Tipp ease into Minor Camogie quarter finals

CAMOGIE: Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor ‘A’ Championship Round 3

Tipperary 1-15

Dublin 0-3

Report: Joe Scully at the County Camogie Grounds, The Ragg

Photos: Marty Ryan/SportsFocus

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Lucy O’Brien (Tipperary)

SCORERS – Tipperary: Caoimhe Stakelum 1-7 (1-3 frees); Maeve Cunneen 0-3; Lucy O’Brien 0-2; Elana McGrath, Ciara Cahill, Doireann Ryan 0-1 each.

Dublin: Jocelyn Hanks, Aoibhinn O’Gorman, Ava O’Neill 0-1 each.

Tipperary qualified for the All-Ireland Minor ‘A’ Camogie Championship quarter finals with an emphatic twelve-point victory over Dublin on Sunday.

An emphatic second-half performance made all the difference as the defending champions held the visitors’ scoreless thanks in the main to a solid defensive performance, but also some poor finishing from the visitors.

The game itself was a highly entertaining spectacle, with the skill levels from both sides throughout of the highest quality with both sides giving their all. Some of the camogie played at times was a joy to watch, and the twelve point margin of victory for Tipperary was maybe a little harsh on Dublin, who will look back with a lot of regret on a glut of missed chances from very scoreable positions; their 27% conversion rate tells a story.

But Tipperary were more than deserving victors, where of their 1-15 total, 0-12 came from play, and when they turned it on in the second half, they just had too much fire power for the Leinster outfit.

And while Tipp now have a quarter-final to look forward to on March 30th, they will also know much improvement is needed going forward with the best in this game being Leanna Coppinger, Sarah McLoughlin, Isobel O’Donnell, Lucy O’Brien, Caoimhe Stakelum and Maeve Cunneen.

Tipp got off to a flyer and raced into a four-point lead inside the opening ten minutes through points from Maeve Cunneen, then Lucy O’Brien following a strong run and finish, before Cunneen added her second with a good finish from out wide, and then Caoimhe Stakelum added the fourth following a fine catch and finish.

Dublin finally got off the mark in the thirteenth minute through an Ava O’Neill point from play, and a minute later the visitors were nearly in for a goal, but Cora Coffey saw her effort flash just wide.

Tipp extended their lead with two more points from play with Cunneen on the scoresheet again after dispossessing her marker and finishing, before O’Brien added her second following another strong run and finish.

Dublin had the gap back to three by the 20th minute through points from Jocelyn Harris following a turnover inside the Tipperary half and then a fine team score by Aoibhinn O’Gorman after being set up by the impressive Roisin Nolan, which would prove to be their final score of the game.

The home side would finish the half the stronger scoring 1-2 in the final ten minutes, with the points coming from Elana McGrath and a Stakelum free, before in the third minute of added time came the games crucial moment when her free from inside her own half somehow found its way to the back of the Dublin net to leave Tipperary ahead at the break 1-8 to 0-3.

Whatever was said in the Tipperary dressing room at the break had the desired effect as they came out in the second half a totally different team and took complete control of the game outscoring Dublin 0-7 to no score.

It would take them five minutes to resume the scoring when full forward Ciara Cahill pointed from close range after being set up by Lucy O’Brien. A minute later, Caoimhe Stakelum showed just why she is one to watch out for in the coming years with a superb point on the run, and she would hit the next four scores, firstly a free, then a fine effort from play following a superb team move, and then she added a 45 in the 55th minute and added another fine individual score in three minutes later.

The game was petering out at this stage, and the final say of the game went to sub Doireann Ryan in the third minute of add time from play to leave Tipperary comfortable twelve point victors and through to a home quarter final after finishing second in the group, and they also remain undefeated, following the conclusion of the group stage action.

Tipperary will host Wexford while Kilkenny travel to Galway in the quarter finals while Cork and Limerick progress straight to the semi-finals as group winners.

TEAMS – Tipperary: Danielle Butler (Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill 6); Sarah McLoughlin (Boherlahan-Dualla 8), Leah Maher (Boherlahan-Dualla 7), Leanna Coppinger (Thurles Sarsfields 8); Izzy Carr (Holycross/Ballycahill 7), Isobel O’Donnell (Brian Borus 8), Eva Ralph (Moycarkey/Borris 7); Rachael O’Meara (CJ Kickhams Mullinahone 7), Emma Kennedy (Lorrha 6); Caoimhe Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields 9), Lucy O’Brien (St Patrick’s 9), Elana McGrath (Holycross/Ballycahill 7); Isabelle Kingston (Kiladangan 6), Ciara Cahill (Drom & Inch 6), Maeve Cunneen (Silvermines 8).

Subs: Lucy Heffernan (Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill 6) for Kingston (45); Doireann Ryan (Boherlahan-Dualla 7) for Cahill (45); Kate Dowling (Moycarkey/Borris 6) for McGrath (45); Ava Gaynor (Kilruane MacDonaghs 6) for O’Meara (54); Eimear Troy (Toomevara NR) for O’Brien (57), Mya Hickey (Boherlahan-Dualla NR) for Kennedy (58); Sarah English (Brian Borus) for Cunneen (60).

Dublin: Ella Walsh (7); Emma Ryan (6), Susan Dalton (7), Éile Caffrey (6); Rebekah Verling (6), Niamh Hyland (7), Roisin Nolan (8), Jocelyn Hanks (8), Aoibhinn O’Gorman (6); Abbie Kenny (6), Ava O’Neill (7), Chloe O’Shea (6); Caitlin McKenna (6), Cara Coffey (6), Eva Collis (6).

Subs: Réka Kalló (6) for O’Gorman (HT), Anna Magee (6) for Collis (HT), Emma Reddan (6) for O’Neill (39), Sadbh McCann (6) for McKenna (46), Seodhna Ni Riain (6) for Coffey (53); Ella Jenkins (NR) for Hanks (56); Laoise Conaghan (NR) for Kenny (58).

Referee: Donnacha O’Callaghan (Limerick).