Late flourish sees Tipp senior camogie team beat Cork
A stunning 2-2 blast in the closing stages saw Tipperary claim the scalp of All-Ireland champions Cork to turbocharge their bid for a National Camogie League Division 1 final berth.
CAMOGIE: Very National League Division 1A Round 3
Cork 1-10
Tipperary 2-10
Report: Stephen Barry at Páirc Uí Rinn
MATCH DIGEST
Player of the Match: Róisín Howard (Tipperary).
SCORERS – Cork: Amy O’Connor 1-6 (0-4 frees, 0-1 45); Sorcha McCartan 0-2 (2 frees); Orlaith Mullins, Clodagh Finn 0-1 each.
Tipperary: Eimear McGrath 1-4 (0-3 frees); Niamh Treacy 1-0; Caoimhe Maher 0-2; Caoimhe McCarthy, Clodagh McIntyre, Róisín Howard, Mary Bourke 0-1 each.
Eimear McGrath, the hat-trick hero against Galway, found the net with sixty seconds remaining to give the Premier their first lead in 27 minutes before adding a point when she turned over the subsequent puck-out.
Referee Barry Nea had allowed more than the four added minutes of stoppage time when Tipp made it safe, with McGrath’s Drom & Inch clubmate Niamh Treacy whipping the sliotar to an empty net.
A word, too, for Róisín Howard who delivered a totemic performance following her red card against the Tribeswomen. She won the ruck ball for both late goals, directly assisting 1-3 and adding a further point of her own.
Another boost was the return to fitness of captain Karen Kennedy, whose rebound was finished to the net by Treacy for the clincher. Clodagh McIntyre continued her fine form since being relocated to wing-back, although she departed late on with a dead leg.
All told, it left the Tipp players in fine spirits as some raced to their cars to drive back for their team-mate Cáit Devane’s wedding that afternoon.
Despite the comeback nature of the victory, it was a merited one. Tipp had led 0-6 to 0-3 after a slow-burner first half and only slipped behind when goalkeeping convert Nicole Walsh dropped Amy O’Connor’s point attempt to the net.
Otherwise, they held the starting Cork forwards to two points from play while improving their own spread of scorers. Having had three players on the scoresheet the last two games, seven players chipped in at Páirc Uí Rinn.
Denis Kelly made two changes from the Galway victory, with rising Silvermines prospect Ellen Cunneen entrusted with the centre-back jersey, while Grace Moloney was given a first start at wing-forward.
They were up against a strong selection for Cork’s first home game as All-Ireland champions, including eleven players who featured in the final. The Rebels’ radar was as cold as the weather, though. They missed eleven shots in the first half, compared to four by the far more efficient blue and gold attack.
McIntyre’s pace and Howard’s ball-winning ability were evident from the start as they combined down the right flank for the opening score, converted with a long-range missile from the Lorrha native.
Mary Burke was the creator and scorer next time, her brilliant flick robbing Izzy O’Regan before Moloney returned the pass for the finish.
Cork began to run at Tipp, but they couldn’t fully translate that pressure onto the scoreboard. After an Orlaith Mullins point, Walsh shovelled away a low Laura Hayes shot for a 45, which O’Connor landed to bring the sides level.
The free count had gone against Tipp in their loss to Waterford and they were forced to live off rations from the ref again at Páirc Uí Rinn. Cork had nine of the first ten frees and by half-time, it was 13-5 in the hosts’ favour. An O’Connor free cancelled out a superb point from sweeper Caoimhe Maher when teed up by McIntyre but Tipp had the final trio before half-time.
Their long-range striking continued to impress via Caoimhe McCarthy and Howard, both after possession was smartly worked back outfield before Eimear Heffernan’s turnover won a free for McGrath to split the posts. The Drom star almost goaled before the whistle but her piledriver was blocked by Molly Lynch.
Unbeaten Cork were never going to go down without a fight, and they grabbed their first lead within two minutes of the restart. Walsh saved a batted Sorcha McCartan effort, but O’Connor slotted a close-range free and when her next shot dropped short, it was fumbled off the post and over the line. 1-4 to 0-6 now.
Tipp kept coming but Cork’s last-ditch defence stood firm, while O’Connor (0-3) and impact-sub Clodagh Finn kept working the scoreboard against two McGrath frees.
It was 1-8 to 0-8 with five minutes remaining but Maher’s second point sparked the grandstand finish before McGrath fired 1-1 in the space of thirty seconds.
An O’Connor free brought the gap back to one but when Kennedy’s shot rebounded to Treacy, it was game over despite McCartan’s consolation point.
TEAMS – Cork: Molly Lynch (6); Méabh Murphy (7), Libby Coppinger (6), Aoife Barrett (5); Izzy O’Regan (6), Ashling Thompson (6), Méabh Cahalane (6); Hannah Looney (6), Laura Hayes (6); Clíona Healy (5), Fiona Keating (6), Emma Murphy (5); Amy O’Connor (6), Orlaith Mullins (6), Sorcha McCartan (6).
Subs: Laura Treacy (6) for Barrett (HT); Katrina Mackey (6) for Healy (HT); Clodagh Finn (7) for Mullins (39); Niamh O’Callaghan (6) for E Murphy (48).
Tipperary: Nicole Walsh (Borris-Ileigh 6); Karin Blair (Cashel King Cormacs 6), Mairéad Eviston (Drom & Inch 8), Eimear Loughman (Clonoulty/Rossmore 7); Clodagh McIntyre (Lorrha 8), Ellen Cunneen (Silvermines 7), Caoimhe McCarthy (Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams 6); Teresa Ryan (Borris-Ileigh 7), Casey Hennessy (Clonoulty/Rossmore 7); Róisín Howard (Cahir 9), Caoimhe Maher (Burgess/Duharra 8), Grace Moloney (Cashel King Cormacs 7); Eimear Heffernan (Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams 6), Eimear McGrath (Drom & Inch 8), Mary Burke (Drom & Inch 7).
Subs: Karen Kennedy (Thurles Sarsfields 7) for Heffernan (HT); Niamh Treacy (Drom & Inch 7) for Moloney (45); Caoimhe Perdue (Cashel King Cormacs 6) for Burke (48); Ciardha Maher (Burgess/Duharra 6) for Hennessy (52); Emma Carey (Thurles Sarsfields) for McIntyre (58 inj).
Referee: Barry Nea (Westmeath).