Tipperary blitz Antrim to cruise full speed into the last four

Tipperary were many gears ahead of challengers Antrim this afternoon and blitzed the northern side in the second half running out comprehensive winners in the end. 

Tactically Antrim left sweeper Karen Kennedy free for the entire game and the centre back set up countless Tipperary attacks as she read the game so well and got on so much ball as the game wore on.

While Antrim started brightly and kept Tipperary in their sights for the opening 20 minutes, a five point surge by Tipperary approaching half time created a gap between the teams. 

Eimear McGrath and Casey Hennessy hit two big points and things got going in earnest with the Munster champions slowly finding the gears.

Tipperary went in 0-10 to 0-5 up at the break and at the start of the second half it was game over as a Tipperary goal changed the game completely. 

Fifteen seconds into the second half Cait Devane hit the net for Tipperary to leave it 1-10 to 0-5 and it turned one sided after that. 

Antrim were lost on the big stage and Eimear McGrath pointed for Tipperary as did Eimear Heffernan who had a big impact when she came on as a sub. She fired in a second goal for Tipp after the ball was blocked by the keeper just before as slowly but surely Tipp sped up their hurling. 

On 45 minutes Roisin Howard pointed for Tipperary and a minute later Cait Devane finished sublimely with a side head strike into the corner of the net. 

The teams were going through the motions from there as Tipperary won by 26 points in the end.

Starting teams:

Tipperary: Aine Slattery; Julieanne Bourke, Mairead Eviston, Eimear Loughman; Karin Blair, Karen Kennedy, Aoife McGrath; Teresa Ryan, Casey Hennessy; Roisin Howard, Caoimhe Maher, Eimear McGrath; Grace O'Brien, Cait Devane, Clodagh McIntyre.

Antrim: Caitriona Graham; Colleen Patterson, Katie Laverty, Maria Lynn; Niamh Donnelly, Amy Boyle, Laoise McKenna; Anna Connolly, Lucia McNaughton; Siobhan McKillop, Roisin McCormick, Caitrin Dobbin; Katie McKillop, Mary McKillen, Aine McGill.

Full match report to follow.