Blistering start sets Tipp up for All-Ireland glory

For the first time since 2016 and the third time overall since the grade moved up to under 18, Tipperary are All Ireland Minor Camogie champions after a hard fought but deserved five-point victory over a game Waterford side in the final on Saturday afternoon.

CAMOGIE: Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor ‘A’ Championship Final

Tipperary 2-9

Waterford 0-10

Report: Joe Scully in UPMC Nowlan Park, Kilkenny

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Sarah Corcoran (Tipperary).

SCORERS – Tipperary: Lucy Purcell 1-2 (1 s-cut); Caoimhe Stakelum 0-4 (3 frees); Ava Bevans 1-0; Lucy Heffernan, Ciara Shelly, Elana McGrath 0-1 each.

Waterford: Maggie Gostl 0-4 (3 frees); Aisling Bonnar 0-2; Niamh Ryan, Eimear O’Neill, Emma Fitzgerald, Rebecca Farrell 0-1 each.

This victory continues the feel-good factor currently coursing through Tipperary camogie following the minors victory in the Munster final earlier in the year and the seniors recent victory in the Division 1A League final.

The Premier minors laid the foundations for their latest success with a blistering start where they lead 2-4 to no score after twelve minutes. And although Waterford would come back strongly, they were unable to find a way back into the game, in the main thanks to an excellent defensive display from the Tipp rearguard where Paula Quirke, Ellie Franklin and player of the match and team captain Sarah Corcoran were outstanding.

It was epitomised midway through the first half, when Waterford’s best player Maggie Gostl was running at goal and had an attempt at goal, but Corcoran would get in a superb hook and would repeat the trick again when Gostl had a second attempt seconds later.

The Tipp defence were intent on giving very little away and even when coming under intense pressure in the last few minutes as the Deise laid siege to the Tipp goal but couldn’t find any way past the Tipperary rearguard.

While the defence were excellent, up the other end of the pitch, the likes of Ciara Shelly, Ava Bevans, Elana McGrath, and the superb Lucy Purcell were in outstanding form too.

The Game

Tipperary would open the scoring in superb fashion in the third minute through a Lucy Purcell side-line cut, which was worth two points for her side. Five minutes later, Ava Bevans was nearly in for a goal, but her effort was well-saved by Waterford goalie Katelyn Gardner out for a 45, which Caoimhe Stakelum converted.

In the tenth minute, Tipp would get in for a goal after a fine worked move where Elena McGrath would go on a solo run, before handpassing to Lucy Purcell, who would make a surging run before batting the ball to the back of the Waterford net.

Caoimhe Stakelum would then add her second point from a free, before Ava Bevans would score her sides second goal in the twelfth minute, after Purcell played a brilliant side-line cut into the danger area, and Bevans caught the ball and smashed it to the back of the net, giving the keeper no chance.

That would be Tipp’s last score of the half as Waterford slowly started working their way into the game but would find it hard to make much progress against an excellent Tipperary defence, and would only score three points, the first from a Maggie Gostl free, then an effort from play by Rebacca Farrell, and then another Gostl free, to leave the score at 2-4 to 0-3 at the break.

Gostl would have the gap back to six within two minutes of the restart with another free, but Ciara Shelly would hit her sides first score in 22 minutes to extend the lead back to seven with a fine effort from play.

Waterford would then have a chance to goal from a 21-metre free, but Maggie Gostl’s effort was kept out by a resolute Tipp defence, and this would be the onus for the premier county to kick on and get the next three points with a Lucy Heffernan effort from play sandwiched in between two Caoimhe Stakelum 45’s, to put her side ten points up and in control.

However, Waterford would not lie down and inspired by sub Aishling Bonnar, daughter of former Tipperary hurler & manager, All Ireland winner Colm Bonnar would start to make inroads into the lead, by scoring the next two points, firstly by Bonnar, then Gostl.

Elana McGrath replied for Tipp with a fine score from play, to leave nine points in it, with just six minutes to play. Waterford would then hit hit three points in a row, all from play, from Bonnar again, Emma Fitzgerald after a fine team move, and then from the excellent Eimear O’Neill, although her effort for a goal was tipped over the bar thanks to a top drawer save by Danielle Butler in the 59th minute.

Waterford would continue to lay siege to the Tipp goal and would have a couple of 21-metre frees, but they were kept out by the Tipp defence as they continued to hold out. Niamh Ryan would reduce the gap to five in the seventh minute of added time, but it would be too little too late for the Deise as the final whistle would sound moments later, to the sheer delight of the Tipperary players and management, as they were crowned All-Ireland champions.

TEAMS – Tipperary: Danielle Butler (Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill 7); Paula Quirke (Boherlahan-Dualla 8), Aoife Mellerick (Newport/Ballinahinch 7), Ellie Franklin (Moyle Rovers 8); Eabha Dolan (Moyle Rovers), Sarah Corcoran (Moycarkey/Borris, Capt, 9), Caithlyn Treacy (Moneygall 7); Lucy Heffernan (Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill 7), Leanna Coppinger (Thurles Sarsfields 6); Lucy Purcell (Thurles Sarsfields 8), Danielle Ryan (Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill 6), Ciara Shelly (Moycarkey/Borris 7); Ava Bevans (Borris-Ileigh 7), Caoimhe Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields 7), Elana McGrath (Holycross/Ballycahill 7).

Subs: Ali O’Kelly (Kilruane MacDonaghs 6) for Bevans (57); Emer Dwan (Cashel King Cormacs NR) for Mellerick (58).

Waterford: Katelyn Gardner (6); Alex Healy (7), Anna McGoldrick (8), Cara Cantwell (7); Katie O’Neill (6), Holly O’Sullivan (7), Abbie Burrows (6); Ali Ferguson (6), Hannah McGrath (7); Eimear O’Neill (8), Maggie Gostl (8), Emma Fitzgerald (7); Katelyn Lyons (6), Molly Kearney (6), Rebecca Farrell (7)

Subs: Niamh Ryan (7) for Kearney (HT), Chloe Morrissey (6) for Cantwell (41); Aisling Bonnar (8) for Farrell (46), Olivia Flynn (6) for Lyons (54).

Referee: Gavin Donegan (Dublin).