REPORTS: A mixed weekend of results for Tipperary's U16 and U23 teams in championship action

All-Ireland U23 Camogie Championship - Round 2

Tipperary 1-19 

Waterford 0-6

By Joe Scully 

It was all one-way traffic as Tipperary picked up their first win of the All-Ireland U23 Championship with a comprehensive 16-point victory over Waterford on Sunday afternoon. The win leaves them on four points after two games, following a draw against Dublin on the first day out.

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Apart from the opening ten minutes, where it was even, the Premier Ladies were always in control and were full value for their win in what was an all-round superb team performance, based on a rock-solid defensive display, giving away only one point from play during the game as they dominated throughout. 

The ball into their forwards was of the highest quality, which made their jobs all the easier, and some of their scores were of the highest quality, with Maeve Cunneen in particular hitting some superb scores throughout the hour. 

There were also fine individual performances on the Tipp side from Lily Fahie, Miriam Murphy, Ellen Cunneen and Eva O’Dwyer. While for the Déise, Rebecca Farrell, Kelsie Obanya, and Katelyn Lyons tried their best, overall they were no match for the Munster champions, who sit second in the group after two rounds of fixtures, but they will know there are tougher challenges ahead in their remaining games.

Niamh Cunneen opened the scoring after just 44 seconds, after a free landed short and was batted out by a Waterford defender, with Cunneen first to react and tapping over. Waterford replied with two scores of their own from the stick of Katelyn Lyons, with two frees to take the lead in the fifth minute. 

This would be as good as it would get for the away side, as Tipperary slowly started to take control, with Eva O’Dwyer hitting a free before Ellen Cunneen hit a monster score from near halfway. 

Danielle Ryan then had a shot brilliantly saved by Waterford keeper Hayleigh Acheson in the 11th minute, but it was a brief respite for the Déise as not long after O’Dwyer added her second of the day from another free. 

Next up on the scoresheet was Maeve Cunneen with a great finish from a very tight angle, before another free from O’Dwyer and Maeve Cunneen again with another great finish in the 24th minute made it 0-8 to 0-2. 

A free from Katelyn Lyons reduced the lead, but points from Danielle Ryan and Ellen Cunneen had the gap out to seven. Another Katelyn Lyons free with the last puck of the half left the score 0-10 to 0-4 at the break.

Tipperary stepped it up a gear or two in the second half and an Eva O’Dwyer free was sandwiched in between two points from Maeve Cunneen, before Kate Ferncombe, following a strong run, got her name on the scoresheet. 

Waterford finally opened their account in the second half in the 46th minute when Lyons once again pointed, with their only score from play. 

The game hit a bit of a lull for the next eight minutes before bursting back into life in the 53rd minute when Grace Moloney got the ball out wide and raced towards goal before burying it to the back of the net. 

Sub Elana McGrath added Tipp’s 16th point twenty seconds later, with O’Dwyer adding a free before Grace Moloney added another in the 59th minute. 

Katelyn Lyons added her and her side’s sixth with another free in added time, but from the resultant puck-out Tipp went straight up the other end and worked the ball into Ellen Cunneen, who hit the final score of the game. Next up for Tipperary is a trip to Kilkenny on Friday night in the third round.

Tipperary: Molly O’Dwyer; Aoife Mellerick, Katie Fitzgerald, Lilly Fahie; Paula Quirke, Miriam Murphy, Kate Dowling; Ellen Cunneen (0-3), Anna Fahie; Maeve Cunneen (0-4), Niamh Cunneen (0-1), Kate Ferncombe (0-1); Grace Moloney (1-1), Danielle Ryan (0-1), Eva O’Dwyer (0-7f).

Subs used: Eimear Fogarty for K Ferncombe (47); Elana McGrath (0-1) for M Cunneen (49); Emma Kelly for P Quirke (51); Lucy Heffernan for E O’Dwyer (57); Sarah McLoughlin for K Dowling (57).

Waterford: Hayleigh Acheson; Faye Murphy, Anna McGoldrick, Aoife Hartley; Ceire Ryan, Abbie Burrows, Ciara Shelock; Rebecca Farrell, Kelsie Obanya; Kaci Brazil, Ali Ferguson, Holly O’Sullivan; Oneila Whelan, Rhona Drohan, Katelyn Lyons (0-6, 0-5f).

Subs used: Molly Kenneally for A Burrows (8, inj); Eimear Griffin for R Drohan (50); Clodagh Landers for R Farrell (54); Deirdre Roche for H O’Sullivan (54); Emily Foran for A Hartley (54).

Referee: Justin Heffernan (Wexford)