All-Ireland Senior Camogie final is within touching distance for Tipperary

UPMC Nowlan Park in Kilkenny is the venue for Saturday’s double header of Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship semi-finals, with Cork and Dublin throwing in at 1.15pm, followed by Tipperary and Galway at 3pm.

Tipperary and Galway is a repeat of the league final in Croke Park, where Tipperary recorded a memorable victory over the Tribeswomen. And while the group will have gained huge confidence from securing early silverware, the win counts for very little come Saturday’s knockout tie.

Galway haven’t had it all their own way in the championship to date while Tipperary impressed with wins over Waterford, Derry, Antrim and Kilkenny. This meant they topped the group and earned direct passage to Saturday’s semi-final.

On Saturday it will be four weeks since their last competitive game. No doubt the team will have used that time well to train hard, play challenge games and focus on the huge task ahead that awaits them.

Tipperary have had good wins over Galway in the league this year and last, but you would have to go back a long way for the last time that the Premier County beat them in the championship, especially a knockout championship game.

Tipperary have suffered lots of heartbreak at the semi-final stage, including last year against Waterford. Galway lost to Cork in last year’s semi-final.

Both sides will be determined to go one step further than 12 months ago and get to Croke Park on All-Ireland final day on Sunday August 11.

Galway began their championship campaign with a win over Dublin, followed by a draw away to Wexford. They then went on to record big wins over Down and Clare before suffering a surprise heavy defeat against Cork in the final group game by 2-16 to 1-7.

They had little time to dwell on that game, as a week later they had to regroup and take on a very good Waterford side in the quarter final. A second half goal from the excellent Aoife Donohue put Galway in the driving seat and although Beth Carton converted a penalty in the 52nd minute, it wasn’t enough and Galway recorded a 1-12 to 1-9 victory.

It was a strong performance from Galway, who welcomed back a number of injured players. They will have had three weeks since their quarter final win and look to be finding form and peaking just at the right time.

With players of the calibre of Carrie Dolan, the aforementioned Donohue and Niamh Mallon at their disposal, Tipperary will need to be at their very best to have a chance of reaching their first senior championship final since 2006.

Tipp have had a fairly consistent starting 15 for most of the championship, although positioning has changed with the likes of Karen Kennedy and Caoimhe Maher at times interchanging between centre back and centre forward, while Karin Blair and Casey Hennessey have been in defence, midfield and attack.

It’s a regular feature of the modern game that players have greater flexibility and are able and willing to operate in a variety of positions. No doubt Saturday will be no different as both managers, Denis Kelly and Cathal Murray, will look to various match-ups and tactics that could give them the edge.

Whatever the result, it has all the potential to be a close, keenly-fought contest that’s going to go right down to the wire.

The most important thing is that you are there to witness it so grab your ticket today and show your support for Tipperary this Saturday in Nowlan Park.