Tipp quickly turn focus to the All-Ireland Series

By Joe Scully

“Absolutely elated,” was how Tipperary captain Eva O’Dwyer described Sunday’s Munster Under 23 final.

“It was a really hard battle as it always is when we play Cork. We kind of owed them one from last year, when they brought us to extra time, and then they pulled away, so we’re absolutely delighted to get over the line today.”

O’Dwyer felt it took her side a while to get into the game, but once they did they played well.

“In the first half, Cork were kind of running the show for the first part, but we got into it eventually, and we kind of came into it before halftime,” she said.

“It kind of suited us to be chasing them in the second half, been down a point coming out, so it really spurred us on.”

It was O’Dwyer who scored the game’s crucial score when she converted a penalty with just over ten minutes to play, this after Cork had missed a penalty earlier in the half.

“When Molly saved their penalty, it gave us huge momentum after it,” O’Dwyer added.

“For my own penalty, I didn’t think too much about it, you’re kind of practicing for those moments, where you’re in a Munster final and you need to get the score and delighted then when it went in.

“Even though that goal put us five ahead, we knew the game was far from over as we knew Cork would come at us, as they always do even when their down. We were prepared for that. We had discussed that prior that in situations when we were up how we would hold our own and stay focused.”

It was a delighted and relieved Tipperary manager Bryan Darcy speaking in the aftermath of Tipperary’s Munster final victory.

“We’re thrilled, the girls really pulled it out of the bag in fairness to them,” he said.

“It was a tight game all the way through, and even though towards the end we went five points up, Cork pulled it right back to a point and just to hold out in the end was very pleasing.”

The winning of the game was the start to the second half that the Premier ladies made and for Darcy he felt that period was always going to be crucial.

“We just got that foothold in the game and got that little bit ahead and did just enough to hold out in the end, like you’re thinking in injury time that it was never going to end but just delighted to get over the line,” Darcy added.

Two key moments that played a massive part in the outcome were the penalties awarded. Cork had their one saved while for Tipp Eva O’Dwyer buried hers to the back of the net for what was the games decisive score.

“I couldn’t watch the penalty, and one of the lads turned and said Molly saved it, and then down the other end Eva stood up, and it was never in doubt for me,” Darcy added.

“There were big swings in the game and fortunately for us we got the luck today. The goal put us five ahead at that stage, but within two or three minutes Cork had put three points on the board and then got another one soon after to leave just a point in it. I am so proud of the girls for how they seen out the game.”

There isn’t much time for celebrating for Tipp as they have a quick turnaround ahead of their opening fixture in the All-Ireland series next Sunday away to Dublin.

“We have momentum behind us, and we have a big game next weekend against Dublin and look, it’s trying to recover and get the bodies right in time for that, but as a standalone wea are delighted to win the Munster championship,” Darcy concluded.