Tipperary camogie claim top spot after battling draw against the Cats in Nowlan Park

Glen Dimplex All Ireland Senior Camogie Championship - Group 2 - Round 3

Tipperary 1-11

Kilkenny 2-8

Tipperary battled their way to an important share of the spoils in Nowlan Park last Saturday evening, as they had to dig deep to hold on against a very strong effort from defending All-Ireland champions Kilkenny.

In doing so, Tipperary claimed the top spot in group two but will rue some missed chances in the middle of the second half when they were well on top, but they will also be relieved to have not lost to one of the big three yet again, as they continue in their efforts to shake that particular monkey off their backs as a quarter-final clash against Antrim now comes quickly down the tracks next weekend.

There will be some concern amongst the Tipperary panel over injuries sustained by Caoimhe Bourke and Clodagh Quirke in the opening half, but the depth in the panel this year was put to good use by Denis Kelly and his management team as they mixed the good with the bad in this final group game, and have plenty left of room for improvement going into the knockout fare.

Initially, Tipperary were the team in the early ascendancy from the throw-in despite Denise Gaule getting the scoring underway from a second-minute free, as Denis Kelly’s side hit the next three scores, the first of which was a goal from Roisin Howard who pounced on a mistake from Kilkenny goalkeeper Aoife Norris, who mis-controlled a mis-hit Casey Hennessy shot and Howard was there to finish to an empty net.

Two frees in a row from Eimear McGrath had Tipp settled well after the eight-minute mark but the home team weren’t long exposing acres of space in their full forward line as Denise Gaule got her second from a free after being fouled for the second time - converting with ease.

The Windgap player was being utilized so well by the Kilkenny players out the field and a smart ball into Gaule gave the sharpshooter space to turn Clodagh Quirke and fire over her first from play in the 10th minute. 

Gaule continued to make hay just two minutes later as more indecision in the Tipperary full-back line muddled up a Kilkenny delivery and the clinical figure of the Cats number 12 gathered the ball and buried the ball past the helpless Caoimhe Bourke.

Only for some poor shooting, Kilkenny could have had a much bigger lead built up going into the second quarter, but for some wayward shooting, although Michaela Kenneally did find the target in the 16th minute from a distance to give the home side a 1-4 to 1-2 lead.

Tipp were having to battle very hard to get any purchase with the ball in the opposition half as Katie Power was operating well as the spare player in the Kilkenny defence, but they did end that sequence of Kilkenny scores with Caoimhe Maher being setup by Niamh Treacy for a score in the 17th minute.

But disaster struck in a moment of double jeopardy for a Tipperary viewpoint, when a long Kilkenny delivery found its way into the Tipp square, and as Caoimhe Bourke rushed onto the ball she seemed to go over on her ankle and mis-control the ball which gave Aoife Prendergast a chance to slot home to an empty net; Bourke being withdrawn due to injury and replaced by Áine Slattery.

Despite that, the Tipperary sideline began to make the changes to swing the game back in their favour before the break with Mairead Eviston coming into the game to keep tabs on Denise Gaule, and the Premier women finished the half strongest with the final four points of the half coming from an Eimear McGrath free and a brace of well-taken points from Casey Hennessy. All to play for in the second half with Kilkenny ahead 2-4 to 1-6.

The second half was only 30 seconds old when Tipperary had leveled from another Eimear McGrath free before Tipp spurned a golden goal chance as a diagonal ball from Roisin Howard found Clodagh McIntyre on the run and with the goal at her mercy, the Lorrha speedster hit her effort off the Kilkenny goalie to let the home team off the hook.

All the momentum was with Tipp in this third quarter and they had all the innings and took the lead within five minutes of that goal chance with a major from Cait Devane from a tough angle. 

Tipp spurned some good chances in the next ten minutes but did find the target in the 44th and 46th minutes respectively, first from a brilliant solo effort from Karen Kennedy before Eimear McGrath pointed another free. Tipp ahead 1-10 to 2-4.

Kilkenny aren’t All Ireland champions by chance though, and despite living off scraps they just have that knack of staying in games they were level by the 50th minute, with substitute Asha McHardy scoring an unreal solo effort and that was added to with two more great scores from veterans Katie Nolan and Denise Gaule yet again. Game on with ten minutes to go.

This was real championship fare now as both teams refused to take a backward step and a heavy hit on Roisin Howard around midfield gave Eimear McGrath a chance to give Tipp a lead but she just drew her effort outside the near post. The tension in Nowlan Park now at fever pitch.

However, McGrath showed real resolve two minutes later to finally give Tipp the lead with another free from a similar distance, and with the first spot in the group on the line and the possibility of avoiding a big gun in the quarter-final, this was going to go right down to the wire.

In the end, there was simply no separating the teams as Denise Gaule pointed a free from a tough angle two minutes from time as neither team could find that all-important winner as Ray Kelly blew up the game after playing three minutes of additional time.

The stalemate was enough for Tipperary to top the group and they now will face Antrim in the All-Ireland quarter-final next Saturday in Croke Park in what will be a curtain-raiser to the Limerick versus Galway All-Ireland senior hurling semi-final.

Scorers: Tipperary: Eimear McGrath 0-6f, Roisin Howard 1-0, Casey Hennessy 0-2, Karen Kennedy, Cait Devane, Caoimhe Maher all 0-1 each.

Kilkenny: Denise Gaule (1-5, 0-3f), Aoife Prendergast 1-0, Michaela Kenneally, Katie Nolan, Asha McHardy all 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Caoimhe Bourke; Julieanne Bourke, Clodagh Quirke, Eimear Loughman; Karin Blair, Karen Kennedy, Aoife McGrath; Casey Hennessy, Teresa Ryan; Roisin Howard, Caoimhe Maher, Eimear McGrath; Grace O’Brien, Cait Devane, Niamh Treacy.

Subs used: Áine Slattery for C Bourke (21, inj); Mairead Eviston for Quirke (23); Clodagh McIntyre for Treacy (29); Caoimhe McCarthy for O’Brien (51); Eimear Heffernan for Devane (61).

Kilkenny: Aoife Norris; Michelle Teehan, Grace Walsh, Tiffany Fitzgerald; Niamh Deely, Claire Phelan, Laura Murphy; Steffi Fitzgerald, Kellyann Doyle; Aoife Prendergast, Denise Gaule, Katie Power; Katie Nolan, Michaela Kenneally, Jenny Clifford.

Subs used: Aoife Doyle for Murphy (38); Asha McHardy for Prendergast (41); Jenny Clifford for Kenneally (52).

Referee: Ray Kelly (Kildare)