Backs to the wall for Tipperary Ladies in vital away game in Cavan

TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Football SC Round 3 Group A

Saturday June 25, Kingspan Breffni, Cavan at 2 pm

With both Dublin and Mayo safely through to the quarter-finals from Group A, Tipperary's final game in this group a sees them travelling to Kingspan Breffni to take on Cavan. This will be a battle between the sides to avoid the drop to the Intermediate ranks. A somewhat depleted Tipperary side, managed by Peter Creedon, will have it all to do to come away with a result.

The winner of this tie will be safe, while the losers will play-off against the bottom-placed team in Group C, which is currently Westmeath, for the right to play Senior Championship football again in 2023. Because Tipperary have a slightly better scoring difference, should the game end level, then Tipperary's senior status would be secure for another year.

Cavan went desperately close to a positive result against Mayo last weekend, losing out by just a point against the green and red, who had beaten Tipperary by ten points.  

That line of form would suggest that Cavan will start as slight favourites here, but this one could go right down to the wire.  

Cavan are unchanged, as Tipperary make two changes in personnel to the team that lost out by eight points to Dublin.  

Sarah Ryan replaces captain Maria Curley, who went off injured against Dublin, as Lorraine O’Shea comes into the starting line-up for Casey Hennessy in attack.  

Cavan (v Tipperary): E Walsh, K McIntyre, S Lynch, E Longair; S Greene, L Fitzpatrick (capt.), M Sheridan; N Byrd, A Deneher; N Keenaghan, L McVeety, A Walls; A Cahill, G Sheridan, A Gilsenan.  

Tipperary (v Cavan): L Fitzpatrick; E Kelly, L Spillane, E Cronin; Nora Martin, Niamh Martin, C O’Dwyer (capt.); M Creedon, A O’Shea; C English, A McGuigan, S Ryan; E Morrissey, L O’Shea, M Murphy.