Fifth Munster final appearance in a row awaits Tipperary camogie champions Drom/Inch

Drom/Inch 1-13 De La Salle 1-11 (after extra time)

In a repeat of last year’s Munster semi-final, Waterford champions De La Salle took on Tipperary champions Drom/Inch on Sunday afternoon in Drom/Inch GAA.

And just like last year, Drom needed extra time to get over the line and reach another Munster final, their fifth in a row.

Playing with a strong wind advantage, Drom/Inch put in a superb first half display to take a nine-point lead going in at the break, with De La Salle going the whole first half without registering a score.

Miriam Campion set the tone for the opening quarter for the reigning Munster champions with a lovely early point from play. The Drom forwards were looking really sharp and dangerous and with Niamh Treacy, Mary Burke and Eimear McGrath all on target they raced into an early seven points to no score lead.

They only managed two more scores in the second quarter, as Beth Carton and Abbie Flynn came deeper and deeper into their own half to help out their defence.

At the other end the Drom defence was completely on top with Eimear Cahill, Anne Eviston and Maria Connolly immense. Mairead Eviston was given the task of man-marking Player of the Year Beth Carton and she never gave her an inch in the opening 30 minutes.

The teams went to the dressing rooms after a wet and windy first half with Drom in control and leading by nine points to no score. They could have been further ahead only for a wonderful save from De La Salle ‘keeper Brianna O’Regan after a brilliant Eimear McGrath shot on goal.

The second half began with an Eimear McGrath point before De La Salle finally got on the scoresheet with a 38th minute point from Waterford minor star Maggie Gostl. Slowly they began to come more and more into the game, as the Drom scores completely dried up.

Beth Carton sent a free over the bar for her opening score of the game before following up with five unanswered points (two frees) to narrow the gap to four points.

Abby Flynn, who was impressive throughout, also scored before the superb Carton added another to make it a three-point game with less than 10 minutes remaining.

By now we had a really exciting game on our hands, with ferocious tackling and brilliant hurling on both sides.

With the momentum in De La Salle’s favour, Drom were desperately trying to hold onto their lead but as the clock approached the 60th minute Beth Carton somehow found herself loose and as the ball was passed out to her she had only one thing on her mind. She brilliantly blasted the ball past Kristina Kenneally in the Drom goal to level the game.

Drom needed a response and who better to turn provider than Joanne Ryan, who covered every blade of grass after being introduced. She gathered possession and turned left and right before firing over the bar for what looked like might have been the winner.

However, there was still time for more drama, as a late 45 was struck over by Carton to leave the full time score 0-11 to 1-8.
In the first half of extra time De La Salle took the lead for the first time thanks to a Beth Carton free. A foul on Miriam Campion allowed McGrath to add to her tally and the game was tied again at 1-9 to 0-12.

McGrath and Carton traded frees after the restart before the crucial score of the game came. Eimear McGrath collected the ball, slipped past her marker and bore down on goal before slotting her shot home to the net to the sheer delight of the home crowd.

Carton reduced the deficit to two but try as they might De La Salle couldn’t find the goal they needed to get back on top. And so it was Drom who prevailed after a nail- biting contest. They now take on Cork champions Sarsfields this Sunday November 26 at 1.30pm, with the venue to be confirmed.

Scorers: Drom /Inch: E McGrath (1-8, 0-5 frees), A McGrath, M Burke, N Treacy, M Campion and J Ryan (0-1 each).
De La Salle: B Carton (1-9, 6 frees), A Flynn and M Gostl (0-1 each).

Drom/Inch: K Kenneally; M Connolly, C Brennan, E Cahill; N Long, M Eviston, A Eviston; C Shanahan, A McGrath; S McGrath, M Burke, N Treacy; K O’Dwyer, E McGrath, M Campion.

Subs: M Woodlock for Shanahan (48), J Ryan for O’Dwyer (53), M Ryan for Long (74), N Butler for S McGrath (76).

De La Salle: B O’Regan; A Waring, T Healy, A Healy; L Browne, K Corbett Barry, E Kennedy; C Healy, A McNulty; A Mullane, B Carton, H Ryan; N Murphy, A Flynn, M Gostl.

Subs: K Kirby for Murphy (44), M O’Connor for Healy (51), C Twomey for Ryan (53), E Holohan for Mullane (58), Abbie Mullane for Kirby (78).