Tipp suffer first loss against Cork

Tipperary’s 100% record at minor level came to a shuddering halt when they were defeated by a much better Cork side in the fourth round of the All-Ireland Championship.

CAMOGIE: Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor ‘A’ Championship Round 4

Tipperary 3-4

Cork 2-10

Report: Joe Scully at the Camogie Grounds, The Ragg

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Amy Sheppard (Cork)

SCORERS – Cork: Orlaith Cremin 1-5 (0-2 frees); Rachel Murphy 0-3; Amy Sheppard 1-0; Ava McAuliffe, Lucy O’Connell 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Danielle Ryan 1-1; Lucy Purcell, Aoife Fitzgerald 1-0 each; Caoimhe Stakelum 0-2; Lucy Heffernan 0-1.

A strong second-half performance from the visitors was ultimately the difference after they went in two points behind at the break with the concession of two very soft second-half goals proving key.

Tipperary will be bitterly disappointed with their overall performance as they really struggled to make any inroads against a resolute Cork side and took them until the 38th minute to score their first point of the game.

Conditions were far from perfect with a very strong wind throughout, which seemed to blow cross-field not really helping either side, and some heavy showers throughout the first half making life even more difficult for both set of players. Despite that, both teams deserve tremendous credit for putting on a highly entertaining game with some great skill on show and the first touch was of the highest quality, and some top quality scores too.

Despite not been anyway near their best, the Munster champions, who along with Cork had already qualified for the All-Ireland semi-finals before the game, came at the Rebelettes with a late rally, with star player Caoimhe Stakelum to the fore and a late goal in injury time through Aoife Fitzgerald to reduce the arrears to three points, but it would only prove to be a mere consolation score for the Premier outfit.

Also worrying for Tipp was the withdrawal of Caoimhe Stakelum late on with an injury and manager John Ryan will be hoping it’s not a serious injury as she has been Tipp’s best player so far this year.

Cork were first to get on the scoresheet after just a minute when the impressive Rachel Murphy with a fine score from play from all of fifty metres. It would be Murphy again two minutes later with her sides second score after a fine run and excellent finish.

Cork’s Orlaith Cremin was nearly in for a goal after ten minutes when the home side lost the ball playing out from the back, but her shot was well saved by Danielle Butler in goal.

Tipperary would open their account through a Danielle Ryan goal in the 17th minute, after a run from Stakelum and her effort was blocked, and after a goal-mouth scramble Ryan finished to the net with what was her sides first effort on goal.

Tipp were in for another goal just three minutes later, this time through Lucy Purcell, again after a goal-mouth scramble after the Cork defence failed to deal with a long ball and Purcell would be the beneficiary as she finished smartly to put her side four points up, 2-0 to 0-2.

Cork would reply to this double blow by hitting the next two scores, both from play from Ava McAuliffe and then a good team move ending up with a Lucy O’Connell point, to leave the score 2-0 to 0-4 at the break.

Orlaith Cremin would have the gap cut to a point in the 34th minute before Lucy Heffernan would hit Tipp’s first white flag in the 38th minute.

Less than a minute later though, Cork would strike a major blow when a shot from distance from Amy Sheppard, who caused problems all day with her running at the Tipperary defence, somehow found its way to the back of the net, as Tipperary keeper Danielle Butler collided with one of her defenders coming out to try win the ball, picking up an injury in the process.

Four minutes later, Cork would have their second goal, again after a mistake from Butler after failing to deal with a long ball played in and Orlaith Cremin was on hand to finish.

This would be the catalyst for the Lee-siders to really kick on and would hit the next five points from Rachel Murphy and four in a row from Cremin.

Tipperary would then start a mini revival late on, firstly with a Danielle Ryan effort, and then two from Caoimhe Stakelum, to leave six in it. The gap would be down to three in the third minute of added time when Aoife Fitzgerald finished to the net after another goalmouth scramble, but it would be too little too late for the home side as they suffered their first loss of the season.

They still have one group game to play ahead of the All-Ireland semi-final when they travel to Waterford next weekend where a win would be ideal going into the knockout stages.

TEAMS – Tipperary: Danielle Butler (Eire Og Annacarty 6); Paula Quirke (Boherlahan-Dualla 8), Aoife Mellerick (Newport/Ballinahinch 7), Ellie Franklin (Moyle Rovers 8); Eabha Dolan (Moyle Rovers 6), Sarah Corcoran (Moycarkey/Borris 7), Caitlyn Treacy (Moneygall 6); Leanna Coppinger (Thurles Sarsfields 6), Aine Dooley (Roscrea 6); Lucy Purcell (Thurles Sarsfields 7), Danielle Ryan (Eire Og Annacarty 7), Lucy Heffernan (Eire Og Annacarty 6); Ciara Shelly (Moycarkey/Borris 7), Caoimhe Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields 6), Hannah Butler (Cashel King Cormacs 6).

Subs: Ava Bevans (Borris-Ileigh 7) for Dolan (10 inj); Eleana McGrath (Holycross/Ballycahill 6) for Dooley (45); Aoife Gleeson (Kiladangan 6) for Butler (47); Rachel O’Meara (Mullinahone 6) for Purcell (50), Aoife Fitzgerald (Borris-Ileigh 6) for Shelly (50); Sarah McLoughlin (Boherlahan-Dualla 6) for Quirke (55); Ali O’Kelly (Kilruane MacDonaghs NR) for Stakelum (60+2 inj).

Cork: Emma O’Sullivan (6), Sarah Murphy (7), Sinead Hurley (8), Saoirse Cunningham (6), Keeley Goulding (7), Laura Dunlea (8), Rachel Roche (7), Ava Fitzgerald (7), Amy McCarthy (6), Rachel Murphy (8), Eve O’Dwyer (6), Amy Sheppard (9), Ava McAuliffe (7), Orlaith Cremin (9), Lucy O’Connell.

Subs: Ailish Scanlon (6) for McAuliffe (52); Aoibhe Daly (NR) for O’Dwyer (57); Shauna O’Driscoll (NR) for Roche (57).

Referee: Ray Kelly (Kildare).