Tipperary miss out on league final place as Waterford strike late winner

Very National Camogie League - Division 1B - Round 5

Tipperary 0-9

Waterford 0-10

An injury-time winner from Eimear O'Neill saw the Waterford camogie team secure Division 1A status for 2026 with a dramatic 0-10 to 0-9 win over Tipperary at a rainy Walsh Park.

In her debut season at senior level, the Brickey Rangers forward hit three second-half points for the Déise in a physical and feisty encounter with their Munster rivals. Annie Fitzgerald, Maggie Gostl, Rachael Walsh, and Kate Lynch also made big contributions to a hard-working Waterford side. 

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Jerry Wallace's charges survived a late scare as Tipp appealed for a penalty seven minutes into injury time when substitute Caithlyn Treacy went to ground inside the square.

It was only a league match but there was a championship bite throughout. Tipp went chasing a league final place and Roisin Howard pointed after just 50 seconds. 

After Déise defender Tara Power got treatment, Grace O’Brien popped over a 45. It took Waterford six minutes to launch their first attack. Maggie Gostl was fouled and Niamh Rockett converted. 

Rockett then found Annie Fitzgerald off a short free and the full forward equalised. O’Brien miscued a free into Noelle Murphy but the Waterford netminder hit the ball straight back to the Tipp forward who made no mistake the second time around (0-3 to 0-2).

Neither side scored for eleven minutes in the greasy conditions. O’Brien finished off a fine Tipp move on 22 minutes to end the fallow period. Another O’Brien 45 made it 5-2 but Waterford finished the half on the front foot. 

Carton, Bray, and Fitzgerald created a goal chance for Gostl but she pulled her shot right and wide. Gostl slotted a point off the next attack. Waterford’s first point in 18 minutes. 

Injury time efforts from Beth Carton and Fitzgerald left the Déise just one adrift at the break (0-6 to 0-5). It got feisty on the field and the sideline before referee Gavin Donegan blew for half-time.

Rachael Walsh made a crucial interception at the start of the second half. Tipp worked a Karin Blair point after Lorraine Bray was shown a yellow card. Mairéad O’Brien won a free in front of goal which Rockett tapped over. 

Grace O’Brien replied with a Tipp free before Eimear O’Neill shrugged off three defenders and fired over off her right side (0-8 to 0-7).

On 43 minutes, Carton sent Bray through on goal but the Déise captain was denied by Laura Leenane. O'Brien slotted her seventh point for Tipp from a free on 44 minutes but they wouldn't score again.

Rockett dispatched a 45 after a Gostl shot was blocked down. The Waterford mentors danced a little jig when Fitzgerald and Rockett worked the equaliser for O’Neill. 

Two minutes into injury time, a Rockett free broke for O'Neill who found space in a crowded goalmouth to shoot the winner.

Tipperary: Laura Leenane (Shannon Rovers); Karin Blair (Cashel King Cormacs, 0-1), Clodagh Quirke (Clonoulty Rossmore), Eimear Loughman (Clonoulty Rossmore); Caoimhe McCarthy (Knockavilla Kickhams), Mairead Eviston (Drom & Inch), Aoife McGrath (Drom & Inch); Sarah Corcoran (Moycarkey Borris), Casey Hennessy (Clonoulty Rossmore); Roisin Howard (Cahir), Mary Burke (Drom & Inch), Clodagh McIntyre (Lorrha); Karen Kennedy (Thurles Sarsfields), Caoimhe Maher (Burgess Duharra), Grace O’Brien (Nenagh Éire Óg, 0-8, 0-5f, 0-1 45).

Waterford: Noelle Murphy; Rachel Walsh, Kate Lynch, Alannah McNulty; Bevin Bowdren, Keeley Corbett Barry, Tara Power; Lorraine Bray, Orla Hickey; Emer O’Neill (0-3), Beth Carton (0-1), Niamh Rockett (0-3, 0-2f); Mairead O’Brien, Annie Fitzgerald (0-2), Maggie Gostl (0-1).

Referee: Gavin Donegan (Dublin)