Sars goal touch downs Drom

CAMOGIE: FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Championship Semi-Final

Thurles Sarsfields 5-12

Drom & Inch 1-13

Report: Joe Scully at the Camogie Grounds, The Ragg

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Andrea Loughnane (Thurles Sarsfields).

SCORERS – Thurles Sarsfields: Caoimhe Stakelum 1-8 (0-6 frees); Laura Loughnane 2-1; Karen Kennedy, Anna Derby 1-0 each; Andrea Loughnane 0-2; Aoife O’Dwyer 0-1.

Drom & Inch: Eimear McGrath 1-7 (0-6 frees); Aoife McGrath 0-3 (2 45s); Niamh Treacy 0-2; Miriam Campion 0-1.

Holders Thurles Sarsfields are through to a third straight Tipperary Senior Camogie Championship final after they easily overcame Drom & Inch in the first semi-final on Saturday.

The game was far from a classic with mistakes and unforced errors throughout, but the defending champions had just too much in reserve for a Drom & Inch side who have suffered three semi-final defeats in a row and one wonders if it is the end of a glorious era for the club.

Thurles were just too powerful for their Mid rivals, especially in the forwards as the likes of Laura & Andrea Loughnane and Caoimhe Stakelum caused havoc throughout, and with Karen Kennedy back from injury, Thurles looked a lot more like their best, although they will know they will need to improve on certain aspects ahead of the final.

The goal threat they carry makes them a dangerous side regardless of whether they are at their best.

There was an air of inevitability about the outcome from just before half time and although the red & greens did threaten a comeback of sorts through an Eimear McGrath goal in the second half, they never really looked like finding a way back into the game. To their credit, gave their all throughout but will a be disappointed with their distribution and a couple of poor mistakes led to key scores in the game.

In a sign of what was to come, Thurles opened the scoring in the second minute when Anna Derby found the back of the net after being set up by Aoife O’Dwyer.

Caoimhe Stakelum pointed from a 45 two minutes later after Laura Loughnane had seen her effort well saved by Caoimhe Bourke in the Drom goal.

It stayed this way till the eleventh minute when Drom opened their account through an Eimear McGrath free. A minute later, Thurles added another point from a good finish from Andrea Loughnane, before McGrath added another free.

In the 18th minute, Drom’s Ciara Cahill saw her goal-bound effort saved, and a minute later that miss was punished when Karen Kennedy finished off a well-worked team move with a bullet of a shot to the net, this minute in particular summing up the difference between the two sides.

Andreas Loughnane added her second point after a bad clearance from a Drom defender. McGrath responded with a monster free from halfway but two minutes later, following another mistake at the back from Drom when one of the defenders failed to rise the ball, Caoimhe Stakelum pulled to the net for her sides third goal on 24 minutes.

McGrath hit another free, and less than a minute later Miriam Campion added her sides fifth and first from play. However, Thurles would finish the half the stronger with three Stakelum points, two frees, as the champions led 3-6 to 0-5 at the break.

Any chance of a Drom & Inch second-half fightback was quickly led to rest when Laura Loughnane struck for Thurles’ fourth goal within three minutes of the restart. Caoimhe Stakelum added a free soon after to open up a fourteen point lead.

In the 37th minute, Drom threatened a comeback when a quickly-taken free from Niamh Treacy found Eimear McGrath who finished to the net, and she would add two more points from a 45 and a free, before a fine effort from Niamh Treacy had the gap back at eight.

However, it was halted in the 45th minute when Andrea Loughnane came out of a ruck with the ball and got her second goal.

An Eimear McGrath free and Treacy effort from play for Drom were responded to by a Stakelum free and Laura Loughnane for Sars.

Aoife McGrath pointed from play, which was answered by another Stakelum point who would convert another free in between two 45’s from Aoife McGrath with the final say of the game going top Aoife O’Dwyer with a neat finish from distance as Sarsfields eased their win into the final.

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

Subs: Aoife Butler (7) for N McCormack (10 inj); Sarah Stakelum (6) for Creedon (38); Robyn Fanning (7) for N Loughnane (49); Roisin Corbett (6) for L Loughnane (55); Maria Ralph (NR) for Derby (59).

Drom & Inch: Caoimhe Bourke (6), Eimear Cahill (6), Christina Brennan (7), Maureen Ryan (6), Michelle Woodlock (8), Mairead Eviston (7), Aoife McGrath (8), Niamh Long (6), Niamh Treacy (7), Ciara Cahill (7), Mary Bourke (7), Caroline Shanahan (6), Eimear McGrath (7), Tara Hoare (6), Miriam Campion (6).

Subs: Sarah Jayne Ormonde (6) for Shanahan (40); Laurie Mullins (6) for Campion (47); Amy Cahill (NR) for Hoare (59).

Referee: Tommy Ryan (Kiladangan).