Tipp minors fall short to impressive Cork

CAMOGIE: Munster Minor Championship Final

Cork 1-16

Tipperary 1-12

Report: Geraldine Kinane at The Ragg

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Millie Condon (Cork).

SCORERS – Cork: Ciara Morrison 1-3; Emily O’Donoghue 0-4 frees; Amy Sheppard, Sarah Murphy 0-3 each; Millie Condon, Orlaith Cremin, Bronagh O’Shaughnessy 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Celine Guinan 0-7 (6 frees); Lucy Purcell 1-1; Kate Ralph 0-3; Danielle Ryan (A) 0-1.

Tipperary were unable to claim Munster Minor Camogie Championship glory on Friday as Cork added the provincial title to their All-Ireland crown in front of a large crowd in the County Camogie Grounds.

It was a very impressive display from a hugely athletic Cork outfit who started at lightening pace with two points in the opening minutes from Bronagh O’Shaughnessy and Millie Condon. The Tipp response was very good and by the fifth minute the sides were level thanks to Kate Ralph from play followed by a Celine Guinan free.

Then an explosive five minute passage saw Cork hit 1-3 without reply and despite the best efforts from Tipperary throughout the rest of the game they could never get back on terms. In fact, as soon as they came within touching distance, Cork led by the impressive midfield pairing of Millie Condon and Orlaith Cremin found another gear and stretched their lead once again.

The Cork goal came in the seventh minute from Ciara Morrison who was really sharp at corner forward finishing with an impressive haul of 1-3. Sarah Murphy who got her first point a minute before the goal extended Cork’s lead with a follow up point after Morrison’s green flag.

Tipperary badly needed a score and Celine Guinan duly obliged with a well-executed free after Kate Ferncombe was fouled.

The Cork attack continued to cause the Tipp defence plenty of problems and the scores were coming that bit easier as Amy Sheppard pointed followed by an Emily O’Donoghue free. O’Donoghue had another well-taken free in the 22nd minute but not before a superb goal from Lucy Purcell. Tipperary’s standout performer in the first half Kate Ralph went on a brilliant run before delivering a lovely ball inside to Purcell who made a great angled run, gathered possession and in one flowing movement fired her shot beyond Chloe Lane’s reach.

Both sides continued to exchange points with Celine Guinan slotting over two more frees before half time while for Cork Amy Sheppard scored her second from play while O’Donoghue extended her tally from frees.

On the stroke of half time, Tipperary had a chance of a second goal but a brilliant save from Lane from a Lucy Purcell strike with the rebound falling to Celine Guinan who pointed from play to leave Tipp trailing after a fantastic opening thirty minutes of camogie, 1-10 to 1-06.

The second half was evenly contested with both teams adding another six points each. Tipperary looked like they would need goals to bridge the Cork lead, but they never looked like coming with the brilliant Laura Dunlea marshalling the defence at number 6 and Millie Condon dominating in midfield while upfront Ava Fitzgerald gave an excellent display at centre forward and despite not getting on the scoresheet was instrumental in all of Cork’s good attacking play.

Another point from play from Ciara Morrison was cancelled out by a Celine Guinan free before Cork hit Tipperary for three in a row from Sheppard, Murphy, and Morrison.

An excellent Danielle Ryan (Annacarty) point from the wing in the 44th minute ended Cork’s scoring spree. Two more points from the rebels put them into a commanding position with a 1-16 to 1-8 lead after 50 minutes.

Both sides rang the changes, but it was the switch of Kate Ralph into the inside forward line which had the biggest impact as Tipperary enjoyed an excellent spell with four unanswered points, Lucy Purcell split the posts followed by a Celine Guinan free before Ralph hit two in a row to narrow the gap to four points once more.

Amazingly neither side scored for the remaining eight minutes as bodies began to tire and a number of players succumbed to cramp.

Tipperary went on attack after attack but couldn’t get by a steadfast Cork defence with Sinead Hurley solid at full back. And so, as the clock counted down it was Cork who headed for a hard earned Munster title.

It was another impressive performance from a Cork squad with the conveyor belt of talent showing no signs of letting up. Millie Condon was awarded player of the match but in truth four or five other players could easily have been chosen.

Having suffered a heavy defeat to Cork in the group stages of the All-Ireland championship, this was a much improved Tipperary performance. They went toe-to-toe with the All-Ireland champions but gave themselves a gap top too far to bridge with the concession the early 1-3 which put Cork in the driving seat.

TEAMS - Cork: Chloe Lane; Meadbh de Burca, Sinead Hurley, Caoimhe O’Donoghue; Amy O’Riordan, Laura Dunlea, Eimear Duignan; Millie Condon, Orlaith Cremin; Amy Sheppard, Ava Fitzgerald, Sarah Murphy; Ciara Morrison, Emily O’Donoghue, Bronagh O’Shaughnessy.

Subs: Niamh McNabola for O’Shaughnessy (26); Amy McCarthy for O’Riordan (39); Ellen Crowley for Duignan (53); Grainne Finn for Murphy (60+2); Kate Fennessy for Dunlea (60+4).

Tipperary: Aoife Gleeson (Kiladangan); Aoife Bourke (Clonoulty/Rossmore), Alison Fitzgerald (Holycross/Ballycahill), Aoife Mellerick (Newport/Ballinahinch), Paula Quirke (Boherlahan-Dualla), Shauna Heffernan (Eire Og Annacarty), Eabha Dolan (Moyle Rovers), Kate Ralph (Moycarkey/Borris), Celine Guinan (Shannon Rovers), Danielle Ryan (Eire Og Annacarty), Sarah Corcoran (Moycarkey/Borris), Kate Ferncombe (Clonoulty/Rossmore); Ciara Shelly (Moycarkey/Borris), Danielle Ryan (Boherlahan-Dualla), Lucy Purcell (Thurles Sarsfields).

Subs: Hazel Brennan (Moyle Rovers) for Ryan (45); Anna Murphy (Boherlahan-Dualla) for Ryan (45); Emer Dwan (Cashel King Cormacs) for Shelly (59); Ellie Franklin (Moyle Rovers) for Ferncombe (59); Ali O’Kelly (Kilruane MacDonaghs) for Purcell (60+1).

Referee: Kevin O’Brien (Limerick).