Tipp left chastened by Kerry

LADIES FOOTBALL: TG4 All Ireland Senior Championship Round 1

Kerry 2-16

Tipperary 0-4

Report: Michael Heverin at Austin Stack Park, Tralee

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Siofra O’Shea (Kerry)

SCORERS – Kerry: Siofra O’Shea 1-5 (0-1 free), Anna Galvin 1-2, Jadyn Lucey 0-3, Aoife Dillane 0-2, Emma Costello, Niamh Carmody, Jane Lynch, Danielle O’Leary 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Emma Morrissey 0-2, Angela McGuigan, Kirsty Crotty Ryan 0-1 each.

A combination of turnovers conceded, passes not sticking, and malfunctioning kickouts contributed to a chastening afternoon for Tipperary in their heavy defeat to Kerry on Sunday in the first round of the All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship.

Only an improved second half performance prevented a heavier defeat than eighteen points, but there was no disguising the gulf between the sides on the day.

Kerry had only two points to spare when the sides met in the Munster championship in Clonmel but they had obviously learned more from that display and were lying in wait in their own backyard.

They targeted Lauren Fitzpatrick’s kickouts, and when the Tipp goalkeeper had no outlet for a short kickout and had to go long, Kerry just scooped up possession around midfield. That led directly to their second goal, when Niamh Carmody won the kickout, fed Danielle O’Leary who provided the final pass for the imperious Siofra O’Shea to shoot past Fitzpatrick.

Turnovers were proving as costly for Tipperary, resulting in Kerry’s first goal after eight minutes, when possession was cheaply lost and Anna Galvin shot low to the net.

The first half statistics make grim reading for Tipperary. They were 2-9 to no score down after 26 minutes and didn’t get a shot off in that time. The half had moved into added time when they took the bare look off the scoreboard with a point from Emma Morrissey after good work from Emma Buckley.

Key absentees made it difficult for David Power’s side from the start. Sisters Nora & Niamh Martin – hugely influential members of the team throughout the season - were both missing, Nora through injury and Niamh back on AFL duties in Australia; team captain Anna-Rose Kennedy was unable to start and Heather Spillane was replaced by her sister Lucy before throw-in.

Into the team came Mullinahone pair Nicole Shelly and Aoibhe O’Shea, and Cahir’s Emma Buckley, and it proved to be a baptism of fire in the Austin Stack Park cauldron.

Fourteen points down at the interval, 2-9 to 0-1, Power made four changes for the second half with the introduction of Anna Carey, Angela McGuigan, Ava Ryan and Éabha Hogan. Kerry continued to dominate but Tipperary looked sharper - tighter in defence and more threatening in attack.

Points from McGuigan, a second from Morrissey, and a fine injury time score from Kirsty Crotty Ryan were the least that their efforts deserved, and it might have been more but for some wayward shooting and shots dropped short.

Crotty Ryan’s score was Moyle Rovers created and finished. The move began with a great run by corner back Emma Cronin, who was one of Tipp’s best performers, and cooly converted by Crotty Ryan.

Not for the first time this season, Sarah English was also one of the side’s top players and she was unlucky not to score what would have been a spectacular goal when her shot was tipped onto the crossbar by Kerry keeper Mary Ellen Bolger and rebounded clear.

That second half display might prove some comfort for David Power as he plots a way to beat Kildare in a must-win game on Saturday week. He’ll also know that on a day when he was short key players his side came up against a Kerry team that was in superb form.

Siofra O’Shea was involved in the majority of their first half scores, either as creator or scorer; Emma Costello and Aoife Dillane were outstanding in defence; Anna Galvin and Mary O’Connell dominated midfield; and Niamh Carmody, Jadyn Lucey and Danielle O’Leary formed a dynamic attack along with O’Shea.

They looked like a team keen to repeat their 2024 All Ireland success from the throw-in, holding possession for the first two and a half minutes before Siofra O’Shea kicked the opening point after five minutes.

The first crucial turnover led to Anna Galvin’s goal three minutes later, and with the ball seldom out of the Tipp half, Kerry added points from Jadyn Lucey – after a miss-placed pass brought a promising Tipp attack to a halt - Aoife Dillane, O’Shea again and Costello for a 1-5 to no score lead midway through the half.

O’Shea’s goal, as Kerry plundered the Tipp kickouts, extended the lead further, and points from O’Shea, Lucey, Carmody and Galvin pushed the tie beyond Tipperary’s reach at 2-9 to no score.

With Tipperary under so much pressure at the back, Emma Morrissey was finding it difficult to gain any traction upfront, but the Aherlow player showed her usual composure to create space and kick a fine point before the half time whistle.

Despite Galvin extending the Kerry lead three minutes into the second half, the fresh legs introduced at half time started to create extra space for the visitors. A good move involving Cronin, Laura Morrissey and Sarah English looked threatening before finally breaking down, and then a shot from Lauren Cunningham just dropped short. The pressure eventually paid off when Cunningham set up Angela McGuigan for Tipp’s second point in the 38th minute.

However, Kerry shut off any hopes of an unlikely Tipp revival with four points in a row from an O’Shea free, Lucey, Dillane and O’Shea again. McGuigan had impressed since her introduction and set up Emma Morrissey for Tipp’s third point seven minutes from time.

Kerry sub Jane Lynch pointed before Tipp finished the game on the front foot – McGuigan was off target after good work, Cunninham saw another shot drop short, and then Cronin provided the assist for the last score of the game from Crotty Ryan.

TEAMS – Kerry: Mary Ellen Bolger (7); Roisin Rahilly (7), Deirdre Kearney (8), Eilis Lynch (7); Aisling O’Connell (7), Emma Costello (8); Aoife Dillane (8); Anna Galvin (8), Mary O’Connell (8); Niamh Carmody (8), Niamh Ní Chonchuir (7), Caoimhe Evans (7); Jadyn Lucey (8), Danielle O’Leary (7), Siofra O’Shea (9).

Subs: Rachel Dwyer (6) for Carmody (38), Leah Boyle (6) for Dillane (38), Julia Curtin (6) for Galvin (47), Jane Lynch (7) for Evans (47), Kiera Furey (6) for Lynch (52).

Tipperary: Lauren Fitzpatrick (Ballymacarbry 7); Tara Hoare (Templemore 7), Maria Curley (Templemore 8), Emma Cronin (Moyle Rovers 8); Kate Cashman (Templemore 7), Emma Buckley (Cahir 6); Sarah English (Ardfinnan 7); Laura Morrissey (Brian Borus 6), Nicole Shelly (CJ Kickhams Mullinahone 6); Aoibhe O’Shea (CJ Kickhams Mullinahone 6), Lauren Cunningham (Holycross/Ballycahill 7), Lucy Spillane (Fethard 7); Clara English (Ardfinnan 6), Emma Morrissey (Aherlow 8), Kirsty Crotty Ryan (Moyle Rovers 7).

Subs: Anna Carey (Clonmel Commercials 7) for C English (HT), Éabha Hogan (St Patrick’s 6) for Buckley (HT), Angela McGuigan (St. Sylvester’s 8) for Shelly (HT), Ava Ryan (Moyne-Templetuohy 7) for O’Shea (HT), Ellen Moore (Moyne-Templetuohy NR) for S English (58).

Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow).