All-Ireland Camogie round-up: Galway and Kilkenny progress

Galway and Kilkenny have joined champions All-Ireland champions Cork and Tipperary in the knockout stages of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie championship.

The identity of the last pair will not be confirmed until next weekend's final round of group games and though last year’s runners-up Waterford and Division 1B victors Dublin are in pole position, that could easily change.

Clare made the trip to Kenny Park, Athenry to take on their neighbours harbouring their own hopes of emerging from Group 2 but while they remain in contention for a quarter-final berth after their 3-19 to 0-7 loss to the Niamh Mallon-inspired Galway, they are up against it now.

John Carmody’s young squad battled well in the first half but were still 1-12 to 0-5 in arrears at the short whistle. Mallon provided 1-4 of the home team’s tally, all from play, raising a green flag in the 11th minute, after taking a pass from Niamh Kilkenny.

Mallon grabbed her second goal seven minutes into the second half, this time finishing from close range after being set up by Ailish O’Reilly, before being substituted with the result assured, to link up with the Galway senior footballers, who avail of the Down native’s expertise as a performance nutrition scientist. O’Reilly struck for the third goal in injury time, finishing up with 1-5 of her own.

Galway will travel to SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh next week to do battle with long-time rivals Cork and while a draw will do the Rebels, a win would see Cathal Murray’s crew supplant them as group winners and move directly to the last four. Much may depend on the fitness of Carrie Dolan, who departed the fray late on after taking a heavy blow to her left quad.

Cork will go into that in buoyant form after dismantling