Sars second half surge sinks Silvermines

CAMOGIE: FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Championship Group 1 Round 3

Silvermines 1-11

Thurles Sarsfields 7-20

Report: Joe Scully in Dolla

A devastating second-half performance from Thurles Sarsfields saw them record a resounding 27-point victory over a game Silvermines side in round 3 of the County Senior Camogie Championship on Saturday evening.

Leading by just four points at the break, the away side flexed their muscles on the restart scoring 5-12 in the second half as the ‘Mines had simply no answer for who is looking like genuine contenders for a first ever senior county championship, as Thurles now sit atop of group 1 with three wins from three.

Silvermines to their credit showed a lot of spirit and played some good camogie, especially in the first half, never at any stage threw in the towel and kept fighting right to the final whistle.

Best for Thurles were Emma Carey, Karen Kennedy, Aoife Dwyer, Lucy Purcell, and Caoimhe Stakelum who continues to go from strength to strength and is no doubt going to be a star of the game for years to come, while the best for Silvermines were Maeve Steed, Ellen Cunneen, and Sarah Madden while special mention goes to their goalkeeper Aisling Carey who despite conceding seven goals had an outstanding game, pulling off four top quality saves.

The away side opened the scoring in the second minute through a Lucy Purcell point from play, but the home side were level shortly after through a Ciara Ryan effort from out by the sideline.

Sarsfields were back ahead through another Purcell effort, followed by a Caoimhe Stakelum free, and it would be the same player who got the games first goal in the ninth minute when she beat the out-rushing Aisling Carey to the ball and into the back of the net.

Silvermines responded with a goal just three minutes later after an Ellen Cunneen free struck the post and after a scramble Sarah Madden found the back of the net to leave the score 1-3 to 1-1.

Thurles would then hit the next three scores, all from Caoimhe Stakelum two frees and a 45, the 45 coming after two great goal chances but Aisling Carey pulled off great saves from Caoimhe Stakelum and Andrea Loughnane as it was 1-6 to 1-1 after fifteen minutes.

Silvermines then hit a purple patch and hit four in a row, three from Ellen Cunneen from placed balls and one from Sarah Madden to leave just a point in it. Aoife Dwyer had the gap back to two before two frees from Ellen Cunneen had the sides level in the 34th minute, but Thurles would finish the half strongly with an Andrea Loughnane goal after being set-up by Karen Kennedy before hitting an unstoppable shot to the net. Caoimhe Stakelum hit the final score of the half with a free to leave the score 2-8 to 1-7 at the break.

Thurles came out a completely different side in the second half and had 1-3 on the board inside six minutes, with two Stakelum frees, before Lucy Purcell had her sides third goal, finishing emphatically. Aoife Dwyer added the third point to leave it 3-11 to 1-7.

Ellen Cunneen replied for the ‘Mines with an effort from play, before Purcell added another from distance. Thurles had their fourth goal in the 40th minute through a Caoimhe Stakelum penalty, which was followed by three points in a row for the away side, with an Aoife Dwyer point sandwiched in between two more Stakelum frees.

Lucy Purcell had her second goal in the 48th minute after a fine team move. Nicola Loughnane and Stakelum added two more points before Ellen Cunneen added a free for the Mines to leave it 5-17 to 1-9 after 55 minutes.

Despite the game been in the bag, Thurles continued to put the foot to the metal and hit another 1-3 without reply with Lucy Purcell scoring a point before competing her hat-trick with a good finish from a tight angle. Caoimhe Stakelum then added to her personal tally with two more, one from play.

Silvermines to their credit kept plugging away and Sarah Madden would hit two super scores in a row in the 59th & 60th minutes. However, Thurles Sarsfields weren’t finished just yet and they had their seventh goal in the 62nd minute when Karen Kennedy goaled with the last puck of the game following a neat one-two with Sarah Stakelum as Thurles send out a message to all the other sides that they mean business this year.

Player of the Match: Lucy Purcell (Thurles Sarsfields).

Silvermines: Aisling Carey (8); Ciara Grace (6), Maria Moroney (6), Nessa Murray (6); Miriam Murphy (7), Katie Murphy (7), Anna Stapleton (8); Ellen Cunneen (0-6f, 8), Ciara Ryan (0-2, 7); Aoife Ryan (6), Sarah Madden (1-3, 8), Dearbhla Slattery (6); Niamh Cunneen (6), Ciara Dwan (7), Jane Ryan (6).

Subs: Maeve Steed (7) for Moroney (23 inj); Laura Cunneen (6) for Slattery (44); Maeve Cunneen (6) for Dwan (52); Abbie O’Dwyer (NR) for C Ryan (58).

Thurles Sarsfields: Siobhan Hennessy (6); Aoife Butler (7), Emer Kennedy (7), Rebecca O’Mara (7); Laura Loughnane (8), Emma Carey (8), Robyn Fanning (6); Ciara Cummins (7), Karen Kennedy (1-0, 8); Aoife Dwyer (0-3, 8), Lucy Purcell (3-4, 9), Nicola Loughnane (0-1, 7); Sarah Stakelum (7), Andrea Loughnane (1-0, 8), Caoimhe Stakelum (2-12, 1-11f, 9).

Subs: Leanna Coppinger (7) for E Kennedy (48); Marie Ralph (6) for A Loughnane (48); Katie Stakelum (6) for Cummins (54); Ella Moloney (6) for N Loughnane (55); Anna Derby (NR) for Purcell (58).

Referee: Mike Ryan (Nenagh Éire Óg).