Tipp finally lower Deise flag

Tipperary got their All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship campaign off to a winning start thanks to a deserved three-point victory over Waterford on Saturday.

CAMOGIE: Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Championship Group 1 Round 1

Tipperary1-19

Waterford2-13

Report: Joe Scully at the County Camogie Grounds

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Clodagh McIntyre (Tipperary)

SCORERS – Tipperary: Eimear McGrath 0-7 frees; Clodagh McIntyre 1-2; Grace O’Brien, Eimear Heffernan 0-3 each; Roisin Howard Karen Kennedy, Clodagh Quirke, Cait Devane 0-1 each.

Waterford: Beth Carton 0-9 (8 frees); Mairead O’Brien 2-0; Lorraine Bray, Roisin Kirwan, Niamh Rockett, Sarah Lacey 0-1 each.

With this victory, the Premier ladies ended what was an unwanted losing streak against the Deise side, having lost the last three games against last year’s beaten All-Ireland finalists.

The new league champions showed a lot of heart in the second half as they outscored Waterford 0-11 to 0-3 in the last 22 minutes, as they came from five points behind.

The crowd in attendance at the County Camogie Grounds were treated to a very entertaining and hard-hitting spectacle as this latest instalment in what is turning into a growing rivalry, which can only be good for the spirt, and one wouldn’t be in the least bit surprised to see these sides clash again later in the championship, possibly even in the final.

Another massive boost for Tipperary was the return to action of the mercurial Cait Devane, who made her first appearance of the year as a second half substitute, making an immediate impact, scoring, and causing problems for the Waterford defence, and winning a couple of frees for her side, and no doubt she will be a massive boost for the Premier County going forward.

Tipp were first on the scoreboard through a Grace O’Brien effort from play in the second minute. Waterford would respond excellently and hit 1-3 without reply, with the excellent Beth Carton hitting the first two from a 45 and a free, before Lorraine Bray pointed from play after a strong solo run.

The away side then got in for their first goal in the thirteenth minute following a long ball in from Carton which the Tipperary defence failed to deal with and Mairéad O’Brien was on hand to slot the ball to the back of the net, although Nicole Walsh will be slightly disappointed at not dealing with the ball in originally.

Tipp responded through an Eimear McGrath free to leave it 1-3 to 0-2 after fifteen minutes. A Beth Carton free extended Waterford’s lead, before Clodagh McIntyre, goaled for Tipp in the seventeenth minute with a neat finish from a very tight angle, which was soon followed up by an Eimear McGrath free to leave just one point in it.

Beth Carton had Waterford back two ahead with another free, but the home side responded with two points of their own to level it up from Clodagh McIntyre and Grace O’Brien.

The Deise would finish the half stronger hitting the final two scores through a Sarah Lacey effort from play, before a Beth Carton 45 to leave Waterford 1-7 to 1-5 up at the break.

The sides traded the first six points of the second half with Niamh Rockett opening the scoring for Waterford, with Grace O’Brien responding. The it was Roisin Kirwan and Eimear Heffernan trading scores, before Carton and Roisin Howard traded points, all six coming from play, as the game really started to heat up, in the opening five minutes.

Waterford got in for their second goal in the 37th minute, and it was very similar to the first when a long ball was batted out by Nicole Walsh and once again Mairead O’Brien was on hand to finish to the net to leave it 2-10 to 1-8 and Waterford in a strong position.

But Tipperary are made of stern stuff and would slowly start to take control with Eimear Heffernan reducing the gap with a fine effort from play before Carton added to her tally with another free.

Then the home side would go on a scoring spree hitting the next five points with two Eimear McGrath frees either side of efforts from play from Heffernan, after a great team move, then Clodagh Quirke and Karen Kennedy.

Beth Carton pointed a free after 49 minutes to leave the score at 2-12 to 1-14 before Tipp would hit the next three points with two frees from McGrath, the second after a foul from Keely Corbett Barry which led to a second yellow card for the Waterford defender.

Then it was Cait Devane who stepped up to the mark to put her side two points up with six minutes to play. Waterford to their credit never gave up and had the gap down to a point through a Carton free, but it was Tipperary who finished the stronger through two points from Clodagh McIntyre and a free from McGrath to clinch a massive win for the Premier County.

TEAMS – Tipperary: Nicole Walsh (Borris-Ileigh 6), Julieanne Bourke (Borris-Ileigh 7), Mairead Eviston (Drom & Inch 6), Eimear Loughman (Clonoulty/Rossmore 7); Caoimhe McCarthy (Knockavilla-D Kickhams 6), Karen Kennedy (Thurles Sarsfields, Capt 7), Clodagh Quirke (Clonoulty/Rossmore 7), Teresa Ryan (Borris-Ileigh NR), Karin Blair (Cashel King Cormacs 7), Roisin Howard (Cahir 8), Caoimhe Maher (Burgess/Duharra 8); Clodagh McIntyre (Lorrha 9), Grace O’Brien (Nenagh Eire Og 8), Eimear McGrath (Drom & Inch 7), Casey Hennessy (6).

Subs: Eimear Heffernan (Knockavilla-D Kickhams 8) for Ryan (2 inj), Mary Burke (Drom & Inch 7) for Hennessy (HT); Mary Ryan (Moneygall 6) for McCarthy (46), Cait Devane (Clonoulty/Rossmore 7) for O’Brien (49).

Waterford: Brianna O’Regan (6); Keeley Corbett Barry (6), Clodagh Carroll (7), Kate Lynch (6); Rachel Walsh (6), Laoise Forrest (7), Bevin Bowdren (6); Lorraine Bray (7), Orla Hickey (6); Roisin Kirwan (7), Tara Power (7), Beth Carton (8); Alannah McNulty (6), Mairead O’Brien (8), Niamh Rockett (7).

Subs: Iona Heffernan for Carroll (20-22 blood), Sarah Lacey for Bray (26-27 blood); Sarah Lacey (7) for Walsh (30); Annie Fitzgerald (6) for Bowdren (52); Aine Power (NR) for Kirwan (56).

Referee: Liz Dempsey (Kilkenny).