Solid start to Tipperary seniors All-Ireland campaign with easy home win over the Dubs
All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Group 2 - Round 1
Tipperary 2-19
Dublin 1-6
Tipperary got their Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Championship campaign off to a perfect start with an impressive 16-point win over Dublin at home in the County Camogie Grounds, The Ragg on Saturday.
A superb first half display by Denis Kelly’s side meant they went into the dressing room at half time with a comfortable 1-12 to 0-2 lead.
Tipperary looked very sharp from the offset with Casey Hennessey pointing almost immediately from the throw in. The goal from Cait Devane came only two minutes into the game after a great diagonal pass from Karen Kennedy found Roisin Howard who drove at the Dublin rear-guard before hand passing to Devane who finished to the back of the net.
An Aisling Maher free a minute later had little impact on the proceedings as Tipp went on to register the next ten points without reply before Grace O’Shea got Dublin’s second point of the half on the 25th minute.
The crisp passing and support running off the shoulder of the Tipperary attack was really impressive. Grace O’Brien was razor sharp inside with 3 points from play while Eimear McGrath hit three frees and a 45m to extend the home side's lead.
The Dublin full forward line were starved of possession thanks in main to the brilliant work of the Tipp mid field and half backline especially Kennedy at six who was immense.
A serious head injury to cornerback Zoe Couch delayed the restart by a half an hour as an ambulance was called. Dublin then suffered another serious injury this time to substitute Issy Davis who was making a return from a cruciate injury but only lasted nine minutes before having to be unfortunately helped off due to an injury to the same knee.
Tipperary never reached the highs of the opening half while Dublin were much improved. They enjoyed a good spell with three points in a row from Aisling Maher (2) and full forward Ashling O’Neill to make it 1-13 to 0-5.
The Tipperary management team began to introduce some second half substitutes and the fresh legs and running of Clodagh McIntyre and Caoimhe McCarthy kink started the Tipp scoring again with two Cait Devane frees either side of a Grace O’Brien point from play.
Karin Blair was given the task of following Aisling Maher for the day and she stuck to her task very well despite Maher finishing a goal in the 28th minute.
At the opposite end Cait Devane was causing all sorts of headaches with her second goal in the 31st minute along with some classy points from frees and play making it 2-19 to 1-6.
A very solid start for Tipperary which will please all concerned as attention now turns to Wexford away on June 24th.
Coming from ten points down to draw with Kilkenny at the weekend will really have boosted Wexford and no doubt they will be gunning for victory when they welcome Tipperary to Bellefield in two weeks time.
Tipperary: Caoimhe Bourke; Julieanne Bourke, Clodagh Quirke, Eimear Loughman; Karin Blair, Karen Kennedy, Aoife McGrath; Teresa Ryan, Casey Hennessy; Róisín Howard, Caoimhe Maher, Eimear McGrath; Grace O’Brien, Cáit Devane, Eimear Heffernan.
Subs: Clodagh McIntyre for Heffernan (42); Mairead Eviston for Quirke (50); Caoimhe McCarthy for Eimear McGrath (50); Niamh Treacy for Maher (52); Mary Ryan for Aoife McGrath (55).
Scorers: Cáít Devane (2-6, 0-2f), Eimear McGrath (0-5, 0-4f, 0-1 45), Grace O’Brien (0-4), Casey Hennessy (0-2), Róisín Howard, Eimear Heffernan (0-1 each).
Dublin: Eabha Mooney; Abby Ryan, Orla Gray, Zoe Couch; Claire Gannon, Eve O’Brien, Hannah O’Dea; Muireann Kelliher, Gaby Couch; Leah Butler, Elyse Jamieson Murphy, Ashling Gannon; Grace O’Shea, Ashling O’Neill, Aisling Maher.
Subs: Aoife Heffernan for Jamieson Murphy (27); Aoife Heffernan for Butler (HT); Jody Couch for Kelliher (HT); Issy Davis for O’Dea (42); Jennifer Moore for Davis (inj, 47).
Scorers: Aisling Maher (1-4, 0-2f), Grace O’Shea, Ashling O’Neill (0-1 each).
Referee: Liz Dempsey (Kilkenny)