Final berths on offer for Senior showpiece

CAMOGIE: FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Championship Semi-Finals Preview

By Joe Scully

DROM & INCH v CLONOULTY/ROSSMORE

Camogie Grounds, The Ragg

Saturday, 12th October

Throw-in @ 1.00pm (E.T.)

Drom & Inch and Clonoulty/Rossmore will battle it out once again in the knockout stages of the Tipperary senior camogie championship, but this time it will be in the semi-final as opposed to the final where they have battled it out for the last four years.

Drom have come out on top on each occasion and are chasing a sixth county title in a row this year, and so far, have been relatively untroubled winning all their games so far fairly comfortable.

Clonoulty/Rossmore come into the semi-final looking to finally break the hoodoo Drom have over them.

Having gotten off to a slow start to the campaign they have slowly improved, having lost their opening game at the hands of Thurles Sarsfields.

It promises to be another good game between the two rivals, and if last year’s final is anything to go by where Drom came out victorious by just a single point after being put to the pin of their collars by the West Tipp outfit.

If Clonoulty/Rossmore are to finally get the win over Drom they will need the likes of Clodagh Quirke, Eimear Loughman, Kelly Quirke, Sarah Fryday, Eimear Burke, and Cait Devane to be at the top of their game, against a Drom & Inch side who are strong throughout their team and also have a very strong bench to call upon too, with the likes of Chrstina Brennan, Eimear Cahill, Mary Burke, Eimear McGrath, Miriam Campion and the two Eviston’s Anne & Mairead all key players for the champions. Verdict: Drom & Inch

THURLES SARSFIELDS v CASHEL KING CORMACS

Camogie Grounds, The Ragg

Saturday, 12th October

Throw-in @ 3.45pm (E.T.)

Thurles Sarsfields are back in what is only their second ever senior semi-final after coming very close to beating Drom & Inch in last year’s semi-final.

They will be looking to continue their very impressive form so far this year having won all their games in the championship to date, racking up some very big scores in all their games, including 3-30 in their quarter-final victory over Knockavilla Kickhams.

These sides have already met in the group stages with Thurles coming out victorious 5-15 to 3-8, but this Saturday’s game will be a totally different ballgame, and promises to be a good close, tight game.

Cashel, the two-time former All-Ireland club champions, come into the game, full of confidence and have been improving as the year has gone on and off the back of a very impressive quarter-final win over Burgess/Duharra.

Thurles Sarsfields will start the game as favourites and with the likes of Laura Loughnane, Emma Carey, Leanna Coppinger, Caoimhe Stakelum and Karen Kennedy in their team, they will take some stopping, but Cashel have quality throughout their squad too and if the likes of Iris Grace, Grace Moloney, Caoimhe Perdue, Philly Fogarty and Karin Blair, who has been in great form this year, can bring their ‘A’ game, and can defend to the levels they have in their last two games, Cashel will be in with a great chance.

A key part of the game will be the discipline for both sides, because in both Philly Fogarty and Caoimhe Stakelum both teams have two players who will punish any ill-discipline shown. Verdict: Thurles Sarsfields