Juniors finishing strongly to ease into last four

CAMOGIE: Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Premier Junior Championship Group 1 Round 5

Tipperary 2-12

Armagh 1-4

Report: Joe Scully at the County Camogie Grounds

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Sinead Meagher (Tipperary)

SCORERS – Tipperary: Sinead Meagher 1-4 (0-2 frees); Laura Shinners 0-3 (2 frees); Amy Quinlisk 1-0; Jenny Grace 0-2 (1 free); Ciara Brennan, Grace Moloney, Emma Flanagan 0-1 each.

Armagh: Ciara Geoghegan 1-4 (0-3 frees).

A strong second half performance where they outscored Armagh 2-9 to 0-3 was the difference in this final group game of the All-Ireland Premier Junior Camogie Championship as the home side secured qualification straight through to the semi-finals, finishing with a 100% record.

This was despite Tipp finishing the game with fourteen players after centre-back Sophie Pembroke was shown a straight red card for an off the ball incident in the 51st minute.

The introduction of Laura Shinners at half-time was key to Tipperary’s victory as her influence was massive, as the Premier ladies finally got to grips on proceedings after what had been a poor first half, where both sides struggled to adapt the difficult conditions as heavy rain fell throughout and made life difficult for both sides.

Shinners, along with Sinead Meagher, were the difference between the two sides, scoring 1-7 of their sides total and causing havoc in the second period, as the Armagh defence failed to cope.

The home side were first off the mark through a Jenny Grace free in the second minute, but Armagh were ahead in the fifth minute following a Ciara Geoghan goal after a fine team move, which she finished with aplomb past Laura Leenane in the Tipp goal.

Scores were at a premium in the opening half, with the next score coming in the seventh minute from the hurl of Tipperary’s Amy Quinlisk with a fine finish after been set up by Lily Fahie.

It would be ten more minutes before the next score, when Jenny Grace would hit her second and her sides third to level after a fine catch and excellent finish, for what would be her sides last score of the half.

The final score of the half came in stoppage time when Ciara Geoghan hit Armagh’s first point of the game from a free to leave her side one point up at the break, 1-1 to 0-3.

Both sides traded scores at the start of the second half, firstly Grace Moloney for the home side from out by the sideline, followed by another Geoghan effort in the 35th minute.

Tipperary would then hit the next four points to open up a three-point gap with efforts from Laura Shinners (free), and from play from Emma Flanagan, Shinners, and Sinead Meagher with a fine finish from distance.

Armagh reduced the gap with the next two scores, both from the hurl of Ciara Geoghan, one from play to leave it 0-8 to 1-4, however that would be her sides final scores of the game as Tipp would take control in the final fifteen minutes.

The game would turn dramatically in the space of a minute around the three quarter marl when Tipp would hit 1-1. Both scores very similar with Laura Shinners delivering in long range frees, the first one where Sinead Meagher caught the ball and flashed a shot over the bar. Then a minute later, Meagher doubled on the dropping ball and smashing it to the back of the net, to put her side five points up.

Meagher and Shinners then hit three frees in a row between them as the home side began to pull away with the final say of the game going to Amy Quinlisk who goaled deep into added time to put a nice gloss on proceedings. This time it was Sinead Meagher who was the creator with the assist for Quinlisk who headed straight for goal and finished with aplomb past Katie Comiskey in the Armagh goal to put her side into the All-Ireland semi-finals on July 20th.

TEAMS – Tipperary: Laura Leenane (Shannon Rovers 7); Lorna Ryan (Clonoulty/Rossmore 7), Ciara Ryan (Silvermines 8), Maria Connolly (Drom & Inch 7); Orla O’Brien (Eire Og Annacarty 6), Sophie Pembroke (Gortnahoe/Glengoole 6), Lily Fahie (Cashel King Cormacs 7), Amy Quinlisk (Kilruane MacDonaghs 8), Anna Fahie (Cashel King Cormacs 6), Jill-Anne Quirke (Toomevara 6), Ciara Brennan (St Cillian’s 8), Grace Moloney (Cashel King Cormacs 7); Emma Flanagan (Newport/Ballinahinch 7), Sinead Meagher (Kiladangan 9), Jenny Grace (Burgess/Duharra 6).

Subs: Laura Shinners (Kilruane MacDonaghs 9) for Grace (HT); Gemma Fox (Eire Og Annacarty) for Meagher (60+1).

Armagh: Katie Comiskey (6); Michelle McCone (6), Gemma McCann (7), Nicola Woods (6); Katie Convie (6), Eimear Hayes (7), Cara Crilly (6); Erin Murphy (7), Leanne Donnelly (6); Rachael Merry (6), Niamh Forker (6), Eimear O’Kane (6); Tierna Maxwell (6), Ciara Geoghan (8), Jennifer Curry (6).

Subs: Sinead Quinn (7) for Murphy (38); Hannah Duffy (6) for Crilly (43); Naoise Hughes (6) for O’Kane (55); Orla O’Kane (6) for Maxwell (55); Aoife Crilly (NR) for Forker (60).

Referee: Colm O Mocháin (Cork).