Thurles Sarsfields ladies make history to qualify for first ever senior camogie final

FBD Insurance Senior Camogie Championship Semi-Final

Thurles Sarsfields 1-17

Cashel King Cormacs 0-18

After Extra Time

A quickfire 1-2 in the final minutes of extra time sent Thurles Sarsfields into ecstasy as they defeated Cashel King Cormacs to qualify for their very first senior final after a nail-biting encounter in the second FBD Insurance Senior Camogie Championship Final in The Ragg on Saturday.

This game was incredibly well contested and that late flurry from the Sarsfields women put the biggest gap between the sides over the 80 minutes, with the teams going blow for blow all game long.

Nobody deserved to lose the game in all honesty, but it was Sarsfields who found a way to victory with their talismanic leader Karen Kennedy scoring the all-important goal in the 73rd minute after a clever pass from Andrea Loughnane, showing her pace before slotting past Aoife O’Brien.

Cashel battled to the very end and despite Sarsfields adding points from Caoimhe Stakelum and Lucy Purcell after that goal, the game was down to a single point going into the red of the 80th minute. 

But the young abandon of Caoimhe Stakelum came to Sarsfields aid as the minor All-Ireland winner from earlier this year found the score of the game to finally clinch the win and a first-ever senior county decider for the fledging Thurles club.

Cashel King Cormacs contributed to a brilliant contest and the performance of Karin Blair in particular must be highlighted. Only recently nominated for an All-Star, the Tipperary player showed incredible leadership and work rate in the game, scoring some excellent points to boot as she finished with five points from play on the day.

Playing with the wind in the first half, Cashel took a 0-8 to 0-6 lead in at the break and the consensus in the Ragg was that it wasn’t enough use of the elements to be just two points ahead at the break, with Blair hitting two points in the half.

Philly Fogarty and Grace Moloney hit two points apiece in that time for Cashel as they looked dangerous in patches, but Sarsfields were well in the game with Caoimhe Stakelum (2 45s), Sarah Stakelum, Andrea Loughnane, Lucy Purcell, and Aoife Dwyer all on target for the Blues.

The second half was a far less fluid contest as an injury to Sarah Stakelum broke up the pattern of the game due to a long delay, and it looked like Cashel were going to dog out the win as two Philly Fogarty points and a class third from Karin Blair had them 0-11 to 0-8 ahead by the 54th minute.

Thurles stayed plugging away at the deficit though and Karen Kennedy got the ball rolling on the comeback with a trademark run and point in the 56th minute and with Caoimhe Stakelum showing steel to score two late frees to equalise, the game needed two periods of extra time.

The effective effort of Cashel pair Karin Blair and Philly Fogarty was the difference between the sides after the first period of extra time as they shared four points to give the West club a 0-15 to 0-13 lead at the turn, but Thurles were not going to yield.

The key moment came in the 73rd minute when Thurles trailed 0-16 to 0-14 when Andrea Loughnane fed Kennedy on the overlap inside the 21 and with space to run into, she ran in on goal to finish to the back of the net. Sarsfields in front.

That goal was quickly followed by well taken scores from young players in Caoimhe Stakelum and Lucy Purcell and despite Cashel getting back to a single point late on through Philly Fogarty and Caoimhe Purdue scores, they couldn’t find parity in time as the final whistle blew to huge celebrations from the Thurles supporters.

The Mid club will now go forward to contest their first ever county senor final where they will take on Clonoulty Rossmore in this year’s showpiece camogie match.

Thurles Sarsfields: Siobhan Hennessy; Aoife Butler, Eimear Kennedy, Leanna Coppinger; Laura Loughnane, Emma Carey, Robyn Fanning; Ciara Cummins, Karen Kennedy (1-1); Aoife Dwyer (0-1), Lucy Purcell (0-3), Nicola Loughnane; Sarah Stakelum (0-1), Andrea Loughnane (0-2), Caoimhe Stakelum (0-8, 0-4f, 0-2 45s).

Subs used: Roisin Corbett (0-1) for S Stakelum (39); Rebecca O’Meara for Fanning (42); Kate Stakelum for N Loughnane (75, ET).

Cashel King Cormacs: Aoife O’Brien; Laura Connolly, Una O’Dwyer, Ella O’Dwyer; Lily Fahie, Sorcha Ryan, Eimear Dwan; Karin Blair (0-5), Katelyn Downey; Grace Moloney (0-3), Ciara Dwan, Anna Fahie (0-1); Caoimhe Purdue (0-1), Philly Fogarty (0-7, 0-6f), Hannah Butler (0-1).

Subs used: Aine O’Dwyer for C Dwan (HT); Nicole Shelly for Butler (51); Amy Crosse for Connolly (58); Meabh Ellie Ryan for L Fahie (63); Lily Fahie for S Ryan (79, ET).

Referee: Pat Murray (Moneygall)