Fabulous 5 for Drom as Clonoulty suffer more final woe

CAMOGIE: FBD Insurance County Senior Championship Final

Drom & Inch 2-9

Clonoulty/Rossmore 0-14

Report: Joe Scully at the Camogie Grounds

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Mairead Eviston (Drom & Inch).

SCORERS – Drom & Inch: Eimear McGrath 0-6 (5 frees); Mary Burke, Miriam Campion 1-0; Siobhan McGrath, Niamh Treacy, Katie O’Dwyer 0-1 each.

Clonoulty/Rossmore: Cait Devane 0-10 (7 frees); Sinead Ryan, Courtney Ryan, Casey Hennessy, Eimear Bourke 0-1 each.

Drom & Inch are five-in-a-row Tipperary Senior Camogie champions after victory over Clonoulty/Rossmore after an epic final on Saturday.

A strong first-half performance, when they had wind advantage, laid the foundations for another county success for the Mid outfit, despite a very strong Clonoulty comeback in a game that really came to life in the second half, where both sides really went at it and put on a brilliant game of camogie in front of a very large crowd.

Clonoulty have now suffered four final defeats in a row but can be very proud of their performance, especially in the second half, where they left everything out on the pitch and really had Drom under severe pressure, but as true champions do they stepped up to the mark when needed and got over the line when the final whistle went, much to the delight of their supporters.

The champions were led magnificently by the excellent Mairead Eviston who had a superb game throughout, and was ably assisted by her fellow backs, Maria Connolly, Christina Brennan, and Niamh Treacy in attack who caused problems all day with her running at the Ross defence, and her distribution.

While, for Clonoulty, Aoife Bourke, Clodagh Quirke, Casey Hennessy, and Cait Devane were to the fore, although the Drom defence done a good job on keeping Devane quiet enough and limited her influence from play.

It was Drom’s ability to get goals at crucial stages and their better spread of forwards which made the difference, as Clonoulty particularly in the first half were guilty of taking the wrong option in attack on several occasions and taking too much out of it at times.

It was a very stop-start game with players from both sides going down with injuries throughout, and the referee Joe Leahy been forced to stop play on several occasions to throw the ball in.

Both sides traded scores for the first six points with Niamh Treacy opening the scoring for Drom & Inch with an effort from play, which was followed up by a Cait Devane effort from Clonoulty. Katie O’Dwyer had Drom back in front, before Devane levelled again with a free. Eimear McGrath was had her side back ahead again with a free, which was followed up by another free from Devane to leave it at three apiece after fourteen minutes.

A minute later, and Drom were in for their first goal when after a goalmouth scramble the ball fell to Miriam Campion who made no mistake with a clinical finish to the back of the net.

Clonoulty responded with another Devane effort from play before McGrath replied with a free. Clonoulty had the gap down to two again thanks to a Casey Hennessy effort but within two minutes Drom raised their second green flag, this time through Mary Burke after receiving a pass from Eimear McGrath and Burke finished emphatically past Cora Hennessy. That would be the last score of the half as Drom lead 2-4 to 0-5 at the break.

Clonoulty/Rossmore came out in the second half fighting and were a different proposition and hit the first two scores through Eimear Bourke and a Devane free. Drom responded with the next three scores through an Eimear McGrath free and Siobhan McGrath, the latter when a goal chance was on, but her effort blazed over the bar, with Eimear McGrath next on the scoresheet from play.

Two Devane frees left the score at 2-7 to 0-9, with fifteen minutes left. Eimear McGrath responded with a free to put her side five ahead again. Then Clonoulty really took the game to Drom and hit the next four points, first Devane from play, which she then followed up with a free. Then it was Sinead Ryan on the mark, with Courtney Ryan hitting the next score, top leave just one point in it with just over six minutes left.

Clonoulty had a goal chance when Kate Ferncombe was set-up by Devane, but she couldn’t get her shot away, and Drom cleared. The game then ebbed and flowed with Clonoulty throwing everything at the Drom defence, but they held strong and repelled everything and then in the 63rd minute they won a free which Eimear McGrath pointed to leave them two ahead.

Clonoulty, however, never gave up and a minute later had the gap back at a point again after another Devane free. There would be another three minutes of action with both sides leaving it all on the line and fighting for every ball as the excitement levels rose, but Drom managed to see out the game and complete the five-in-a-row.

TEAMS – Drom & Inch: Kristina Kenneally (6), Maria Connolly (8), Christina Brennan (7), Eimear Cahill (6), Niamh Long (6), Mairead Eviston (9), Anne Eviston (6), Caroline Shanahan (7), Aoife McGrath (8), Siobhan McGrath (7), Mary Burke (6), Niamh Treacy (8), Katie O’Dwyer (7), Eimear McGrath (8), Miriam Campion (7).

Subs: Maureen Ryan (6) for A Eviston (35), Joanne Ryan (7) for Burke (35), Michelle Woodlock (6) for S McGrath (43), Noirin Butler (NR) for O’Dwyer (60+7).

Clonoulty/Rossmore: Cora Hennessy (6); Katie Murphy (7), Aoife Bourke (8), Lorna Ryan (6), Bernadette Ryan (7), Clodagh Quirke (8), Eimear Loughman (6), Kellie Quirke (6), Sinead Ryan (7), Kate Ferncombe (7), Courtney Ryan (7), Casey Hennessy (7), Eimear Bourke (7), Cait Devane (8), Avril Quirke (6).

Subs: Moira Kinane (7) for K Quirke (HT), Kate Ryan (6) for A Quirke (43), Sophie Maher (NR) for Ferncombe (60+3).

Referee: Joe Leahy (Moyne-Templetuohy).