Very National Camogie League - Division 1A Final
Tipperary 1-13
Galway 0-15
Tipperary are camogie league champions for the first time since 2004 after edging a thrilling and epic Very National Camogie League Division 1A final in Croke Park on Sunday afternoon.
In what was a nail-biting finish to the game, Tipperary looked to have just done enough with the clock in second-half injury time. However, Galway were awarded a late, late injury time free which would be the final act of the game come what may - but to do sheer delighted and ecstasy for the Premier team and management, the free from Carrie Dolan drifted left of the post as referee Aaron Hogg blew the full-time whistle straight away after.
It was just deserts for this group of Tipperary players who have experienced so many disappointing days in the home of Gaelic Games in recent years, and it cannot be understated how big these results could be going forward into the championship, as it shrugs a considerably large money off their backs.
Indeed, the game may be remembered in the immediate aftermath for that missed free which ultimately decided the game, but Tipperary lead score came from an unlikely source in the 58th minute of the game - at a time when the teams were level and Galway had scored four points in a row - as corner-back Karin Blair intercepted a pass out of the Galway defence with a class first touch and weaved through a few defenders before drilling an effort over off her right. A brilliant piece of individual play from the Cashel King Cormacs woman.
There were heroes all over the field on the day for Tipperary with Karen Kennedy playing a captains role in scoring 1-3 from play over the course of the 64 minutes, while Eimear McGrath again impressed in her free taking duties, particularly when Tipp were taking on water in the first half.
There also has to be huge credit given to the defence with Mairead Eviston immense at full-back while Caoimhe McCarthy put in an incredible shift at wing-back all game and covered serious ground up and down the wing which set the tone throughout.
The most impressive aspect from a Tipperary viewpoint will be the way they recovered to claim the big win after a very nervous start to the game in which Galway took a 0-8 to 0-2 lead, dominating the opening quarter as Denis Kelly’s charges looked very tentative; Carrie Dolan (3 frees), Ailish O’Reilly (2), Siobhan McGrath, and Aoife Donohue Galway’s scorers in that time as Tipp were given far too much space to their deadly opposing forwards.
Karen Kennedy’s lead point in the third minute would be only one of two points Tipp would score after 20 minutes, but they managed to dig in and cause issues for Galway going back to their own goal, with four Eimear McGrath frees dispatched in the final ten minutes of the half to give Tipp a real foothold in the game going into half-time.
The second half wasn’t two minutes long before Eimear McGrath hit the leveller from yet another placed ball and after Ailish O’Reilly and Karen Kennedy (now operating at full forward) traded points from play, the Thurles Sarsfields star found a big moment as she found herself one-on-one with Dervla Higgins from a Roisin Howard delivery and showed her incredible pace to round the defender and bury a shot past the helpless Fiona Ryan in the Galway goals. Tipp now ahead 1-9 to 0-9 after 38 minutes.
Galway quickly ate into that lead with a Carrie Dolan point from a free but as if to highlight her influence on the game, Caoimhe McCarthy busted a gut to get up the pitch from the half-back line - after a cute Clodagh Quirke pass - and float over an important score.
Tipp would hold that three-point lead up to the 50th minute as two Eimear McGrath frees which included a massive effort from some 80 yards, helped keep the challengers in front, but Galway went to their bench to good effect and hit four points in a row from Niamh Mallon (3) and Niamh Niland along with another Dolan free to level the game with just three minutes of normal time remaining.
It looked ominous for Tipp who have been in this position many times over the years in Croke Park only to be bested late on and it took a moment of quality from Karin Blair to resettle her team with a very well-earned point in the 58th minute to give Tipp a slender lead.
Defensive acumen was needed now for Tipp and despite managing three minutes of the four allotted for added time, Galway managed to eke out a scorable free under the shadow of the Hogan Stand with time almost up.
With every available Tipperary appendage crossed, Dolan stepped up and with the now howling along with a heavy drizzle she sliced the effort somewhat as the ball trailed left and wide with Denis Kelly and Michael Ferncombe starting the celebrations on the sideline!
Tipperary can now look forward to the upcoming Munster and All-Ireland Championships with plenty of optimism and given they achieved this without Cait Devane in their ranks, they will have plenty of belief heading into the summer.
Scorers: Tipperary: Eimear McGrath 0-8f, Karen Kennedy 1-3, Karin Blair, Caoimhe McCarthy 0-1 each.
Galway: Carrie Dolan 0-5f, Ailish O’Reilly, Niamh Mallon 0-3 each, Aoife Donohue, Siobhan McGrath, Orlaith McGrath, Niamh Niland all 0-1 each.
Tipperary: Nicole Walsh; Karin Blair, Mairead Eviston, Eimear Loughman; Caoimhe McCarthy, Caoimhe Maher, Clodagh McIntyre; Teresa Ryan, Ellen Cunneen; Roisin Howard, Karen Kennedy, Casey Hennessy; Grace O’Brien, Eimear McGrath, Eimear Heffernan.
Subs used: Clodagh Quirke for McIntyre (25); Julieanne Bourke for Cunneen (25); Mary Burke for O’Brien (43); Mary Ryan for T Ryan (51); Aoife McGrath for Hennessy (58); Ciardha Maher for Heffernan (61).
Galway: Fiona Ryan; Rachael Hanniffy, Roisin Black, Dervla Higgins; Ava Crowe, Aine Keane, Ciara Hickey; Ally Hesnan, Ann Marie Starr; Aoife Donohue, Ailish O’Reilly, Niamh McPeake; Carrie Dolan, Siobhan McGrath, Orlaith McGrath.
Subs used: Niamh Hanniffy for Black (36); Niamh Kilkenny for Hesnan (42); Niamh Mallon for Donohue (45); Olwen Rabbitte for O’Reilly (53); Niamh Niland for McPeake (53); Sabina Rabbitte for O McGrath (60).
Referee: Donnacha O’Callaghan (Limerick)
