Thurles power to top of the group

In the shadow of FBD Semple Stadium, Thurles Sarsfields and Cashel King Cormacs faced each other in round 4 of the County Senior Camogie Championship on Saturday evening.

CAMOGIE: FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Championship Group 1 Round 4

Thurles Sarsfields 5-15

Cashel King Cormacs 3-8

The sides have served some great matches in recent years but Sarsfields never having beaten Cashel in adult camogie.

While Sarsfields have been hurling well many wondered would ghosts of previous losses to Cashel see the Cathedral town team fall in their final group game.

Cashel entered the game with a pep in their step following their premier intermediate hurling team having beaten Sarsfields earlier in the day.

Caoimhe Stakelum opened the scoring for the home side with a long range point from play. Aine O’Dwyer responded quickly and made no mistake when she struck the sliotar straight over the bar.

Caoimhe Perdue caused the Sarsfields full backline a serious headache and her repeated runs at goal resulted in the Cashel team taking the lead with a Perdue goal.

The lead did not last long as Caoimhe Stakelum’s long range free dropped into the Cashel net. Karin Blair responded from play but Andrea Loughnane responded promptly with a point for the blues.

With twenty minutes gone, nothing separated the teams at 1-4 apiece. The final ten minutes of the first half could be viewed as the Philly Fogarty show as she scored 1-3 for Cashel.

Sarsfields also took their opportunities as they arose aa Sarah Stakelum set up Karen Kennedy for a goal. Half time saw Thurles Sarsfields with a narrow lead of two points.

Sarsfields benefited from a strong wind in the second half, Aoife Dwyer scored a great point on the run but yet again Philly Fogarty kept the Cashel scoreboard ticking over.

Sarsfields wing back Robyn Fanning made a powerful run once again setting up Karen Kennedy for a second goal.

The final fifteen minutes saw goals for both sides and a scoreline which favoured Thurles Sarsfields.

Cashel will be disappointed to have lost Una O'Dwyer in the first half with a knee injury and Ella O'Dwyer receiving a red card with ten minutes remaining.

Cashel have one group game remaining against Shannon Rovers while Thurles have now topped the table for group one.

Player of the Match: Karen Kennedy (Thurles Sarsfields)

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

Subs: Rebecca O'Mara (6) for Butler (47); Kate Stakelum (6) for N Loughnane (50); Maria Ralph (6) for S Stakelum (53); Ella Moloney (NR) for Cummins (55).

Cashel King Cormacs: Aoife O’Brien (6); Ella O’Dwyer (7), Una O’Dwyer (7), Laura Connolly (6); Amy Crosse (6), Sorcha Ryan (7), Lily Fahie (6); Karin Blair (0-2, 7), Anna Fahie (6); Grace Moloney (6), Aine O’Dwyer (0-1, 6), Hannah Butler (6), Caoimhe Perdue (1-0, 8), Philly Fogarty (1-5, 0-5f, 8), Ciara Dwan (6).

Subs: Maebh Ellie Ryan (6) for U O’Dwyer (inj); Emer Dwan (6) for Butler; Katelyn Downey (6) for Crosse, Grace Flanagan (1-0, 7) for A O’Dwyer, Nicole Shelly (6) for Fogarty.

Referee: TP O’Sullivan (Nenagh Eire Og).