Short-handed Tipp outduelled by Cork in quality encounter

CAMOGIE: Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Championship Group 1 Round 2

Tipperary 0-18

Cork 0-21

Report: Joe Scully at FBD Semple Stadium

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Amy O’Connor (Cork).

SCORERS – Tipperary: Eimear McGrath 0-9 (6 frees, 1 ’45); Eimear Heffernan 0-4; Grace O’Brien 0-3; Roisin Howard, Aoife Dwyer 0-1 each.

Cork: Amy O’Connor 0-11 (5 frees); Saoirse McCarthy 0-5 (1 free); Saoirse McCartan 0-2; Laura Hayes, Hayley Ryan, Emma Murphy 0-1 each.

It’s back-to-back defeats for Tipperary in the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship following a three-point defeat at the hands of a very impressive Cork outfit on Sunday.

The Rebelettes just had to much for the home side, in what was a highly entertaining game with some excellent scores from both sides and some fine individual performances as well.

In a game played in glorious sunshine, Cork were deserving winners, causing problems with their running game all through, particularly their full forward line of Sorcha McCartan, Orlaith Cahalane, and Amy O’Connor causing all sorts of problems for the Tipp rearguard, even though the fullback line also had a good game.

Overall, it was Cork’s better use of possession and their tenacity in defence, especially in the second half, as they shut down the Tipperary forward line for the most part, with the hosts struggling to get any momentum for the most part.

Tipperary welcomed Eimear McGrath back into the starting line-up but injury saw them without skipper Caoimhe McCarthy and Karen Kennedy, while Caoimhe Stakelum was again exam-tied.

Cork nearly got off to a flyer in the opening minute when Amy O’Connor flashed a shot across goal, but Tipp would clear and go up the other end to where Grace O’Brien would open the scoring with a tidy finish.

O’Connor would level proceedings in the third minute after Eimear Loughman went to bat a long ball out but missed it with O’Connor punishing the mistake from close range.

Tipp were back ahead just over a minute later when following a superb move Eimear McGrath pointed, after a nice layoff from Roisin Howard.

Cork would then hit a bit of a purple patch, scoring three in a row from play, from O’Connor, Hayley Ryan and Emma Murphy. Eimear McGrath reduced the gap to one in the eighth minute, before an O’Connor free was responded to by a McGrath free to leave Cork one point ahead after twelve minutes.

Sorcha McCartan extended the lead before points from Grace O’Brien and Eimear Heffernan who had a superb game level after sixteen minutes. Cork retook the lead with O’Connor once again on target from a free, but from the resultant puckout Clodagh McIntyre set up Eimear Heffernan to bring the sides level once again.

Cork’s response was instant and Laura Hayes had them back ahead after Emma Murphy won the puckout. Roisin Howard levelled proceedings again in the 21st minute, with a superb finish falling to the ground, but a magnificent score from Amy O’Connor in the 23rd minute had Cork back ahead.

Tipp struck back from the resultant puckout with Grace O’Brien finding the target. They took the lead minute later, through a McGrath free, but it only lasted a minute as O’Connor levelled with a free of her own.

The see-saw nature of the game would continue, and Saoirse McCarthy would have Cork back ahead following a fine team move. Eimear McGrath would try and catch the Cork defence out by going for goal from a close range free, but Amy Lee was quick to react, knocking it out for a 45, which McGrath converted for the last score of the half as the sides went in level at the break, 0-11 apiece.

Cork came out after half time and opened a two-point lead in the opening five minutes thanks to two Amy O’Connor points from play, before Eimear Heffernan opened her sides account for the half in the 37th minute.

A free each from Saoirse McCarthy and Amy O’Connor had Cork three ahead, before Eimear McGrath reduced the arrears with a free. McCarthy added another for Cork in the 44th minute, after Saoirse McCartan had seen her goal-bound effort brilliantly saved by Laura Leenane.

An Eimear McGrath free and a fine effort from sub Aoife Dwyer, with her first touch, had the gap back at a single point on 48 minutes. A Saoirse McCarthy point in the 51st minute pushed Cork two ahead again, with Eimear Heffernan reducing the gap a minute later.

However, Cork would hit another purple patch with three-in-a-row to open a four point gap, with scores from McCartan, an O’Connor free and Saoirse McCarthy.

Tipp would reduce the gap back to two thanks to two Eimear McGrath frees, but that was as close as they would get before an Amy O’Connor free in the third minute of added time put the game to bed and gave Cork their second win in the championship and in a strong position to qualify for the semi-finals, while leaving Tipperary with a lot of work to do going forward.

Tipp still have an outside chance of making the top two and a semi-final spot if they can beat Galway in the final round of fixtures in two weeks’ time, but would also require a Cork victory over Waterford, with point difference then deciding second place.

TEAMS – Tipperary: Laura Leenane (Shannon Rovers 7); Amy Quinlisk (Kilruane MacDonaghs 7), Mairead Eviston (Drom & Inch 7), Eimear Loughman (Clonoulty/Rossmore 7); Sarah Corcoran (Moycarkey/Borris 6), Caoimhe Maher (Burgess/Duharra 8), Celine Guinan (Shannon Rovers 7); Karin Blair (Cashel KC 6), Clodagh McIntyre (Lorrha 6); Eimear Heffernan (Knockavilla-D Kickhams 8), Lucy Purcell (Thurles Sarsfields 6), Casey Hennessy (Clonoulty/Rossmore 6); Roisin Howard (Cahir 6), Eimear McGrath (Drom & Inch 7), Grace O’Brien (Nenagh Eire Og 7).

Subs: Aoife Dwyer (Thurles Sarsfields 6) for Hennessy (47), Kate Ralph (Moycarkey/Borris 6) for McIntyre (53); Niamh Treacy (Drom & Inch NR) for O’Brien (58).

Cork: Amy Lee (7), Izzy O’Regan (7), Libby Coppinger (7), Aisling Egan (6), Ava Fitzgerald (7), Meabh Murphy (8), Isobelle Sheehan (6), Millie Condon (7), Laura Hayes (8), Hayley Ryan (6), Saoirse McCarthy (8), Emma Murphy (7), Sorcha McCartan (8), Orlaith Cahalane (6), Amy O’Connor (9).

Subs: Rose Murphy (6) for Ryan (38); Keeva McCarthy (NR) for E Murphy (58).

Referee: Brian Kearney (Kildare).