Tipp fall short to classy Galway

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

Galway 1-18

Tipperary 1-11

Report: Joe Scully at UPMC Nowlan Park, Kilkenny

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Ailish O’Reilly (Galway)

SCORERS – Galway: Carrie Dolan 0-6 (5 frees); Ailish O’Reilly 0-5; Niamh Mallon 1-1; Aoife Donoghue, Mairead Dillon, Caoimhe Kelly 0-2 each.

Tipperary: Grace O’Brien 0-7 frees; Karen Kennedy 1-1; Casey Hennessy, Eimear Heffernan (free), Jean Kelly 0-1 each.

It was more semi-final heartbreak for Tipperary as they suffered a third penultimate stage reversal in a row, and a seventh in eight years for the Premier County against Galway in the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Semi-Final on Saturday.

It was a deserved win for Galway, but Tipperary will look back on the game with many regrets, notably their shooting efficiency which stood at only 46%, a key factor in the outcome of the game.

Galway opened the scoring in the second minute through a Carrie Dolan free from halfway. It would be another six minutes before we had another score, which was the leveller from Grace O’Brien, also from a free.

Galway would then hit a purple patch, hitting three in a row, the first, another Dolan free, before Mairead Dillon added one after her original shot was well blocked down by Caoimhe McCarthy. Tipp were then caught in possession in their own half and were punished by a smart finish from Ailish O’Reilly.

Grace O’Brien reduced the gap in the thirteenth minute with another free, but a minute later O’Reilly had the gap back to three with a nice finish over her shoulder.

Then there was a stoppage in play for about eight minutes when Tipp full back Karin Blair picked up a nasty head injury which would end her game sadly. After the stoppage, Galway remanded in control of proceedings and tagged on another three points, all from play through Caoimhe Kelly following a super catch, then a Carrie Dolan effort and Niamh Mallon added their eighth point.

Tipperary were really struggling at this stage but in the 25th minute the game changed after Karen Kennedy went on a solo run, took a shot from 45 metres out, and though the shot lacked any real power of conviction the ball found its way to the back of the Galway net, much to the disappointment of Sarah Healy in goals who should have done better.

Galway responded with another Dolan free, but that would be their last score of the half as Tipp powered into the game hitting four unanswered points to go in level at the break. Casey Hennessy was first up when a mis-hit Galway clearance found its way to her, and she made no mistake. A monster free from halfway from Eimear Heffernan had the gap back to two, before two Grace O’Brien frees, the second with the last puck of the half left the score 1-6 to 0-9 at the break.

Galway were fast out of the traps on the resumption and were back ahead through a Carrie Dolan within a minute. Karen Kennedy who was becoming more and more of an influence on the game had Tipp level two minutes later, but straight from the resultant puck out the Tribeswomen were back ahead through an Aoife Donohue point.

Both sides were then guilty of missing chances, before a Sarah Healy puckout was flicked into the path of Niamh Mallon by Mairead Dillon and Mallon hit an unstoppable shot to the back of the net to put Galway four points up.

Grace O’Brien responded with a free, but Galway then hit another purple patch, first through Ailish O’Reilly once again straight from the puckout, and it was O’Reilly who added another in the 45th minute, before a Carrie Dolan free put Galway six points ahead.

Another free from O’Brien and a fine finish from sub Jean Kelly following a flowing Tipp team move had the gap back to just four points, but any momentum was soon ended as once again straight from the resultant puckout Aife Donohue pointed, and Galway then added two more points through Mairead Dillon and Caoimhe Kelly.

A Grace O’Brien free in the 55th minute would be her sides final score. The final say of the game fittingly went to Galway and to Ailish O’Reilly who pointed in the last minute of added time as Galway secured their place in another All-Ireland final.

TEAMS - Galway: Sarah Healy (6), Shauna Healy (7), Róisín Black (8), Dervla Higgins (6), Ciara Hickey (7), Emma Helebert (7), Ann-Marie Starr (7), Rachael Hanniffy (6), Carrie Dolan (8), Niamh Mallon (8), Olwen Rabbitte (6), Aoife Donohue (7), Mairead Dillon (8), Ailish O’Reilly (9), Caoimhe Kelly (7).

Subs: Siobhan Gardner (7) for Helebert (41); Sabina Rabbitte (6) for Dillon (51); Ally Hesnan (6) for Shauna Healy (51), Niamh Niland (NR) for Kelly (60); Jennifer Hughes (NR) for O Rabbitte (60).

Tipperary: Laura Leenane (Shannon Rovers 6); Julieanne Bourke (Borris-Ileigh 7), Karin Blair (Cashel King Cormacs 6), Eimear Loughman (Clonoulty/Rossmore 6); Caoimhe McCarthy (Knockavilla-D Kickhams 7), Mairead Eviston (Drom & Inch 8), Sarah Corcoran (Moycarkey/Borris 7); Karen Kennedy (Thurles Sarsfields, Capt 8), Caoimhe Maher (Burgess/Duharra 6); Roisin Howard (Cahir 6), Mary Burke (Drom & Inch 6), Eimear Heffernan (Knockavilla-D Kickhams 7); Clodagh McIntyre (Lorrha 6), Casey Hennessy (Clonoulty/Rossmore 7), Grace O’Brien (Nenagh Eire Og 7).

Subs: Emma Carey (Thurles Sarsfields 7) for Blair (19 inj); Jean Kelly (Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill 7) for Burke (43); Aoife McGrath (Drom & Inch 6) for Maher (54).

Referee: Justin Heffernan (Wexford).