A round-up of the All-Ireland Camogie Championship semi-finals, as Kilkenny and Galway came out on top at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Kilkenny 2-10 Cork 1-11
Goals from Anne Dalton and Miriam Walsh, and a doughty defensive effort in the final quarter especially enabled Kilkenny to recover from an early six-point deficit to record a fantastic victory over old rivals Cork and seal a place in the All-Ireland final.
Cork were lightning from a bottle early on, winning a free from the throw-in that Chloe Sigerson drove over and by the eighth minute, they were leading by six, Gemma O’Connor, starting having missed out on the earlier stages of the competition with a punctured lung, drilling a goal after Katrina Mackey soloed through the middle and fed the St Finbarr’s star.
Mackey found oceans in space through the centre and that was a common theme in the opening quarter, as the Rebels patiently worked it out of defence, drew players and capitalised on the movement of centre-forward Orla Cronin to draw Meighan Farrell out to the flanks.
Kilkenny were on the ropes and needing something. They appeared to be galvanised by a piece of dogged defending by Michelle Teehan, who dispossessed Laura Collins and was fouled coming out with ball. Soon after, Mary O’Connell launched a stunning point from wide on the left and Anne Dalton followed up with an equally impressive score.
Mackey hit back after again being found in splendid isolation inside the opposition 45 but Kilkenny shot four of the next five points, Gaule converting three frees.
O’Connell added her second from the opposite flank to her first as the constant rotation of the Kilkenny attack appeared to cause confusion in the Cork defence and only some poor shooting prevented Brian Dowling’s side from being closer.
What’s more, their ability to gain a greater share of possession prevented the Rebels from finding the spaces as much, and the decision to persist with Farrell and Davina Tobin following Cronin and Amy O’Connor everywhere eventually paid off.
They were really motoring though when Dalton grabbed Gaule’s long-distance free and rifled to the far corner of the net in the 28th minute to take a lead that appeared improbable when they got off the mark 16 minutes earlier.
The teams exchanged two points apiece and it was 1-8 to 1-7 at half-time, a scoreline that Dowling must have been ecstatic with given his charges’ somnolent start.
It got even better for the Noresiders three minutes after the resumption when Miriam Walsh timed her run from deep onto an Aoife Doyle pass perfectly, carried, took the hit from Pamela Mackey and drove to the net.
To add salt to Cork’s wounds, who had begun the half with a pointed free by Cronin, the defensive Mackey was forced to depart the fray a little while later with the injury to her left shoulder or collarbone area.
A pointed free by Gaule in the 43rd minute put four between the sides but Kilkenny appeared to withdraw into their shells and failed to score for 21 minutes, though Cork deserve credit for finding another gear.
Cronin wasted a couple of good chances from frees before Katrina Mackey pointed but that was a spurned goal opportunity as the Douglas speedster was facing the posts when gathering possession just outside the semi-circle, with only Collette Dormer between her and the whites of Aoife Norris’s eyes, and more significantly, Gemma O’Connor to her right. It was a two-on-one but Mackey chose to tap over.
Thompson and Sigerson, the latter with a fantastic score, reduced the margin to the minimum but Cork couldn’t draw level as the Kilkenny defence performed heroics and Aoife Doyle attracted a late foul for Gaule to bring her tally to seven and edge them home.
Scorers for Kilkenny: D Gaule 0-7(6fs); A Dalton 1-1; M Walsh 1-0; M O’Connell 0-2.
Scorers for Cork: C Sigerson 0-4(1f); O Cronin 0-3(fs); G O’Connor 1-0; A Thompson, K Mackey 0-2 each.
Kilkenny: A Norris, G Walsh, C Dormer, M Teehan, C Phelan, M Farrell, D Tobin, A Farrell, A Dalton, A Doyle, L Murphy, D Gaule, K Nolan, M Walsh, M O’Connell. Subs: S Fitzgerald for Murphy (ht), N Deely for Teehan (49), K Doyle for O’Connell (55).
Cork: A Lee, M Cahalane, L Treacy, L Coppinger, H Looney, P Mackey, L Hayes, K Mackey, A Thompson, A O’Connor, O Cronin, C Sigerson, L Collins, G O’Connor, S McCarthy. Subs: N O’Callaghan for P Mackey inj (44), C Healy for Collins (49), J White for McCarthy (54).
Galway 1-11 Tipperary 0-8
A 15th-minute goal by Carrie Dolan gave Galway the breathing space they seemed satisfied with as they held Tipperary at bay in the second semi-final.
Cathal Murray’s crew prevailed on that occasions with a rollocking display of attacking intent that they weren’t able to replicate on this occasion.
The weather conditions were far more difficult of course but significant credit must go to Tipperary, and while it might not be scant consolation at this early stage, the impression that the Premier have improved considerably this year was confirmed with a performance of absolute stubborness and determination.
Bill Mullaney’s outfit matched the renowned work-rate of Galway and when one thinks of how short they had fallen in Semi-Final appearances the last two years, and that they were without the injured Nicole Walsh, Aisling Moloney and Ereena Fredya, and Orla O’Dwyer who is in Australia preparing for the AFLW season, their competitiveness was noteworthy.
That said, Galway were always in control once Dolan goaled, and their physicality and pace in attack made them a greater scoring threat throughout. At the other end of the pitch, skipper Sarah Dervan served up the customary colossal full-back performance for the champions.
Niamh Hanniffy had a point in the second minute for the champions but Tipp were probably the better team in the opening quarter and points from Róisín Howard and the first of six from Cáit Devane gave them the lead.
That goal arrived just before the first water break though, a combination of Ailish O’Reilly and Orlaith McGrath setting up the half-forward, who rode a challenge before finishing from close range.
Tipp did have a golden chance of responding in kind in the 20th minute, when Fryday found Howard with a drilled stick pass but the Cahir attacker failed to get the necessary connection on her shot from inside the 13 and Sarah Healy made the stop.
Niamh Kilkenny and Rebecca Hennelly pointed after that for Galway, with Devane slotting a pair of frees, the second of which should have been a penalty when Fryday was pulled down off the ball inside the large parallelogram.
Áine Slattery made a brave point-blank save from Ailish O’Reilly just before the break and it was 1-6 to 0-5 with all to play for.
Points from the always dangerous McGrath, Dolan (45) and McGrath again established a seven-point lead and that always felt like it would be sufficient.
Fryday flashed a shot over after a tremendous surge from Niamh Treacy and Devane slotted a free but Galway were defending stoutly and Tipp just lacked the attacking guile to find supporting colleagues in offensive positions.
Galway were able to bring on some real talent from the bench and Slattery saved Healy’s penalty after sub Siobhán McGrath was fouled, and the Sarsfield sharpshooter also slotted the resultant 45 after having a rasping shot stunningly deflected around the post by the Tipperary netminder once more.
When McGrath opted to take a point from another penalty, it was indicative of the control Galway had on proceedings and they ran out deserving winners.
Scorers for Galway: C Dolan 1-3 (0-1 f, 0-1 45); O McGrath, S McGrath (1 45, 1 pen) 0-2 each; A O’Reilly, R Hennelly, N Hanniffy, N Kilkenny 0-1 each.
Scorers for Tipperary: C Devane 0-6(4fs); R Howard, S Fryday 0-1 each.
Galway: Sarah Healy, Shauna Healy, S Dervan, H Cooney, E Helebert, S Gardiner, T Kenny, N Kilkenny, A Donohue, C Dolan, C Cormican, R Hennelly, A O’Reilly, N Hanniffy, O McGrath. Subs: S McGrath for Hennelly (45), S Spellman for Dolan (51), N Coen for Donohue (60).
Tipperary: Á Slattery, J A Burke, M Ryan, E Loughman, M Eviston, A McGrath, C Quirke, N Treacy, K Kennedy, J Kelly, R Howard, S Fryday, G O’Brien, C Devan, M Campion. Subs: S Quirke for Devane (5-5), S Quirke for Kelly (49), C McIntyre for Campion (49), C Maher for Treacy (55), K Blair for Fryday (60).
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