Stakelum goal inspires Tipp to Munster Senior Camogie title

CAMOGIE: Munster Senior Championship Final

Tipperary 1-14

Waterford 0-14

Report: Joe Scully

at FBD Semple Stadium

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Karin Blair (Tipperary)

SCORERS – Tipperary: Eimear McGrath 0-7 frees; Caoimhe Stakelum 1-1; Eimear Heffernan, Karin Blair 0-2 each; Caoimhe McCarthy, Grace O’Brien 0-1 each.

Waterford: Beth Carton (2 frees), Abby Flynn 0-4 each; Niamh Rockett 0-2 frees; Lorraine Bray, Alannah O’Sullivan, Mairead O’Brien, Roisin Kirwan 0-1 each.

A Caoimhe Stakelum goal in the 41st minute proved to be the difference as Tipperary won a second Munster Senior Camogie Championship in four years, overcoming a battling Waterford side by three points in the final on Saturday.

It was another titanic battle between these two rivals, and it was Tipperary who were celebrating come the final whistle after a tight tense affair, which they were just about deserved winners.

Waterford raced into two point lead through Abby Flynn, the second an excellent score after a strong run from Keeley Corbett Barry. From the resultant puckout, Tipp were off the mark from Grace O’Brien and were level in the fifth minute when Eimear McGrath pointed a 45 after she had seen her shot on goal well saved by Brianna O’Regan in the Waterford goal.

Karin Blair had the Premier Ladies ahead in the eighth minute with a superb effort on the run from halfway. The game hit a bit of a lull until the 16th minute when two frees in the space of a minute from Niamh Rockett had Waterford ahead again.

The sides were level again two minutes later, after a Waterford sideline deep in their own half went wrong and Eimear Heffernan punished them. A fine finish from captain Caoimhe McCarthy had Tipp back ahead in the 20th minute, but Beth Carton had the sides level within a minute with a tidy finish.

Lorraine Bray had the Deise back ahead a few minutes later, but Tipperary finished the stronger, hitting three unanswered points, all dead balls from Eimear McGrath, as they went in at the break ahead 0-8 to 0-6.

It took three minutes for the opening score of the second half when Caoimhe Stakelum, who had been quiet enough up to that stage, fired over from out by the sideline, before an Eimear McGrath free had the Tipp lead out to four in the 37th minute.

Waterford nearly found the back of the net in the 40th minute when Abby Flynn was through on goal but Laura Leenane pulled off a top-class save with the rebound falling to Alannah O’Sullivan who pointed.

Carton reduced the gap to two with a fine finish, but then came the games defining moment in the 42nd minute when a long ball into the corner to Stakelum who rose the ball turned her marker headed for goal and blasted to the back of the net.

From the resultant puckout, Abby Flynn responded for the Deise and in the 47th minute Waterford turned over the ball deep in Tipperary territory and Eimear O’Neill found herself through, but her shot was saved brilliantly by Leenane in goal.

Beth Carton added a free not long after, which was responded to by the score of the game by Karin Blair following a monstrous run down the middle. Abby Flynn was on the scoresheet again in the 50th minute to leave three points in it with ten to play.

An Eimear McGrath free was followed not long after by an Eimear Heffernan point following good play by Karen Kennedy. The gap was reduced to three yet again following two efforts from play firstly by Roisin Kirwan then a Mairead O’Brien score following a good run.

McGrath and Carton exchanged frees to leave three in it in the final minute of normal time. There would be four minutes of added time with Waterford pushing for a levelling goal, but Tipperary repelled them and there were joyous scenes in the blue and gold came when Aaron hogg blew the final whistle.

TEAMS – Tipperary: Laura Leenane, Amy Quinlisk, Mairead Eviston, Eimear Loughman, Karin Blair, Caoimhe Maher, Caoimhe McCarthy, Karen Kennedy, Kate Ralph, Eimear Heffernan, Roisin Howard, Clodagh McIntyre, Caoimhe Stakelum, Eimear McGrath, Grace O’Brien.

Subs: Casey Hennessy for Ralph (35), Sarah Corcoran for Howard (48), Jean Kelly for McIntyre (49), Celine Guinan for McCarthy (53), Aoife Dwyer for Blair (60).

Waterford: Brianna O’Regan, Alannah McNulty, Clodagh Carroll, Rachael Walsh, Vikki Falconer, Keeley Corbett Barry, Laoise Forrest, Lorraine Bray, Orla Hickey, Alannah O’Sulivan, Beth Carton, Abby Flynn, Eimear O’Neill, Niamh Rockett, Annie Fitzgerald.

Subs: Mairead O’Brien for O’Sullivan (41), Roisin Kirwan for Rockett (43), Bevin Bowdren for Hickey (44), Maggie Gostl for Walsh (53).

Referee: Aaron Hogg (Clare).