Kelly thrilled at having won it the hard way

Tipperary manager Denis Kelly was over the moon with his sides victory in the National Camogie League Division 1A final on Sunday, after coming through in an epic battle with Galway.

By Joe Scully

Speaking after the game, the Toomevara native was in joyous mood, “yeah thrilled, it was a long time coming,” he began.

“For the girls who have been there for a few years and haven’t tasted much success but have put in the hard yards and today they got over that line.

“Galway pushed us all the way, there a massive team and will be back in the championship stronger, but we’re just thrilled to scrap through by a point.”

Kelly was also delighted by his sides reaction to a slow start where they found themselves down by six points after twenty minutes, and the impact of the changes they made to the team, including the introduction of Julieanne Bourke and Clodagh Quirke into the defence.

“It just wasn’t their day and we just felt we were getting outrun in the wingback line, and our back line in general,” Kelly said of the reasoning in taking off Clodagh McIntyre and Ellen Cunneen.

“So, we made a couple of changes, and look it they work some days and others they don’t and thankfully they worked today.

“We outscored them in the last ten minutes or so to just go in a point down at the break, because if you give Galway a big lead you will find it hard to pick them back.”

The Tipperary manager added he wasn’t sure what the situation was with Galway’s late free which would have levelled the game.

“Oh, I didn’t know what we were doing, whether we were going for a replay or extra time,” he revealed.

“But thankfully for us it went wide. For Carrie (Dolan) it was a tough one, she’s a great free-taker, but I suppose the rain was coming down heavy at that stage and it didn’t help the free taker, much to our delight.”

Kelly, who now lives in Borrisoleigh, was also delighted with the effort of the whole squad throughout the league campaign.

“There were heroes all over the field, not just today, but all throughout the league, Karen (Kennedy) came up with some big scores today as did Eimear (McGrath) with some massive frees, and then you had Karin Blair, with no 2 on her back, stepping up with the winning score.

“We had leaders all over the field and also coming off the bench to finish it off. It was also great to see Mary Ryan get a run out as well; Mary has been around a long time and is so dedicated to the game, so it was great to see her on the pitch at the end and get a league medal.”

Adding a league title to a Munster success shows Tipperary are continuing in the right direction as they refocus for the championship and a Munster semi-final against Limerick or Waterford in three weeks’ time.

“It is a big boost,” Kelly added.

“You have three trophies in a year, and we have won the first of them, and now we can go on to the Munster and All Ireland championships with confidence.

“It’s great to get silverware and when you get to Croke Park it’s nice to get the win in a tight game. And those are the ones you want to be winning, some games you will win handy, but these are the crunch ones the squeaky bum ones as Alex Ferguson used to call them, and those are the ones you want to get over the line and we are pure thrilled to get the job done today.”