Tipp overcome Dublin test

CAMOGIE: Littlewoods Ireland National League Division 2 Round 3

Tiobraid Arann 1-12

Atha Cliath 1-8

Report: Thomas Conway at The Ragg

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Cáit Devane (Tipperary)

SCORERS – Tiobraid Arann: Cáit Devane 0-6 (4 frees), Casey Hennessy 1-0; Grace O’Brien, Caoimhe McCarthy 0-2 each; Claire Hogan, Caoimhe Maher 0-1 each.

Atha Cliath: Aisling Maher 0-5 (4 frees), Kerrie Finnegan 1-1; Jody Couch, Aisling O’Neill 0-1 each.

The performance wasn’t smooth, but Tipperary still retained their 100 per-cent record in Division 1 of the National League, forcing their way past Dublin on Saturday.

Sometimes, a stream of easy victories can leave a team crying out for a challenge, and sometimes, that challenge can emerge in a manner which isn’t necessarily expected, against a team which isn’t necessarily all that accomplished. Tipp would not have underestimated Dublin, but they may not have anticipated such an uncompromising performance from Adrian O’Sullivan’s side.

The home team emerged as winners and merited their four-point victory margin, but in contrast to their previous outings against Down and Offaly, when the gulf in class was frighteningly apparent, the gap between Tipp and Dublin was much, much narrower. And yet, during the early stages at least, the threat of another Tipp annihilation seemed to loom large over this fixture. Dublin corner-forward Kerrie Finnegan opened affairs with a stylish strike inside thirty seconds, pirouetting and pointing in one, swift movement.

But Tipp responded, and with devastating efficiency. Cáit Devane slotted her first free from the edge of the 45. Minutes later she zinged a pass across the middle to Grace O’Brien, who split the target with venom.

Claire Hogan continued her rich vein of form with a first contribution from play, and following a brief hiatus, Devane dazzled the crowd with a wonderful individual score, collecting a Casey Hennessy pass, breaking a tackle, fainting inside and slapping the ball over straight off the hurley. Her wizardry on the ball won plenty of applause, but the build-up was arguably just as impressive, and moments later, Tipp’s interconnected network of forwards combined once again. Hennessy was the finisher this time, snapping a pass from Clodagh McIntyre, who had opened Dublin up with a diagonal run. Hennessy dropped the shoulder, dragged slightly right, and powered her finish easily past Ciara Tierney.

Minutes later, they were swimming against the current. Dublin had struggled for possession since that early attack in the first minute, but once they got hold of the sliotar, they seemed to know how to use it. Maher and Finnegan were central to virtually every move, either dashing in from wing the or making channels through the centre - not always scoring but certainly threatening. The points eventually began to fly over, one by one, and then, in the 24th minute, Finnegan wrangled past two Tipp defenders and pinged the ball past Áine Delaney. It cut the deficit to three, Tipp now leading 1-7 to 1-4. Both sides would register another point prior to the interval, but this was now a proper contest - much to the delight of Bill Mullaney and his management team, one suspects.

What was a relatively open contest suddenly became more attritional after half-time, most of the battles taking place somewhere in the vicinity of the middle third, with Dublin often the more assiduous. They continued to make inroads too, Aisling Maher powering forward on lengthy solo-runs but never quite managing to penetrate the full-back line, where Julieanne Bourke, Mary Ryan and Sarah Delaney rose to the challenge, having been deprived of any real action against Offaly and Down.

Those six second-half points all arrived inside the final quarter, Cáit Devane breaking the scoring drought with her third free on 46 minutes, before Aisling Maher responded at the other end. The process was repeated moments later, but the gap remained at three points entering the final stretch.

It wasn’t championship and it wasn’t tense, but there was a distinct sense that Dublin had it in them to sneak a goal, making Caoimhe Maher’s last minute insurance point - the culmination of a long, sweeping Tipp attack - somewhat significant. Maher, who only appeared as a second-half substitute, will almost certainly be restored to her usual starting midfield berth against Galway. Tipp will need to draw on all their resources in order to overcome the All-Ireland champions. They used plenty of them last Saturday. They were also reminded that winning is often a struggle, and winning that struggle is often the most gratifying form of success.

TEAMS – Tiobraid Arann: Áine Slattery (Shannon Rovers 7), Julieanne Bourke (Borris-Ileigh 7), Mary Ryan (Moneygall 7), Sarah Delaney (Boherlahan-Dualla 8), Ciardha Maher (Burgess/Duharra 7), Aoife McGrath (Drom & Inch 7), Karin Blair (Cashel King Cormacs 6), Eimear Loughman (Clonoulty/Rossmore 7), Grace O’Brien (Nenagh Eire Og 7), Caoimhe McCarthy (Knockavilla Kickhams 8), Cáit Devane (Clonoulty/Rossmore 8), Laura Shinners (Kilruane MacDonaghs 7), Clodagh McIntyre (Lorrha 7), Claire Hogan (St Cillian’s 7), Casey Hennessy (Clonoulty/Rossmore 7).

Subs: Eimear McGrath (Drom & Inch 7) for Shinners (HT); Ereena Fryday (Knockavilla Kickhams 7) for Blair (41); Caoimhe Maher (Burgess/Duharra 8) for Hennessy (41); Eimear Heffernan (Knockavilla Kickhams 6) for O’Brien (54); Courtney Ryan (Clonoulty/Rossmore NR) for A McGrath (59).

Atha Cliath: Eabha Mooney (7); Christine Shanahan (6), Cliodhna Nicoletti (7), Muireann Kelleher (6), Roisin Baker (6), Hannah Hegarty (7), Emma O’Byrne (6), Emma Flanagan (7), Izzy Davis (8), Elyse Jamieson (7), Niamh Gannon (7), Jody Couch (7), Aisling O’Neill (7), Aisling Maher (8), Kerrie Finnegan (8).

Subs: Orla Gray (6) for Baker (45); Aisling Gannon (7) for Nicoletti (51); Leah Butler (NR) for Finnegan (58).

Reiteoir: Liz Dempsey (Cill Chainnigh).