Defensive strength guides Tipp into the last four

Karen Kennedy’s goal just before the second half water break proved to be the decisive score in this tightly contested All Ireland senior camogie quarter-final against Waterford.

Karen Kennedy’s goal just before the second half water break proved to be the decisive score in this tightly contested All Ireland senior camogie quarter-final and provided Tipperary with enough wiggle room from Waterford to set up a semi-final clash with Galway in two weeks’ time.

The elements made the game very difficult for both teams, and while the rain held off for the game, the swirling wind present in Pairc Ui Chaoimh turned this game into a really physical and attritional encounter.

And Tipperary adapted the conditions with more efficiency and simply outmuscled a Waterford team that couldn’t win enough primary possession to trouble a solid premier county effort; particularly when the Deise had use of a substantial second half breeze after only going in two-points down at the interval.

Massive performances defensively are becoming a staple feature for this Tipperary team with Mary Ryan, Karen Kennedy and Aoife McGrath in particular showing great leadership throughout and the evidence of this is clear to see as they have only conceded an average of just under eleven points in their championship games to date.

This is proving to be a fantastic foundation for Tipperary and it was vital in the second half after a first period where the premier girls were not at their best in front of goal, hitting six poor wides with the elements in their favour, and kept Waterford too close for comfort at the break.

Niamh Treacy set the positive tone at the throw-in with a driving run and score to get Tipp up and running and with Cait Devane sharp early on with some excellent scores of her own, the awkward conditions were playing havoc with ball handling and fluency of play for the players.

The considerable loss of Orla O’Dwyer who has returned to Australia and the suspended Aishling Moloney, may have been missed in the early parts of the game, as Tipp were ponderous with the ball when it stuck inside, and while they were trying to do the right things with ball inside, the first touch was not up to the required standard and it was giving Waterford confidence.

Waterford were only creating odd chances against the wind, but when they were getting into that scoring zone, Beth Carton and company were making more of their opportunities and despite Tipperary extending their lead to five-points by the time Grace O’Brien notched her first in the 29th minute, Waterford produced a timely late surge with three points on the bounce to leave just two points between the sides with the elements in their favour for the second thirty.

The second half would require a savage effort from Tipp and the workrate upped considerably and registered the first scores of the half through Devane and Nicole Walsh, opening a bit of breathing space over their opponents.

That set the tone for how Tipp would approach the second half but they also got a helping hand from Waterford as they set up defensively, as they did in the first half with the aid of the wind, which was allowing Tipp to be more compact at the back and with the Premier ladies on top in the physical stakes, they were beginning to gain the upper hand.

Karen Kennedy’s goal was a killer blow to the Waterford challenge in the 42nd minute, the Thurles Sarsfields star mimicking Mark O’Leary’s goal against Galway in the 2001 All Ireland by dribbling the ball into the net after excellent vision from Jean Kelly found her to punish Waterford and open a significant lead of six points.

It was a huge score and it visibly deflated the Waterford players as Tipp were now getting on top in all positions, with the subs again making a big contribution in terms of work rate with Niamh Treacy, Kennedy and Aoife McGrath looking like they owned the ball going into the final ten minutes.

Beth Carton and Niamh Rockett were trying their level best to pull the Deise back into contention as Tipp dropped deep to consolidate the lead, Cait Devane a regular presence at midfield and half back line at times, as the clock ticked down and Waterford finally pushed players forward in an attempt to salvage the game.

And this worked in Tipp’s favour when possession was turned over as there was oceans of space in the Waterford half and Nicole Walsh’s effort off the stick five minutes from time epitomized this as it felt like the clincher and confirmation score for Tipp with Waterford quickly running out of time.

Waterford pulled a few points back through Beth Carton frees to reduce the arrears to five but they would need green flags to pull in the Tipperary lead and they very nearly made it a nervy ending in injury time, with Carton somehow rummaging a ball out of a forest of legs on the Tipperary 21-yard line and making space before whipping a good effort towards the top right corner but custodian Áine Slattery showed excellent reflexes to stretch out and deny the Waterford sharpshooter and keep Tipp at arm's length.

That proved to be the last play of the game and Tipp piled on more quarter-final misery for Waterford as this sees the Deise go out at this stage for the third year in succession, but in truth, Tipperary were full value for the win with key players throughout the field really upping the performance levels in the second half and they will be rearing for a crack at All-Ireland champions Galway.

TEAMS - Tipperary: Áine Slattery (Shannon Rovers 8); Clodagh Quirke (Clonoulty/Rossmore 7), Mary Ryan (Moneygall 8), Eimear Loughman (Clonoulty/Rossmore 7); Mairead Eviston (Drom & Inch 7), Karen Kennedy (Thurles Sarsfields 9), Aoife McGrath (Drom & Inch 8); Niamh Treacy (Drom & Inch 8), Shauna Quirke (Toomevara, 6); Nicole Walsh (Borris-Ileigh 7), Roisin Howard (Cahir 7), Cait Devane (Clonoulty/Rossmore 8); Grace O’Brien (Nenagh Eire Og 6), Miriam Campion (Drom & Inch 7), Clodagh McIntyre (Lorrha 6).

Subs: Ereena Fryday (Knockavilla 7) for S Quirke (HT); Jean Kelly (Annacarty 7) for O’Brien (41), Karin Blair (Cashel NR) for Fryday (55), Julie-Anne Burke (Borris-Ileigh, NR) for Ryan (60+6).

Waterford: Brianna O’Regan (7); Sibheal Harney (7), Iona Heffernan (6), Claire White (7); Lorraine Bray (6), Clodagh Carroll (7), Caoimhe McGrath (6); Orla Hickey (6), Shona Curran (6); Abby Flynn (7), Beth Carton (8), Annie Fitzgerald (6); Kate Lynch (7), Sarah Lacey (6), Niamh Rockett (7).

Subs: Aoife Landers (6) for Fitzgerald (45), Anne Corcoran (NR) for Lacey (50), Keeley Corbett Barry (NR) for Hickey (55), Shauna Fitzgerald (NR) for Curran (55).

Referee: John Dermody (Westmeath).