefully Morris and McGrath are ok, building a nice squad,does any team want a league final really?

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    Mute John Kearns
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    Feb 11th 2024, 10:20 PM

    If he doesn’t win leinster this year hopefully mattie & Cyril for a review off the galway performance and management as absolutely clueless Henry no passion for galway hurling even bring in jeffrey lynskey or even Kenneth burke they’d bring some galway passion on sideline

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