Tipp find that bit extra to edge past Kilkenny

CAMOGIE: Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final

Tipperary 1-22

Kilkenny 0-19

(After Extra Time)

Report: Joe Scully at Croke Park

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Caoimhe McCarthy (Tipperary).

SCORERS – Tipperary: Grace O’Brien 0-9 (8 frees); Caoimhe McCarthy, Casey Hennessy, Jean Kelly 0-3 each; Clodagh McIntyre 1-0; Mary Burke, Roisin Howard, Eimear Heffernan 0-1 each.

Kilkenny: Aoife Prendergast 0-7 (4 frees); Laura Murphy 0-5; Kate Power 0-4; Laura Greene 0-2; Sarah Barcoe 0-1.

Tipperary saw off the challenge of a game Kilkenny side but not after been taken all the way to extra time before they ended up coming out on the end of a six-point victory to qualify for a third All-Ireland semi-final in a row.

While all that matters is the win, Tipp manager Denis Kelly will know improvements will be needed ahead of the semi-final in three weeks’ time against Galway, as they look to end a run of defeats in All-Ireland semi-finals having lost the last two and five of the last six at the penultimate stage.

In a game that came to life in the second half with the likes of Mairead Eviston, Caoimhe McCarthy and Casey Hennessy to the fore, really standing up to the task to drag their side over the line.

Also, Tipp keeper Laura Leenane will surely have gotten a massive thanks from her teammates for a superb penalty save in extra time with her side two points down at the time, and if that had found the back if the net it would have been hard see a way back for Tipperary.

Mary Burke opened the scoring for the Munster outfit with a tidy finish after being set-up by Casey Hennessy, but Kilkenny would soon settle into the game and were ahead by the sixth minute, following two scores from Katie Power and Laura Greene.

The back and forth flow of the game continued with Tipp hitting the next two scores through Roisin Howard and Caoimhe Maher.

The Cats again came strong hitting three in a row, first from Laura Murphy after a bit of scrappy play, with the ball eventually falling to the O’Loughlin Gaels player and she knocked it over with ease. Katie Power added the next after getting out in front of her marker and pointing, and in the 13th minute Aoife Prendergast made it 0-5 to 0-3 in favour of the Leinster side.

Grace O’Brien replied for Tipp with the first free of the game, after Eimear Heffernan had seen her shot excellently saved by Kilkenny keeper Aoife Norris, while on an advantage.

Laura Murphy, who was causing all kinds of problems for the Tipperary defence after being moved from centre-back to centre-forward, then hit two rapid points before Tipperary started to get a bit more of a grip on proceedings, hitting three in a row to level things up at seven apiece, an O’Brien free sandwiched in between points from Casey Hennessy and Caoimhe McCarthy, following a super ball into her by Sarah Corcoran.

Aoife Prendergast had Kilkenny back ahead in the 27th minute before Caoimhe McCarthy had the sides level again less than a minute later, but it would be the cats who finished the half stronger, with both Laura Murphy and Katie Power pointing to leave the score at the break 0-10 to 0-8 in favour of the black and amber.

The second half started off on an even keel. With the sides trading the first six scores, with Grace O’Brien opening the scoring, before a superb catch and finish by Katie Power, before O’Brien and Kilkenny’s Aoife Prendergast swapped frees.

Straight from the resultant puckout, Casey Hennessy, who was a growing presence on the game pointed. Aoife Prendergast was on the scoresheet again after the ball fell to her following a brilliant hook by Mairead Eviston when it looked like Kilkenny’s Caoimhe Keher Murtagh was sure to goal to put Kilkenny two up.

The scores were level in the 47th minute after two O’Brien frees as Tipp were starting to gain a bit more control on proceedings. However, Kilkenny would regain the lead in the 48th minute through Laura Greene before the Munster side would hit three in a row to lead by two by the 55th minute.

Jean Kelly who is developing a bit of a reputation of a super-sub would hit two, before Caoimhe McCarthy added one from out by the sideline. Kilkenny continued to fight and pulled one back through Sarah Barcoe in the 58th minute, and deep into injury time Laura Murphy stepped up and pointed the leveller to bring the game to extra time.

Extra time started with Aoife Prendergast hitting three frees, which was responded by a Grace O’Brien free. In the fifth minute, the games decisive moment came when Kilkenny looked to have goaled through Caoimhe Keher Murtagh, but referee Ray Kelly had already blown for a foul on the Kilkenny forward with the penalty awarded. Up stepped Aoife Prendergast but she saw her shot brilliantly saved by Laura Leenane in goal.

This would give Tipp a huge boost and they finished out the half strongly with points from Jean Kelly and Casey Hennessy, before Clodagh McIntyre, back on as a sub having been replaced in normal time, picked up the ball out wide, took on her marker before hitting an unstoppable shot to the back of the net, 1-19 each at the change of ends.

The second period of extra time was seen out comfortably by Tipp with points from Eimear Heffernan, and two Grace O’Brien, the last one from play, as they dig deep to progress to a semi-final in three weeks’ time.

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

Subs: Julieanne Bourke (Borris-Ileigh) for Costigan (22); Jean Kelly (Eire Og Annacarty/D) for Burke (45); Lucy Purcell (Thurles Sarsfields) for McIntyre (47); Niamh Cunneen (Silvermines) for Howard (60+1), Clodagh McIntyre for Purcell (ET); Roisin Howard for Heffernan (9 ET), Ellen Cunneen (Silvermines) for Hennessy (20 ET).

Kilkenny: Aoife Norris, Michelle Teehan, Tiffanie Fitzgerald, Danielle Quigley, Niam Deely, Laura Murphy, Caoimhe Dowling, Aobha O’Gorman, Laura Greene, Mary O’Connell, Steffi Fitzgerald, Maria Brennan, Aoife Prendergast, Katie Power, Kellyann Doyle.

Subs: Caoimhe Keher Murtagh for O’Connell (HT); Sarah Barcoe for O’Gorman (50); Sophie Holden for Doyle (57); Katie Nolan for Brennan (6 ET); Sophie O’Dwyer for Power (13 ET).

Referee: Ray Kelly (Kildare).