Skipper O’Dwyer inspires Tipp 23's into Munster decider

CAMOGIE: Munster Under 23 Championship Semi-Final

Tipperary 2-12

Waterford 0-7

Report: Thomas Keane in Clashmore

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Eva O’Dwyer (Tipperary).

SCORERS – Tipperary: Eva O’Dwyer 1-5 (0-3 frees, 0-1 ’45), Niamh Cunneen 1-3, Maeve Cunneen 0-2, Eimear Fogarty, Lucy Heffernan 0-1 each.

Waterford: Katelyn Lyons 0-7 (5 frees, 1 ’45).

Tipperary’s Under 23 camogie side are through to another Munster final and a meeting with old rivals Cork, after they proved too strong for Waterford in the semi-final in Clashmore on Sunday.

Under new management this year of Bryan Darcy, Tipperary will be looking to get the better of Cork, who won last year’s inaugural championship decider at this level, and who lost out to the same opposition in the All-Ireland Championship, which is an entirely different competition to the Munster Championship.

When the two sides clashed at Colligan outside Dungarvan at the same stage of the competition last year, Tipperary ran out easy winners and while eleven points separated the sides at the end of this game, Waterford made the Premier Ladies work that bit harder for their win this time around.

Eva O’Dwyer produced a Player of the Match performance for Tipperary. She was a constant thorn in the side of the Waterford defence throughout with Niamh Cunneen also impressing.

Rebecca Farrell, who made her senior league debut for Waterford away to Antrim on Saturday, impressed in the first half, as did Abbie Burrows and Katelyn Lyons.

Tipperary did much of the spade work for this win late in the first half when playing with the wind at their backs.

Much of the opening half was a close battle, but the winners enjoyed a period of dominance in the closing minutes. Up to this point a goal from Niamh Cunneen midway through the half proved to be the difference between the sides.

The impressive Cunneen opened the scoring on four minutes with a point. Both sets of attackers found it difficult to get the better of their markers, it was not till the 15-minute till the winners scored again from an Eva O’Dwyer free.

The opening goal came a minute later; Grace Maloney played the ball to Niamh Cunneen who fired past Katelyn Gardiner in the Waterford goal.

Katelyn Lyons opened Waterford’s account on 18 minutes when she pointed from play and followed up with one from a free. Eimear Fogarty and Lyons traded scores before Tipperary had a very strong last five minutes to the half when Lucy Heffernan and Maeve Cunneen pointed, the later unlucky not to have hit a three pointer, as her effort rose just above the crossbar, with Eva O’Dwyer hitting a late brace of frees which gave Tipperary a 1-7 to 0-3 advantage at the break.

Waterford were first on the board in the second half with Katelyn Lyons firing over from the 45-metre line. Eva O’Dwyer responded with a point from play, and just as the game entered its final quarter, she netted a second goal for Tipperary when she collected a long free from Miriam Murphy and gave Gardiner no chance.

Niamh Cunneen pointed as Waterford began to empty their bench and she pointed again with ten minutes remaining.

Eva O’Dwyer and Maeve Cunneen both struck for scores for the winners on sixty minutes, with Katelyn Lyons hitting her seventh for Waterford deep in stoppage time.

The two sides are set to meet again on April 5th in the All-Ireland Championship, where Tipperary will have home advantage.

TEAMS - Tipperary: Molly O’Dwyer (Moycarkey/Borris 6); Aoife Mellerick (Newport/Ballinahinch 6), Katie Fitzgerald (Borris-Ileigh 6), Lillie Fahie (Cashel King Cormacs 6); Paula Quirke (Boherlahan-Dualla 6), Miriam Murphy (Silvermines 6), Kate Dowling (Moycarkey/Borris 6); Eimear Fogarty (Shannon Rovers 6), Anna Fahie (Cashel King Cormacs 6); Maeve Cunneen (Silvermines 6), Niamh Cunneen (Silvermines 8), Eva O’Dwyer (Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill, Capt 8); Lucy Heffernan (Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill 6), Grace Maloney (Cashel King Cormacs 6), Kate Ferncombe (Clonoulty/Rossmore 6).

Subs: Emma Darcy (Shannon Rovers 6) for Ferncombe (52), Ava Bevans (Borris-Ileigh NR) for Maloney (60+3).

Waterford: Katelyn Gardiner (6); Faye Murphy (6), Anna McGoldrick (6), Deirdre Roche (6); Ceire Ryan (6), Abbie Burrows (7), Emily Foran (6); Rebecca Farrell (7), Rebecca Mason (6); Áine Power (6), Ali Ferguson (6), Oneila Whelan (6); Emma Walsh (6), Kelsie Obanya (6), Katelyn Lyons (7).

Subs: Aoife Hartley for Farrell (20-21 blood), Jane Landers (6) for Foran (HT), Eimear Griffen (6) for Walsh (36), Aoife Hartley (6) for Roche (39), Niamh Halley (6) for Power (49), Rhona Drohan (NR) for Mason (56)

Referee: Colm Maher (Cork).