Rapparees add Minor glory to Junior success

CAMOGIE: FBD Insurance Tipperary Minor ‘C’ Championship Final

Slieve Felim Rapparees 3-6

Shannon Rovers 1-3

Report: Liam Hogan at the Camogie Grounds, The Ragg

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Brid Woodlock (Slieve Felim Rapparees)

SCORERS - Slieve Felim Rapparees: Brid Woodlock 2-0; Annie Phelan 0-5 frees; Alice Butler 1-1.

Shannon Rovers: Elaine Cleary 1-0; Nicola Kelly 0-2 frees; Makenzie Simmons 0-1.

The growth of Slieve Felim Rapparees continued on Sunday after they defeated Shannon Rovers to win the County Minor ‘C’ Camogie title.

The Upperchurch-Drombane/Sean Treacys based club are still in its infancy but in adding this minor success to their Junior ‘C’ Championship title shows their future is a bright one.

Two goals in the opening two and a half minutes set the platform to victory. There were moments when Shannon Rovers shone including a spirited fightback in the closing stages but this very young side, where only Nicola Kelly and Meabh Cahalan are over-age for 2025, found their attacks lacking the decisive ingredients to win the game.

Slieve Felim led from the first minute, midfielder Brid Woodlock taking the game by the scruff of the neck when slicing through the Rovers cover before finding corner forward Alice Butler free for the latter to fire a rocket to the net after fifty seconds.

Full forward Annie Phelan added a close range free in the second minute and thirty seconds later it was Woodlock again, this time going all the way to see the Rovers net bulging for a 2-1 to no score lead.

Both Nicola Kelly and Annie Phelan missed opportunities from frees before the Rovers began a move by Clodagh Cahalan whose effort for a point fell short leading to a goalmouth scramble from where Elaine Cleary found the net from close range with a low ground shot.

The score was just about registered when Rapparees were on the attack gain; Brid Woodlock continued the attack with another scorching along the right flank before drilling low past Margaret Cleary in the goal. There was nothing the Rovers keeper could do.

Shannon Rovers were in shock, but five minutes later, Nicola Kelly pointed a 35-metre free. Anything else presented by the Rovers side fell short despite the efforts of Ally Mulvihill, Clodagh Cahalan and Clodagh Davis as a defiant Rapparees defence led by Zara Cosgrove, Sarah Brennan and Abbey Challen gave little away in the half backline.

At the other end, the winners possessed too much firepower with their full forward duo of Alice Butler and Annie Phelan continuing to cause problems while wing forward Anna Carr was another to catch the eye but for all that there was little by way of taking scores as the wide tally increased to seven by half time.

When the scores did come it was from the Rapparees as Alice Butler pointed from play, closely followed by two frees from the now very accurate Annie Phelan and reaching half time it was Rapparees 3-4 Shannon Rovers 1-1.

Early second half pressure by Rapparees had the Rovers defence stretched but Margaret Cleary produced two very good saves. Further attacks by the victors yielded three wides in a row before Annie Phelan converted back-to-back frees in the 39th & 41st minutes.

Makenzie Simmons responded with a point for the Rovers which could have yielded a goal as the score signalled a rally, but they found the Rapparees defence unyielding where full back Caoimhe McCormack was immense.

Yet Shannon Rovers remained camped inside the Rapparees goal area but had to be happy with another Nicola Kelly free. Continued efforts from Emma Costello, Clodagh Davis, Nicola Kelly, Clodagh Cahalan and Meabh Cahalan were denied as Rovers continued the fight while Kelly had two more opportunities from placed balls but her attempts for goal were denied as the title headed to Mid Tipp.

TEAMS - Slieve Felim Rapparees: Molly Carr; Aimee Johnson, Caoimhe McCormack, Aibhlin Kennedy; Zara Cosgrove, Sarah Brennan, Abbey Challen; Jessie Shanahan, Brid Woodlock; Hazel Ryan, Michelle Lee, Anna Carr; Alice Butler, Annie Phelan, Emma Corbett.

Subs: Molly McLoughlin for Corbett (56); Roisin Philips for Carr (60+1), Mairead O’Donoghue for Johnson (60+1), Tara Johnson for Woodlock (60+1), Anna Kennedy for Cosgrove (60+1).

Shannon Rovers: Margaret Cleary; Aoibhin O’Gara, Anna Kennedy, Jane Costello; Aine Cahalan, Emma Costello, Shauna Gantley; Clodagh Davis, Ava Young; ally Mulvihill, Nicola Kelly, Clodagh Cahalan; Meabh Cahalan, Makenzie Simmons, Elaine Cleary.

Sub: Aoibheann Haugh for E Cleary (HT).

Referee: Michael Heffernan (Clonoulty/Rossmore).