Tipp undone by Limerick second half surge
CAMOGIE: Munster Minor ‘A’ Championship Semi-Final
Tipperary 0-6
Limerick 1-9
Report: Joe Scully at the Camogie Grounds, The Ragg
MATCH DIGEST
Player of the Match: Anna Rose Benson (Limerick)
SCORERS – Tipperary: Abbie Horgan 0-4 frees; Alice Butler 0-2.
Limerick: Caithlyn Ryan 0-7 frees; Eve Cleary 1-2.
There was disappointment for the Tipperary minor camogie team on Sunday as Limerick came out on top by a six-point margin in the Munster Championship semi-final.
The game itself was far from a classic, with underfoot conditions as would be expected in January very difficult and making free-flowing camogie almost impossible.
One thing that certainly cannot be questioned was the work-rate of both sides as they put everything on the line, and some of the hooking and blocking excellent and the tackling ferocious by both sides.
The home side will ultimately look back on the second half as the losing of the game, as they failed to live with the intensity Limerick brought to proceedings upon the restart, outscoring the Premier County 1-5 to just a single point.
Tipperary shouldn’t be too disheartened by the result, as they showed they are more than a match for one of the strongest teams in the country at this level, in what was their first competitive outing of the year, and they will certainly learn a lot from this game as the year progresses.
Most impressive for the home team were skipper Ciara Cahill, Alice Butler and Abbie Horgan, while for the Treaty women, they were strongest down the spine of their side with the likes of Aoife Morrissey, Anna Rose Benson, Caithlin Ryan and Tara Hynes excelling and also Eve Cleary making a huge impact off the bench scoring 1-2.
The game got off to a slow start, and both sides trading frees early on with Abbie Horgan putting Tipp in front before Caithlyn Ryan levelled moments later.
The home side were back ahead in the fifth minute following a superb catch from Horgan, who then laid the ball off to Alice Butler who finished with aplomb.
Ten minutes would pass before the next score, and it was Butler again with a classy finish from out by the sideline. Limerick would be back level in the 23rd minute following two frees in the space of a minute via the stick of Caithlyn Ryan.
Two frees from Horgan had Tipp two ahead again, before another Ryan free in the last minute of the half had the gap back to one as Tipperary went in at the break 0-5 to 0-4 ahead.
Limerick came out of the blocks fast in the second half, hunting in packs, and Tipperary really struggled to deal the intensity they brought in the opening fifteen or so minutes.
The scores were level in the second minute when Caithlyn Ryan was on target once again from a dead ball, and she struck again in the 37th minute to give her side the lead for the first time, one they would not relinquish.
The visitors hit their first score from play in the 41st minute when Eve Cleary finished nicely from close range. The lead was extended to three, two minutes later through another Ryan free.
The game would go into a bit of a lull for the next nine minutes until the games crucial score came in the 54th minute when Caithlyn Ryan found herself in possession played a smart ball out wide to the onrushing Eve Cleary who found herself in loads of space bearing down on goal, and following a short run, hit a low shot along the ground, which lacked real power but managed to find its way to the back of the net, although Erin O’Donnell in the Tipp goal will feel she maybe could have kept the ball out.
Tipperary finally opened their account in the second half through a close range free from Abbie Horgan.
The home side continued to push for a way back into the game, but couldn’t find a way past a strong Limerick defence and it was the Shannonsiders who had the final say from the stick of Eve Cleary in added time, with a fine finish from distance, as the visitors qualify for a Munster final, while for Tipperary the Shield final against Clare next Sunday in Fethard Town Park at 1200pm, before their attention turns to the All-Ireland Championship.
The Tipperary Minor ‘B’ team play Kerry in their Munster Final, also in Fethard on Sunday at 5.00pm
TEAMS – Tipperary: Erin O’Donnell (Moyle Rovers 6); Eimear Ryan (Gortnahoe/Glengoole 6), Kate Nevin (Templemore 7), Ella Frend (Toomevara 7); Jessie Shanahan (Slieve Felim Rapparees 6), Ciara Cahill (Drom & Inch, Capt 8), Emma Bonner (Cashel King Cormacs 7); Eva Ralph (Moycarkey/Borris 7), Evanne Gleeson (Boherlahan-Dualla 6); Alice Butler (Slieve Felim Rapparees 7), Neasa Dwan (Boherlahan-Dualla 7), Grace Cleary (Nenagh Eire Og 7); Abbie Horgan (Boherlahan-Dualla 8), Grace Stapleton (Borris-Ileigh 6), Ailbhe Treacy (Silvermines 7).
Subs: Eavann Duffy (Moyle Rovers 6) for Frend (43); Isabelle Kingston (Kiladangan 6) for Cleary (48); Sara Jane Ormond (Templemore 6) for Stapleton (48); Doireann Ryan (Boherlahan-Dualla NR) for Butler (56).
Limerick: Emma Doherty (6); Tara Hynes (8), Ornagh Barrett (7), Abigial Buckley (6); Sophie O’Riordan (6), Aoife Morrissey (7), Cora Long (6); Anna Rose Benson (9), Caithlyn Ryan (9); Isabelle O’Brien (6), Amber O’Sullivan Hunt (7), Sophie O’Grady (6); Rachel Grady (6), Mia Smith (6), Aoibhinn O’Connor (6).
Subs: Eve Cleary (9) for Grady (35); Cadhla Heffernan (7) for Smith (46); Eileen Herbert (NR) for O’Grady (56); Claragh Collins (NR) for Hynes (56); Abbey Nealon (NR) for O’Connor (60); Sarah Cagney (NR) for O’Brien (60).
Referee: Joe Mullins (Clare).