By Sarah Gaughran
The Galway Intermediate team concluded the Very National Camogie League campaign on Saturday in Ballinderreen where they were defeated by Tipperary, 3-6 to 1-13.
Although there was little separating the sides, Galway will be disappointed they failed to win any fixtures throughout this league campaign.
Tipperary started quickly out of the blocks with two Jean Kelly points before Mairead Dillion hit the back of the net twice between the 9th and 13th minutes to give Galway a four-point lead.
However, Tipperary replied scoring four points on the trot through Aoife McLoughney (2 ), Ellen Cunneen and Sarah Madden in an eight-minute period to bring the sides level again.
Galway restored their lead with a Dillion point a minute later, but when Kelly blasted the back of the Galway net in the 27th minute, Tipperary had taken charge, and although Niamh Spellman produced a well-taken point just before the half-time break, Tipperary led by 1-6 to 2-2.
There was very little scoring from play at the beginning of the second half, but Chloe Broderick produced two frees in the 32nd and 36th minutes to edge Galway in front again.
However, it was tit for tat with McLoughney adding two frees before Broderick and Madden exchanged scores from placed balls to leave one between the sides heading into the final quarter.
Joint captain Karen Kennedy and McLoughney swapped scores from play, before Galway was boosted when Mairead Dillion secured her hat-trick in the 52nd minute when she rattled the back of the Tipperary net again.
It looked like Galway might pull away for their first victory of the campaign, but Tipperary finished the strongest with a free through McLoughney, and points from play from McLoughney and Kelly to run out on-point winners.
The Galway Intermediate team now switch their attention towards the championship as their league campaign has come to an end. While they came close again on Saturday, Galway will need to more point scorers to help them close out their games. There sights are now set on the weekend of June 3/4 when they will face Kildare at home in their opening game of the Glen Dimplex Intermediate Championship.
Galway: C Higgins, R Kelly, P Finnerty, L Burke, K Coleman, K Mannion, J Daly, C Broderick (0-3F ), R Hughes, K Kennedy (0-1 ), A Lynskey, N Spellman (0-1 ), C Reilly, A Donnellan, M Dillion (3-1 ). Substitutes: S Coleman for Mannion, C Dolan for Spellman, S McGinley for Reilly, N Horan for Hughes.
Tipperary: A Butler, E Butler, N Murray, C Ryan, C Walsh, L Cahill, A Callanan, C Shanahan, C Horgan, C Stakelum, J Kelly (1-3 ), E Cunneen (0-1 ), A Dwyer, S Madden (0-2 ), A Mc Loughney (0-7, 0-3f ). Substitutes: R Maher for E Butler, C McKeogh for Dwyer, E Myles for Shanahan.
