Focused Tipp put the Cats out

CAMOGIE: Very Ireland National League Division 1A Round 2

Tipperary0-16

Kilkenny 1-8

Report: Joe Scully at the County Camogie Grounds

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Mairead Eviston (Tipperary).

SCORERS – Tipperary: Grace O’Brien 0-7 (6 frees); Clodagh McIntyre 0-3; Mary Burke 0-2; Mairead Eviston, Casey Hennessy, Roisin Howard, Caoimhe Maher 0-1 each.

Kilkenny: Aoife Prendergast 0-5 (4 frees); Caoimhe Keher Murtagh 1-0; Laura Murphy, Katie Byrne, Claire Doheny 0-1 each.

Tipperary withheld a late surge by Kilkenny to run out comfortable five point victors as they picked up their first win in the National Camogie League Division 1 on Saturday.

Despite the start being delayed by half an hour, because of the late arrival of the match referee Justin Heffernan, last year’s league champions showed no ill-effects and were the better team throughout.

Lead excellently by Mairead Eviston who ruled the roost from centre-back, ably assisted by Niamh Treacy, Roisin Howard, Mary Burke, and Clodagh McIntyre, it was a much-improved performance from the home side from their opening round draw with Dublin, with a marked improvement in a number of areas, most notably the workrate, winning the majority of rucks that ensued throughout the game.

It was the away side who were quickest out of the blocks and were ahead in the third minute through a free from the impressive Aoife Prendergast. It would be a short-lived lead as two placed balls from Grace O’Brien would have the Premier ladies ahead in the sixth minute, before Prendergast would level two minutes later with a fine effort from play.

Tipperary would retake the lead with a point from Mary Burke after being set-up by Clodagh McIntyre, and it would be the Lorrha speedster who hit the next point after finding herself in space, after a scramble and finished well.

Kilkenny reduced the gap to a point in the 17th minute when Prendergast picked out Katie Byrne with an indirect free and she pointed from distance.

Tipperary would then take a firm grip on proceedings, hitting the next three scores, an O’Brien free, followed by an inspirational score from Mairead Eviston after a fine solo run before Mary Burke added her second following a good team move, where she found herself in space and finished with aplomb.

Laura Murphy responded for the Cats, with a superb run and finish to leave it at 0-7 to 0-4 after 22 minutes. Grace O’Brien added another free which would be the final score of the half as Tipperary went in at the break leading 0-8 to 0-4.

Tipperary came flying out of the traps after the interval and added four points in the opening ten minutes; Clodagh McIntyre after 43 seconds with a fine individual score, before Grace O’Brien two (1 free) before McIntyre was set up by Mary Burke and finished excellently from a very tight angle.

Kilkenny finally got off the mark in the 48th minute thanks to a free from Prendergast, which she followed up a minute later with another free. Tipp’s response was immediate from the puck-out they went straight up the pitch and ended with Caoimhe Maher hitting a fine score.

As is always the way with any side from Kilkenny they never give in easy and would have the gap back to just three points by the 52nd minute, thanks to a Prendergast free, and then a Caoimhe Keher Murtagh goal after a fine finish from thirteen metres after being set up by Steffi Fitzgerald.

Any momentum Kilkenny had was soon stopped via a Casey Hennessy effort from play. The Leinster side had it back to three again in the 56th minute, with a fine effort from sub Claire Doheny who impressed when introduced and hit a fine point on the run from 45 metres.

However, once again, Tipp’s response was quick and effective from the resultant puckout, in a fine team move the ball found its way to Roisin Howard who finished calmly to leave her side four points ahead with just over three minutes of normal time left. Grace O’Brien added the insurance score in the last minute.

Kilkenny would continue to push for a way back into the game and in a similar fashion to a week previous, Tipperary conceded a free thirty metres from goal, and while they conceded a goal against Dublin this time the defence held strong and managed to get a block to Aoife Prendergast’s shot and managed to clear and held on for a well-deserved victory and now head to Galway next Saturday full of confidence.

TEAMS – Tipperary: Laura Leenane (Shannon Rovers 7); Niamh Costigan (Cahir 6), Julieanne Bourke (Borris-Ileigh 7), Eimear Loughman (Clonoulty/Rossmore 6); Caoimhe McCarthy (Knockavilla-D Kickhams 6), Mairead Eviston (Drom & Inch 9), Clodagh Quirke (Clonoulty/Rossmore 7); Casey Hennessy (Clonoulty/Rossmore 7), Niamh Treacy (Drom & Inch 7), Roisin Howard (Cahir 7), Caoimhe Maher (Burgess/Duharra 7), Clodagh McIntyre (Lorrha 8); Eimear Heffernan (Knockavilla- Kickhams 6), Mary Burke (Drom & Inch 8), Grace O’Brien (Nenagh Eire Og 7).

Subs: Ellen Cunneen (Silvermines 7) for Costigan (33); Sarah Corcoran (Moycarkey/Borris 6) for Heffernan (51); Jean Kelly (Eire Og Annacarty/D NR) for Burke (59); Celine Guinan (Shannon Rovers NR) for Quirke (59).

Kilkenny: Aoife Norris (6), Michelle Teehan (6), Tiffanie Fitzgerald (6), Ava Brett (6), Laura Murphy (7), Caoimhe Dowling (6), Miriam Bambrick (7), Aobha O’Gorman (6), Katie Byrne (7), Asha McHardy (6), Steffi Fitzgerald (6), Mary O’Connell (6), Aoife Prendergast (8), Katie Nolan (6), Niamh Deely (6).

Subs: Kelly-Ann Doyle (6) for McHardy (HT); Laura Greene (7) for Byrne (HT); Caoimhe Keher Murtagh for Prendergast (36-38 blood), Danielle Quigley (6) for O’Gorman (47); Claire Doheny (8) for Nolan (47); Caoimhe Keher Murtagh (7) for O’Connell (47); Carlise Comerford (NR) for Bambrick (56).

Referee: Justin Heffernan (Wexford).