Tipp bounce back past poor Wexford

CAMOGIE: Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Championship Group 1 Round 3

Wexford 0-7

Tipperary 7-18

Report: Dean Goodison at Chadwicks Wexford Park

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Grace O’Brien (Tipperary)

SCORERS - Wexford: Chloe Cashe 0-3, Anais Curran, Joanne Dillon 0-2 each.

Tipperary: Grace O’Brien 3-10 (0-6 frees, 0-2 ‘45), Karen Kennedy 2-1; Roisín Howard, Jean Kelly 1-1 each, Casey Hennessy 0-2, Karin Blair, Mary Burke, Eimear Heffernan 0-1 each.

Tipperary bounced back from a disappointing opening round defeat to Cork by steamrolling Wexford on Saturday afternoon in the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship.

The peerless Grace O’Brien led the way for the Premier County, scoring almost three times Wexford’s tally on her own.

However, it was an excellent team performance, which was just what manager Denis Kelly was looking for after defeat to Cork seven days earlier.

There was a lot made about the manner of that defeat to the Rebelettes, but Tipperary were set up to fail with the way the draw worked out. Not getting an opening week game and then having to play a match-ready Cork was always a recipe for disaster.

One shouldn’t read a huge amount into that lop-sided scoreline, and it will be insignificant should they meet again. This was the first of three very weak teams they face in succession; Tipp will likely win all by double-digits and progress to the quarters where anything can happen.

Despite having to travel to Wexford, this was never going to be much of a challenge for Kelly’s charges. The Slaneysiders have major problems, have regressed massively under new management in 2025, and their squad is littered with players that struggle to make their club teams.

This defeat condemned Wexford to a relegation final, likely against Derry, and dropping to the intermediate ranks would be shambolic for a county who, while not at the top table, have championship draws against Galway and Kilkenny in the last two years.

However, this was all about Tipperary, who appeared to be playing different sport to Wexford for most of the game. The Premier moved the ball superbly through the hands, were patient when their opponents flooded the defence and probed with consistent success.

Watching Tipp play with Wexford, it’s hard to believe they came into the game on the back of four defeats in their last five outings, with the only victory coming against Limerick in the Munster championship.

It took less than twenty seconds to make a statement, with Niamh Treacy winning possession from the throw-in, working the ball to Karen Kennedy, who took on the home defence and fired past Keeva Steadmond in the Wexford goal.

The hunger to make a statement was there for all to see as they pushed Wexford back towards their own goal for most of the opening quarter. The hosts were full of energy initially as they looked to close down the attacking seams, but their resolve soon waned.

Casey Hennessy and O’Brien got points on the board, but it was the second goal, a lovely O’Brien finish after a clever cross-field Kennedy ball, that further emphasized Tipperary’s ability to carve Wexford apart.

At 2-3 to nil down after another O’Brien point, Wexford found a mini-response, Chloe Cashe pointed a free from a tight angle on the right and Joanne Dillon scored on the run to give a decent home support a jolt of joy.

It would prove to be short-lived, with a nice Anais Curran point in the 28th minute all they would add in the remaining time in the opening period. Meanwhile, Tipperary were building a lead, with Kennedy racing away to major as the visitors got going again.

O’Brien flighted over four of the next five points from dead-balls, Kennedy also raised a white flag before Karin Blair sauntered out of defence to move Tipperary into a 3-9 to 0-3 intermission advantage.

The second half would provide much of the same fare, with Tipperary sensing blood. An early exchange of points between Hennessy and Cashe was not a sign of things to come as the visitors enjoyed the second period playing downwind.

Mary Burke got a point on the scoreboard before the fourth goal arrived. This time Steadmond batted a long ball into her goalmouth, and it was meat and drink for Roisín Howard who flicked it back past the Wexford goalie.

Steadmond did save from O’Brien in the 35th minute but after another pair of Tipp placed-ball scores increased the lead further, the Nenagh Eire Óg clubwoman did get her second goal to make it 5-13 to 0-4.

Having whipped off full-back Miria O’Dowd at half-time only to then look even shakier at the back, Wexford were all over the place as O’Brien completed her hat-trick and increased her tally to 3-10 as Tipperary extended their advantage to 6-15 to 0-5.

While the Munster side did win the final quarter 1-3 to 0-2, the foot was easing off the gas as the time ran down. Wexford got late scores from Curran and Dillon while Jean Kelly made a major impact from the bench, rattling in a goal before rounding out the scoring with a 60th minute over.

Tipperary will be back in action when they travel to Limerick on June 21st, a win in that fixture will guarantee a quarter-final spot for Denis Kelly’s side. The final game of the round-robin stages will see Clare travel to the Premier on June 28th.

TEAMS - Wexford: Keeva Steadmond (5); Karen Tomkins (5), Miria O’Dowd (5), Roisín Cooney (5); Amy Cahill (5), Orla Sinnott (5), Clodagh Jackman (5); Laura Dempsey (5 Capt), Chloe Cashe (5); Sadhbh Buttle (5), Anais Curran (6), Linda Bolger (5); Caoimhe Byrne (5), Joanne Dillon (7), Muireann Fitzpatrick (5).

Subs: Grace Roche (5) for O’Dowd (31), Ciara O’Connor (5) for Fitzpatrick (49).

Tipperary: Laura Leenane (Shannon Rovers 8); Niamh Costigan (Cahir 8), Karin Blair (Cashel Kings Cormacs 8), Eimear Loughman (Clonoulty/Rossmore 8); Caoimhe McCarthy (Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams 8), Mairead Eviston (Drom & Inch 8), Sarah Corcoran (Moycarkey/Borris 8); Karen Kennedy (Thurles Sarsfields 9), Niamh Treacy (Drom & Inch 8); Clodagh McIntyre (Lorrha 8), Mary Burke (Drom & Inch 8), Roisín Howard (Cahir 8); Casey Hennessy (Clonoulty/Rossmore 8), Grace O’Brien (Nenagh Eire Og 9), Eimear Heffernan (Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams 8).

Subs: Julieanne Bourke (Borris-Ileigh 7) for McCarthy (42), Ellen Cunneen (Silvermines 7) for Treacy (45), Jean Kelly (Eire Óg Annacarty/Donohill 8) for McIntyre (47), Emma Carey (Thurles Sarsfields 7) for Eviston (47), Niamh Cunneen (Silvermines 7) for Hennessy (50), Aoife McGrath (Drom & Inch 7) for Corcoran (50-FT blood).

Referee: Gavin Donegan (Dublin).