Duharra find Drom a level above

CAMOGIE: FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Championship Group 2 Round 5

Burgess/Duharra 0-12

Drom & Inch 3-16

Report: Joe Scully in Kilcoleman

Photos: Marty Ryan/SportsFocus

Drom & Inch finished top of group 2 of the County Senior Camogie Championship and sent out a warning to any team with designs on taking their title from them, after an emphatic thirteen-point victory over rivals Burgess/Duharra on Saturday evening.

The game was effectively decided in the space of a minute around the 25th minute mark after an Eimear McGrath goal double put Drom six points up, a lead they would never let up and would go onto see out the game comfortably in the second half.

Up to that, it had been a close game, with both sides serving up a highly entertaining contest, but it was the double blow of conceding the two goals, which would kill off Burgess’ chances and must settle for second place in the group after a disappointing final two games with this loss added to the defeat by Knockavilla Kickhams.

The home side were first off the mark in the fourth minute through a Ciardha Maher point after being set up by a great ball in by her sister Caoimhe. Drom were level straight from the resultant puckout when Caoimhe Bourke found Eimear McGrath and she finished smartly.

Niamh Long had the champions ahead in the seventh minute with a finish from close range. Roisin Duffy had Duharra level a few minutes later with a good individual score, before Eimear McGrath had Drom back ahead with a free.

Burgess hit the next two scores, the first a free from the impressive Jenny Grace, before a fine effort from play from Danielle Nealon, to leave them a point ahead after thirteen minutes.

Eimear McGrath responded with two scores to put Drom ahead again, before Ciardha Maher levelled things again in the 21st minute. McGrath and Jenny Grace then exchanged frees, before McGrath found the net twice in the space of a minute, the first after a great ball in from Mairead Eviston and McGrath finished neatly, while the second came after a long ball played in and after a bit of a scramble, McGrath made no mistake with the finish.

Burgess/Duharra had the last say of the half when Jenny Grace converted a free with the last puck to leave her side trailing 2-6 to 0-7 at the break.

Drom & Inch extended their lead with two McGrath frees in the opening four minutes. Kaitlin O’Halloran had the gap back to six after a good finish after being set-up by Ciardha Maher.

Niamh Long was next on the scoresheet for Drom before Burgess/Duharra replied with two through Danielle Nealon and a Jenny Grace free. However, Drom would hit a real purple patch hitting an unanswered 1-5 between the 40th & 46th minutes to end the game as a contest.

Aoife McGrath was first up before a fine individual score from Ciara Cahill, which was followed by two Eimear McGrath frees, before Siobhan McGrath got herself on the scoresheet from play.

Drom them hit their third goal, when a free from distance from Eimear McGrath somehow found its way to the back of the Duharra net.

Jenny Grace would stop the flow with a free in the 50th minute but Drom added another point a minute later from Maureen Ryan before Eimear McGrath added another to her tally from play in the 58th minute.

The game petered out after this and Jenny Grace would have the final say in the 59th minute with another free as Drom & Inch ran out comfortable winners and finish the group stages with a 100% record and look like they will take some stopping as they look for a sixth Tipperary senior camogie championship in a row, and judging by this performance it will take some team to beat them, as they jut have quality all over the pitch from 1 to 15 and have great depth to their bench too.

Best for Drom & Inch were Maria Connolly, Mairead Eviston, Aine Eviston, Niamh Treacy and Eimear McGrath, while for Burgess/Duharra, Caoimhe Maher, Jenny Grace, Danielle Nealon and Ciardha Maher impressed.

Player of the Match: Maria Connolly (Drom & Inch)

Burgess/Duharra: Ciara Holohan (6); Lucy Slattery (7), Iris Grace (7), Ella Slattery (6); Malwina Dziewiatka (6), Caoimhe Maher (8), Ciara McKeown (6); Kaitlin O’Halloran (0-1, 7), Katie Grace (6), Roisin Duffy (0-1, 7), Jenny Grace (0-6f, 8), Caoilfhionn Maher (6); Danielle Nealon (0-2, 8), Tara Kennedy (6), Ciardha Maher (0-2, 8).

Subs: Kara O’Carroll (6) for Duffy (54); Áine Grace (6) for Caoilfhionn Maher (54).

Drom & Inch: Caoimhe Bourke (6); Maria Connolly (9), Christina Brennan (7), Miriam Campion (7); Aine Greed (7), Mairead Eviston (8), Anne Eviston (7); Maureen Ryan (0-1, 7), Caroline Shanahan (6); Ciara Cahill (0-1, 7), Niamh Treacy (7), Aoife McGrath (0-1, 7); Eimear McGrath (3-9, 1-6f, 9), Siobhan McGrath (0-1, 7), Niamh Long (0-2, 7).

Subs: Katie O’Dwyer (6) for Greed (53); Miriam Campion (6) for E Cahill (53); Michelle Woodlock (6) for C Cahill (53), Tara Hoare (6) for A Eviston (53).

Referee: Mike Ryan (Nenagh Eire Og).