Sarsfields take the kick out of Knockavilla early

CAMOGIE: FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Championship Semi-Final

Thurles Sarsfields 5-22

Knockavilla-D Kickhams 1-7

Report: Joe Scully at the County Camogie Grounds

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Laura Loughnane (Thurles Sarsfields)

SCORERS – Thurles Sarsfields: Laura Loughnane 3-1; Caoimhe Stakelum 1-6 (0-6 frees); Andrea Loughnane, Sarah Stakelum 0-4 each; Karen Kennedy 1-1; Aoife Dwyer 0-3; Lucy Purcell 0-2 (1 free); Emma Carey 0-1.

Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams: Eimear Heffernan 1-6 (0-3 frees); Niamh Buckley 0-1.

Thurles Sarsfields easily accounted for Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams on Saturday, and in doing so qualified for a second successive County Senior Camogie final.

The outcome was never really in doubt, as Sarsfields, as they have done in most games this year, blew the opposition away early on, and kept the foot down for the whole game to end up 27 point victors.

Kickhams just had no answer to the power and pace of the Thurles side, who once again impressed all over the pitch, ending up with eight different scorers, showing how much of a threat they pose, including a hat-trick of goals for Laura Loughnane.

Thurles defended impressively, allowing the Kickhams players no time on the ball, a prime example been at the start of the second-half and with Kickhams Sinead Furlong coming out with the ball she was chased down by two Sarsfields players who overturned the ball, all this with Thurles already sixteen points up by this stage.

Knockavilla will be disappointed with the manner of the game and the result, but it’s not like they played badly, they just weren’t allowed to play by Thurles, who are capable of this kind of performance and will take some stopping in the final, in what will be a repeat of last year’s showdown against Clonoulty/Rossmore.

Thurles opened the scoring after one minute & eighteen seconds when Caoimhe Stakelum pointed a 45, after her goal-bound shot well saved by Sheena Ryan in the Kickhams goal.

Lucy Purcell and Karen Kennedy added two more for Thurles by the sixth minute before Kickhams opened their account a minute later when quick-thinking with a free by Ereena Fryday as she played a short ball to Eimear Heffernan and she had an easy finish from 45 metres.

Any hope for Kickhams was quickly extinguished as Thurles went straight up the pitch, Caoimhe Stakelum winning the puckout laid the ball off to Karen Kennedy, who took on the defender before smashing the ball to the back of the net.

As is so often the case with this Thurles outfit once they smell blood they go for the kill and two minutes later had their second goal, this time it was Laura Loughnane who finished off a fine team started by the dominant Kennedy and ended with Loughnane batting the ball to the back of the net.

In the 13th minute Thurles had their third goal when Caoimhe Stakelum won the ball off a Kickhams defender, ran on and finished to the back of the net. She added a free not long after before Aoife Dwyer, Stakelum (free) and Emma Carey all scored to leave the score 3-8 to 0-1.

Eimear Heffernan added Kickhams second point from a free in the 28th minute, but this was just a brief respite as Thurles finished out the half with four points in a row from Sarah Stakelum, Caoimhe Stakelum (free), and Andrea & Laura Loughnane to leave the score at the break, 3-12 to 0-2.

The second half started with an Andrea Loughnane point followed by a Caoimhe Stakelum free, before a monstrous free from halfway by Eimear Heffernan for Kickhams.

Straight from the puckout, Thurles added another score via Sarah Stakelum, which was followed by another from Andrea Loughnane, then a Caoimhe Stakelum free.

Laura Loughnane struck for her second goal in the 40th minute after smart build-up play by Caoimhe Stakelum.

Kickhams replied with their only goal three minutes later when Eimear Heffernan goaled from a 30-metre free, and a minute player she landed a fine point.

Thurles once again upped the tempo hitting three-in-a-row with two from Aoife Dwyer (1 free) and Sarah Stakelum. Eimear Heffernan responded with Niamh Buckley becoming the second Kickhams player to get her name on the scoresheet score shortly after with a tidy finish.

Thurles increased their lead with a 45 from Lucy Purcell, then a fine effort from Sarah Stakelum.

Eimear Heffernan hit her sides final score form a free in the final minute, but it was Thurles who had the final say in added time when Laura Loughnane completed her hat-trick, following a fine team move as Sarsfields comfortably advanced to another county final and a first senior title.

TEAMS – Thurles Sarsfields: Siobhan Hennessy (6); Leanna Coppinger (8), Niamh McCormack (7), Rebecca O’Mara (7); Emma Carey (8), Emer Kennedy (8), Marie Creedon (7); Ciara Cummins (7), Aoife Dwyer (9); Andrea Loughnane (9), Lucy Purcell (7), Sarah Stakelum (9); Karen Kennedy (9), Caoimhe Stakelum (8), Laura Loughnane (9).

Subs: Aoife Butler (6) for Coppinger (42); Nicola Loughnane (6) for C Stakelum (42); Kate Stakelum (6) for A Loughnane (42); Anna Derby (6) for Dwyer (50); Maria Ralph (6) for Kennedy (50).

Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams: Sheena Ryan (6); Eimear Crowe (6), Emma Ryan (6), Orla Gleeson (6); Sarah Ryan (6), Ereena Fryday (8), Sinead Furlong (7), Caoimhe McCormack (6), Caoimhe McCarthy (6), Emma Daly (6), Eimear Heffernan (8), Emma O’Meara (6), Millie Kelly (6), Doireann Hales (6), Sinead Hayes (6).

Subs: Niamh Slattery for Heffernan (9-15 blood); Mary Ellen Holmes (6) for Hayes (42); Niamh Slattery (6) for Hales (42); Niamh Hayes (6) for Crowe (47); Niamh Buckley (7) for Kelly (49); Aoife White (NR) for E Ryan (58).

Referee: TP Sullivan (Lorrha).