CLASSY FORWARD MALLON LOOKING BACK TO FUTURE

Last year's battle through quarter-finals inspires Galway to table topping win

- By DARAGH Ó CONCHÚIR

NIAMH MALLON believes having to come through the All-Ireland senior camogie quarter-finals last year inspired Galway to win their group.

The forward oozed class as the Tribe scored the last five points to defeat Waterford by 0-16 to 0-11.

Mallon slotted four points from play, while captain Carrie Dolan clocked up nine points with some of her placed balls out of the very top drawer - particularly given the rain.

Waterford's first defeat of the campaign means they play Clare in the first of next weekend's two quarter-finals, throwing in at 2.30pm as part of a double-header with the All-Ireland hurling semi-final involving Clare and Dublin on Saturday.

The Galway-Waterford clash was aguably the tie of the round and Niamh Rockett and Annie Fitzgerald kept the visitors in it, even after Mallon's three points in the third quarter had opened up a gap.

But with the teams deadlocked on 0-11 each with four minutes remaining, the Maroons found another gear to advance to the semis.

"I think we learned a lot from last year," said Mallon.