Drom’s experience sees them through to another Munster Final
CAMOGIE: AIB Munster Club Senior Championship Semi-Final
Drom & Inch 3-14
De La Salle 0-18 (AET)
MATCH DIGEST
Player of the Match: Eimear McGrath (Drom & Inch)
SCORERS – Drom & Inch: Eimear McGrath 0-8 (5 free, 1 ’45), Niamh Long 1-1; Niamh Treacy, Joanne Ryan 1-0 each, Miriam Campion 0-2; Niamh Ryan, Aoife McGrath, Michelle Woodlock 0-1 each.
De La Salle: Beth Carton 0-11 (9 free, 1 ’45), Maggie Gostl 0-3, Abby Flynn 0-2; Kayleigh Kirby, Brianna O’Regan (free) 0-1 each.
Drom & Inch booked their place in a third Munster Club Senior Camogie Final in a row after a thrilling extra time win against Waterford champions De La Salle in De La Salle on Sunday.
Playing in their first ever Munster game, De La Salle pushed the Tipperary champions all the way, but Drom’s experience and fitness stood to them in extra time as they found another gear to finally put a small bit of daylight between the teams and secure the win.
The visitors started brightly with Niamh Ryan and Aoife McGrath firing the sliotar over Brianna O’Regan’s crossbar. Beth Carton pulled a point back for De La Salle on seven minutes when she put over her first score of the game from a free.
The first goal came on eight minutes. From Beth Carton’s opening score for De La Salle Drom & Inch goalkeeper Caoimhe Shanahan went long with her restart landing the ball in the middle of the field where it was worked to Niamh Treacy who went on an amazing solo run and shot past Brianna O’Regan despite the best efforts of a number of De La Salle players who tried to put her off.
How a team responds after the concession of a goal shows the mentality of a team and De La Salle replied in fine fashion hitting three points in a row between the ninth and seventeenth minutes, Beth Carton hitting two and Abby Flynn one to draw the home side to within one of Drom & Inch.
Both sides worked hard till the break and were rewarded for their efforts as Miriam Campion and Eimear McGrath from a free landed scores for the visitors while at the other end Maggie Gostl a young player to keep an eye out for in the future and Beth Carton from a free landed scores for the home side leaving them 1-4 to 0-6 behind at the break.
The second half was very similar to the first. Eimear McGrath opened the scoring with a free four minutes after the restart. Beth Carton responded with a point for the other end again from a free before the same two players scored again McGrath’s score coming from open play while Carton hit a free.
If the first three quarters of this game were an even contest, the final quarter was even closer. Eimear McGrath and Abby Flynn swapped scores in the 46th minute before Niamh Long and Beth Carton traded scores. Eimear McGrath edged the Tipperary champions two in front with just over ten minutes to play.
De La Salle hit back as Maggie Gostl pulled a point back for the home side and when substitute Kayleigh Kirby pointed for De La Salle the huge home support present were surely believing that they were going to pull off a major scalp.
Eimear McGrath edged the visitors back in front with three minutes to play and with the hour up De La Salle won a free in their own half. Goalkeeper Brianna O’Regan was brought out to strike and she saw her effort sail over Caoimhe Shanahan’s crossbar to level the game for the second time.
Experienced referee Diarmuid Kirwan added three minutes at the end of the hour. Eimear McGrath put over a 45 to put Drom & Inch back in front but with the last attack of the game De La Salle won a free and sharpshooter Beth Carton made no mistake levelling the game 1-11 to 0-14 sending it to extra time.
Drom & Inch in the first half of extra time used their experience to see them over the line. Miriam Campion opened the scoring in extra time before the visitors netted a second goal. Aoife McGrath picked out Joanne Ryan who appeared to shoot for a point, but her effort fell short and with the sun setting in the eyes of Brianna O’Regan she was caught out and the ball fell into the net.
Maggie Gostl and Beth Carton pulled points back for De La Salle to leave them trailing 2-12 to 0-16 just past the midway point in the first half of extra time.
Three minutes from the break in extra time, Drom & Inch stuck for a third goal which saw them over the line. Miriam Campion and Michelle Woodlock were involved before Niamh Long poked the ball over the line, but she had to wait to see if her score would stand as referee Diarmuid Kirwan first consulted with his linesman and umpires before giving the go ahead to raise the green flag.
Beth Carton pulled a point back for De La Salle on the stroke of half time in extra time to leave her side trailing 3-12 to 0-17 at the switch of ends and she scored again just after the restart. This, however, was to be her side’s last score of the game while at the other end Michelle Woodlock and the excellent Eimear McGrath had white flags waved.
Victory for the four-in-a-row Tipperary champions who march on now to Sunday’s Munster final and a rematch of last year’s final with defending champions Scariff-Ogonnelloe.
TEAMS - Drom & Inch: Caoimhe Shanahan; Áine Greed, Christina Brennan, Maureen Ryan; Eimear Cahill, Mairead Eviston, Aoife McGrath; Niamh Long, Mary Burke; Miriam Campion, Niamh Treacy, Caroline Shanahan; Niamh Ryan, Anne Eviston, Eimear McGrath.
Subs: Joanne Ryan for A Eviston, Michelle Woodlock for Shanahan, Grainne Long for Greed, Katie O’Dwyer for N Ryan.
De La Salle: Brianna O’Regan; Aoibhe Waring, Taylor Healy, Alex Healy; Megan O’Connor, Keely Corbett-Barry, Luda Mooney; Courtney Healy, Alannah McNulty; Niamh Murphy, Beth Carton, Holly Ryan; Maggie Gostl, Abby Flynn, Lucy Hogan.
Subs: Abbie Mullane for Hogan, Kayleigh Kirby for Murphy, Isobel Boland for Mooney.
Referee: Diarmuid Kirwan (Cork).