Drom’s six-bid ended by Clonoulty

CAMOGIE: FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Championship Semi-Final

Clonoulty/Rossmore 0-17

Drom & Inch 2-8

Report: Joe Scully at the Camogie Grounds, The Ragg

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Cait Devane (Clonoulty Rossmore).

SCORERS – Clonoulty/Rossmore: Cait Devane 0-13 (8 frees); Sarah Fryday, Kellie Quirke, Eimear Bourke, Casey Hennessy 0-1 each.

Drom & Inch: Aoife McGrath 0-6 (5 frees); Niamh Treacy, Miriam Campion 1-1 each.

Clonoulty-Rossmore ended four years of heartbreak after finally getting over Drom & Inch after a Trojan battle in the first of Saturday’s County Senior Camogie Championship semi-finals on Saturday.

It was a well-deserved victory for the West Tipp outfit who defended valiantly throughout as they limited the Drom attack all game, and took their chances when they presented themselves.

In what was a truly entertaining game played at the highest intensity, it was a real battle throughout with every score hard earned and no player having anytime on the ball as the crowd in attendance were treated to a great game.

For Drom & Inch, they will be bitterly disappointed as their five-year reign as county champions comes to an end, but overall, they can have little complaint as they were beaten by the better side on the day, despite fighting till the very end as true champions would. Their bid wasn’t helped by missing star forward Eimear McGrath who sustained a serious knee injury in the quarter-final win over Shannon Rovers and will miss the entire 2025 campaign for club and county.

Clonoulty/Rossmore were led by the excellent Cait Devane who accounted for thirteen of her sides scores, five coming from play. Also, Aoife Bourke, Clodagh Quirke, Casey Hennessy, Sarah Fryday, and Eimear Bourke were outstanding as Clonoulty put in their best performance of the year to date to dethrone the champions and the team that have beaten them in the last four finals.

Clonoulty were quickest out of the blocks and were two scores up inside two minutes from Sarah and Cait Devane from play.

Aoife McGrath opened Drom’s account in the third minute from a free, before Devane added her second less than a minute later. McGrath pointed from another free which was followed by an effort from play by the excellent Niamh Treacy to level the scores after six minutes.

The green & golds would then hit the next three scores as they started to take control with Kellie Quirke and Eimear Bourke from play and then another from Devane. Devane would have another free sandwiched between two frees from Aoife McGrath to leave the score at 0-7 to 0-5 after sixteen minutes.

Sarah Fryday would then have a great chance for a goal, but her effort was blocked out for a 45 which Devane failed to convert. Two minutes later, Clonoulty would regret that miss when Miriam Campion had the ball in the back of the net to put Drom a point ahead after being set up following a good run by Aoife McGrath.

Clonoulty’s response was swift, however, and they hit the next three scores, all from Cait Devane with two from frees before hitting a superb effort from play to put her side two points up after 27 minutes.

The final score of the half went to Aoife McGrath from a free to leave the bare minimum in it at the break with Clonoulty leading 0-10 to 1-6.

The second-half got off to a slow start following an injury to Cora Hennessy in the opening minute following a collision, but once play got underway again it was the runners-up for the last four years that opened the scoring once again through Cait Devane from play after being in the right place at the right time as the ball fell to her after a scramble.

Two minutes later, Drom were back om front following their second goal after Niamh Treacy goaled after a great catch and finish.

Clonoulty responded well and Cair Devane would have the sides level again in the 42nd minute with another free, before Drom managed two points from play from Aoife McGrath and Miriam Campion to lead no by two.

But that would be the champions last score of the game as Clonoulty’s defence would slowly start to takeover and take a stranglehold on proceedings. They were level by the 48th minute thanks to two efforts from Devane, the first from a free and the second a penalty after Sarah Fryday was fouled and the Tipperary star blazed her effort over the bar.

The game would become helter-skelter with both sides going at it hell for leather with no quarter asked with the hits coming flying in, and there would be no score until the 56th minute when, who else, but Devane pointed a 45 to put her side a point up.

Drom & Inch would push for a leveller but couldn’t find a way through a resolute Clonoulty defence and were picked off twice on the counter-attack in added time, firstly through Casey Hennessy after being set-up by Kate Ferncombe before Cait Devane put three between the sides in the 62nd minute from 50 metres out.

Drom pushed for an equaliser and won a couple of frees on the 21, the second of which was saved off the line as Clonoulty/Rossmore held out for a huge victory and a place in another county final as they chase that elusive first success.

TEAMS – Clonoulty/Rossmore: Teresa Burke (6); Lorna Ryan (7), Aoife Bourke (8), Moira Kinane (8); Courtney Ryan (7), Clodagh Quirke (8), Eimear Loughman (7); Casey Hennessy (8), Kellie Quirke (7); Sinead Ryan (6), Cora Hennessy (8), Kate Ferncombe (6), Cait Devane (9), Sarah Fryday (8), Eimear Bourke (8).

Sub: Bernadette Ryan (6) for Cora Hennessy (57).

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

Subs: Michelle Woodlock (6) for Greed (48); Siobhan McGrath (6) for Shanahan (52).

Referee: Mike Ryan (Nenagh Eire Og).