All-Ireland Camogie wrap: Galway and Antrim into knockout stages

League champions Galway and the 2021 All-Ireland intermediate champions Antrim booked their places in the knockout stages of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship thanks to their victories over Offaly and Clare respectively.

Róisín McCormick was in stellar form, scoring a goal and ten points as Antrim made it two wins from two at the end of a rip-roaring encounter against an Offaly team that bounced back well from a 20-point defeat to Waterford in their initial Group 3 tie but still fell to a 3-16 to 1-12 reverse in Portglenone.

Noelle Kennedy's side sprinted into an early lead, scores from Sarah Harding, Siobhán Flannery and Orlagh Phelan establishing an early three-point advantage.

Not for the first time in her nascent but brilliant career, it was McCormick who jolted Antrim from their early torpor, bringing them level with three points on the trot before sending Áine Magill through for an easy goal opportunity that a poacher of the calibre of the young Dunloy ace was never going to pass up.

The deadly duo provided the next three points between them but Offaly displayed their renowned spirit and bounced back to be level once more. Becky Bryant and Labhaoise Glynn drawing them to within a goal before that deficit was wiped out by Glynn after 22 minutes.

But in a half characterised by periods of ascendancy for both teams, it was Antrim that finished the period the strongest. Caitrin Dobbin raised a green flag with an exquisite ground strike and McCormick rifled two more points to send Elaine Dowds’ side in at the break leading by 2-10 to 1-07.

Bryant delivered some nice points for Offaly but they had no answer to the genius of McCormick, whose composure and skill in taking one touch to control Dobbin’s