Tipp put to the sword by Galway

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

Galway 3-17

Tipperary 0-15

Report: Joe Scully in Athenry

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Caoimhe Kelly (Galway).

SCORERS – Galway: Carrie Dolan 0-7 (6 frees); Caoimhe Kelly 1-4; Niamh McPeake 2-0; Aoife Donohue 0-2; Rachael Hanniffy, Niamh Niland, Ailish O’Reilly, Mairead Dillon 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Eimear McGrath 0-10 (9 frees); Caoimhe Stakelum 0-3; Eimear Heffernan, Lucy Purcell 0-1 each.

It was a rather chastening experience for Tipperary as they were put to the sword by a Galway side who seem to be finding their groove in the All-Ireland Championship as the group stages came to a conclusion on Sunday.

It’s now a third successive defeat for the Munster champions as they finish bottom of group 1 and enter the knockout stages at the quarter final next Sunday against Clare who were runners-up in group 2.

The eleven point margin was more than justified as Galway were far superior all over the pitch, playing some slick camogie, winning the psychical battle with ease, causing problems with not just their running game but also their passing game as some of the quality of ball going into the forward line of the highest quality, with Caoimhe Kelly in particular causing havoc.

Tipperary will look back at the first half and their shooting where they hit a lot of wides, albeit under pressure from a superb Galway defence where Roisin Black and Ciara Hickey dominated, although some of Tipp’s decision-making could have been better.

With just a week to prepare for the quarter final, James Heffernan and his management team will know a massive improvement will be needed after not just a bad day, but a disappointing group stage. Best for his side were the two Caoimhe’s, Maher & Stakelum, alongside Clodagh McIntyre while Clodagh Quirke did well coming on as a sub.

The Blue & Gold opened the scoring in the second minute when Karin Blair and Eimear Heffernan combined with Heffernan finishing nicely.

However, by the fourth minute Galway were three points ahead, firstly through a Caoimhe Kelly point, before she found the back of the net after Niamh Niland had seen her effort brilliantly saved by Laura Leenane.

The next score came in the eighth minute with Eimear Heffernan pointing from distance. Galway restored their three-point cushion within twenty seconds, after a fine team move ended with Niamh Niland pointing.

A few more minutes would pass before superb work from Caoimhe Stakelum as she won the ball off Katie Manning and pointed.

Again, Galway responded with Kelly once again on target, before Eimear Heffernan and Carrie Dolan traded frees to leave the home side two-points up after 21 minutes.

Kelly added another point to her tally in the 22nd minute before Galway were in for their second goal in the 24th minute, Niamh McPeake hitting a rocket of a shot to the net following a superb run and layoff from Niland.

Dolan added another for the Tribeswomen from a dead-ball before Lucy Purcell added Tipp’s sixth point, with Eimear Heffernan following up with two points from frees to leave four in it.

But it was Galway through Ailish O’Reilly who had the final say of the half in added time, after another fine team move as the home side went in at the break leading 2-7 to 0-8.

Galway came flying out of the traps in the second half and had the game out of sight by the 37th minute as they hit 1-4 without reply, with Carrie Dolan to the fore with all four points, three from frees, the second an excellent score after Galway turned the ball over in defence before working it up field brilliantly with the Galway captain finishing nicely on an advantage.

The third Galway goal came in the 36th minute, Niamh McPeake once again finding the back of the net, after a mistake by a Tipp defender and Niamh Niland would find McPeake who finished smartly on the run.

Eimear McGrath finally opened Tipp’s account for the half in the 38th minute with a free. Aoife Donohue the got in among the scorers when a loose ball fell her way and she finished nicely.

Eimear Heffernan would then hit three frees in a row, as the game started to peter out to leave the score 3-12 to 0-12 with just over ten minutes remaining.

Galway would respond with two points, the first a Dolan free, then a superb effort from corner back Rachael Hanniffy who found herself deep in Tipperary’s half in space and finished neatly.

Another free from McGrath reduced the gap slightly, but then Aoife Donohue found herself with half the pitch spare to finish, before the score of the game came from the stick of Mairead Dillon who made a superb catch from a Carrie Dolan sideline, before firing over.

Tipp responded with a fine score of their own, when Caoimhe Stakelum played a nice one-two with Eimear McGrath before the youngster found the target.

Caoimhe Kelly fittingly hit her sides final score of the game in the 62nd minute, but the games final say went to Caoimhe Stakelum with the last puck of the game.

TEAMS - GALWAY: Sarah Healy (6); Rachael Hanniffy (7), Roisin Black (8), Dervla Higgins (7), Katie Manning (6), Ciara Hickey (8), Katie Anna Porter (7), Ally Hesnan (7), Carrie Dolan (8), Aine Keane (7), Niamh McPeake (7), Aoife Donohue (7), Niamh Niland (8), Ailish O’Reilly (7), Caoimhe Kelly (9).

Subs: Reitseal Kelly (6) for Manning (40), Shannon Corcoran (6) for O’Reilly (50); Mairead Dillon (6) for Keane (50), Kayla Madden (NR) for Higgins (57); Aoibheann Barry (NR) for Donohue (57).

Tipperary: Laura Leenane (Shannon Rovers 7); Amy Quinlisk (Kilruane MacDonaghs 6), Mairead Eviston (Drom & Inch 6), Eimear Loughman (Clonoulty/Rossmore 6), Caoimhe McCarthy (Knockavilla-D Kickhams, Capt 6), Caoimhe Maher (Burgess/Duharra 7), Celine Guinan (Shannon Rovers 7); Karin Blair (Cashel King Cormacs 7), Clodagh McIntyre (Lorrha 7); Eimear Heffernan (Knockavilla-D Kickhams 6), Lucy Purcell (Thurles Sarsfields 6), Roisin Howard (Cahir 6); Caoimhe Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields 7), Eimear McGrath (Drom & Inch 7), Grace O’Brien (Nenagh Eire Og6).

Subs: Clodagh Quirke (Clonoulty/Rossmore 7) for Eviston (38); Casey Hennessy (Clonoulty/Rossmore 6) for Purcell (38); Emma Carey (Thurles Sarsfields 6) for Quinlisk (44); Niamh Treacy (Drom & Inch 6) for Heffernan (46); Jean Kelly (Eire Og Annacarty/D NR) for Howard (58).

Referee: Barry Nea (Westmeath).