Tipp flex muscles to easily dismiss Derry

Tipperary made it two wins from two in the All-Ireland Senior Championship with a comfortable win over Derry on Saturday in the Derry Centre of Excellence in Owenbeg.

CAMOGIE: Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Championship Group 1 Round 2

Derry 0-13

Tipperary 5-22

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Clodagh McIntyre (Tipperary).

SCORERS – Derry: Aine Barton 0-4 (2 frees, 1 45); Orlaith Hull, Aoife Shaw, Aimee Lennon 0-2 each; Aoife Ni Chasaide, Aine McGill, Olivia Rafferty 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Eimear McGrath 1-11 (0-7 frees, 0-1 s-cut); Roisin Howard 2-2; Clodagh McIntyre 1-4; Eimear Heffernan 1-1; Grace O’Brien 0-3; Jean Kelly 0-1.

Off the back of the impressive first round win over Waterford, this was a potentially tricky game for Tipperary with a long journey to Maghera to take on a high motivated Derry side who won the intermediate title last year and defeated Ulster rivals Antrim in their opening round game.

Clodagh McIntyre got Tipperary off the mark with early scores, but the Derry response was good, and they quickly tied up the game at two points apiece thanks to scores from Orlaith Hull and Aoife Shaw.

With the advantage of the breeze and some excellent movement in attack, Tipperary began to tap on the scores through Eimear McGrath and Roisin Howard. McGrath then showed her class with a perfectly executed sideline worth two points in camogie to stretch the visitors lead to six points after ten minutes, 0-8 to 0-2.

A good move involving Orlaith Hull and Aoife Shaw resulted in another point for Shaw before Olivia Raferty made it two on the trot for the 2023 Intermediate champions to reduce the arrears to four at the quarter hour mark.

However, Tipperary found another gear in the second quarter that Derry couldn’t live with. Goals from Eimear McGrath and Róisín Howard, along with some excellent shooting from Clodagh McIntyre and Grace O’Brien established a 2-16 to 0-6 lead at half-time. Derry also struggled to break down the Tipperary defence with Karen Kennedy and Karin Blair in particular in superb form.

The visitors got the opening point of the second half and moments later Róisín Howard bagged her second goal after a pin-point accurate pass from Eimear McGrath.

This was followed by another goal from Eimear Heffernan as Tipperary continued to heap the pressure on the Derry defence.

The home side then enjoyed a much-needed good spell which yielded three points in succession with captain Aoife Ni Chasaide getting her name on the scoresheet followed by two points from Aine Barton including a 45.

Again, though Tipperary showed a real ruthless streak in front of goal and Clodagh McIntyre struck their fifth goal to make it 5-18 to 0-9.

Both sides exchanged points including frees from Aine Barton and Eimear McGrath as the clock ticked down. Substitute Jean Kelly also split the posts for Tipperary as in the end it was all too easy for the premier girls.

TEAMS - Derry: Niamh Gribben; Ceat McEldowney, Niamh Quinn, Sinead McGill; Rachel Downey, Megan Donnelly, Aoife Ni Chasaide; Aine McGill, Dervla O’Kane; Olivia Rafferty, Aine Barton, Orlaith Hull; Aoife Shaw, Brid Rogers, Aimee Lennon.

Subs: Leah Lennon for S McGill; Rachel McAllister for O’Kane; Jackie Donnelly for Hull.

Tipperary: Nicole Walsh (Borris-Ileigh); Julieanne Bourke (Borris-Ileigh), Mairead Eviston (Drom & Inch), Eimear Loughman (Clonoulty/Rossmore); Karin Blair (Cashel KC), Karen Kennedy (Thurles Sarsfields), Clodagh Quirke (Clonoulty/Rossmore); Casey Hennessy (Clonoulty/Rossmore), Mary Ryan (Moneygall); Róisín Howard (Cahir), Caoimhe Maher (Burgess/Duharra), Clodagh McIntyre (Lorrha), Eimear Heffernan (Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams), Eimear McGrath (Drom & Inch), Grace O’Brien (Nenagh Eire Og).

Subs: Aoife McGrath for Quirke (HT), Jean Kelly (Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill) for O’Brien (35); Cait Devane (Clonoulty/Rossmore) for Howard (39); Ellen Cunneen (Silvermines) for Hennessy (45); Mary Bourke (Drom & Inch) for Kennedy (45).

Referee: Gavin Donegan (Dublin)