Champs Drom off and running with big win

Drom & Inch got the defence off their County Senior Camogie Championship title off to a winning start with a comprehensive win over Eire Og Annacarty at The Ragg on Saturday.

CAMOGIE: FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Champonship Group 2 Round 1

Drom & Inch 4-16

Eire Og Annacarty/D 0-8

From the off, the home side looked the sharper, stronger, and more determined of the two sides and built up a 1-8 to 0-3 lead by half time, having played against the wind.

Credit to Annacarty they upped the intensity and work-rate, and enjoyed a good spell at the start of the second half but they continued to have to work so hard for each score while Drom would break through at different stages to score four top class goals.

Eimear McGrath was on fire for the home side in the opening half, scoring 1-7 of Drom-Inch’s 1-8; the only other score coming from Miriam Campion.

McGrath opened Drom’s account with two points from play and a free before Lucy Heffernan responded with a point for the visitors.

Drom were on top in most areas of the field with championship debutant and county under 16 captain Ciara Cahill particularly impressive with some great touches. Mary Bourke also impressed on the opposite wing while Mairead Eviston was colossal in defence.

In the fourteenth minute, a long delivery by Eviston was collected by Eimear McGrath and despite the attention of three Annacarty defenders she managed to get fire the ball home.

Danielle Ryan got her first of four points from play two minutes later to make it 1-4 to 0-2. Three more points for Eimear McGrath (1 free) helped the holders to a 1-8 to 0-3 lead.

Annacarty would have been disappointed with their first half performance and from the restart they seemed to find another gear and really take the game to Drom.

Minor All-Ireland winner Danielle Ryan was key to this with two more points from play while junior All-Ireland winner Gemma Fox also grew more and more into the game.

Despite enjoying more possession, they struggled though to create scoring chances and Caoimhe Bourke was rarely troubled on her first game back after her cruciate injury sustained last year.

The final quarter belonged to Drom & Inch as they hit Annacarty for three goals in the space of ten minutes. Ciara Cahill struck a well-taken goal in the 46th minute while a minute later another powerful run by Mary Bourke resulted in another goal.

A huge free from distance from Eimear McGrath was followed by a Mary Bourke point from play before Bourke again looked through for a goal. Her shot was brilliantly saved by Aoife Butler in the Annacarty goal. However, Siobhan McGrath, who had just come off the bench, was on hand to knock in the rebound from close range.

The lively Ciara Cahill added a point before Eimear McGrath concluded the scoring with a late point.

Player of the Match: Eimear McGrath (Drom & Inch)

Drom & Inch: Caoimhe Bourke (7); Maria Connolly (6), Christina Brennan (7), Eimear Cahill (8); Aine Greed (7), Anne Eviston (6), Mairead Eviston (7); Caroline Shanahan (7), Niamh Treacy (7); Ciara Cahill (1-1, 8), Maureen Ryan (6), Mary Bourke (1-1, 7), Eimear McGrath (1-11, 0-7f, 8) Aoife McGrath (0-1, 6), Miriam Campion (0-1, 6).

Subs: Niamh Long (0-1, 7) for Campion (inj), Siobhan McGrath (1-0, 7) for Cahill, Tara Hoare (6) for Connolly, Katie O’Dwyer (6) for M Bourke, Ciara Cahill for N Treacy (inj).

Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill: Aoife Butler (6); Shauna Heffernan (7), Caoimhe Brady (7), Orlagh Walsh (6); Orla O’Brien (6), Gemma Fox (7), Sarah Burke (6); Ciannait Walsh (6), Lucy Heffernan (0-1, 7); Eibhlis McDonald (6), Danielle Ryan (0-4, 8), Cora Heffernan (6); Jean Kelly (6), Roseanna O’Donnell (6), Eva O’Dwyer (0-2, 1f, 7).

Subs: Rachel O’Dwyer (6) for L Heffernan; Leah Heffernan (0-1, 7) for C Heffernan.

Referee: Tommy Ryan (Kiladangan).