Tipperary falls to strong Cork outfit but will have a chance at redemption in semi-final
Tipperary lost out to Cork in the All-Ireland U23 Camogie Championship
All-Ireland U23 Camogie Championship - Round 5
Cork 2-19
Tipperary 0-7
Tipperary suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of a highly impressive Cork side in the final group game of the All-Ireland U23 Championship.
With both sides already assured of their semi-final places, manager Bryan Darcy opted to rest several regular starters. The result sees Cork finish top of the group, with the sides set to meet again in this weekend’s All-Ireland semi-final.
Torrential rain in the opening half made conditions difficult for both teams. Cork, however, adapted quickest and made a sharp start, with Ciara Morrison pointing inside two minutes to open the scoring. Millie Condon quickly followed with another, as Cork settled into a strong early rhythm.
Niamh Cunneen got Tipperary on the scoreboard, but Cork responded emphatically with 1-2 without reply. Morrison was again central to the action, setting up Ava McAuliffe for a goal on seven minutes, before points from Amy Sheppard and Niamh McNabola extended the lead to 1-4 to 0-1.
Tipperary struggled to gain a foothold across the field as Cork continued to dictate play. Danielle Ryan and Niamh Cunneen added points for Tipp, but further scores from Condon and Avril Cashman maintained Cork’s control. Ryan converted a free and Ava Bevans added from play, yet Cork closed the half strongly with a McAuliffe point to lead 1-09 to 0-06 at the interval.
The second half began in the worst possible fashion for Tipperary, with Amy Sheppard finding the net inside a minute. Cork then surged further clear, adding ten unanswered points during a dominant spell as Tipperary found it difficult to match their intensity and work rate. Worryingly for Tipp, their only score of the second half came after 25 minutes through substitute Emma D’Arcy.
Tipperary will hope for a far improved showing when the sides meet again next weekend. A significant step up in performance will be required if they are to overcome Cork and secure a place in the All-Ireland final.
Scorers: Tipperary: Danielle Ryan (0-3, 0-2f), Niamh Cunneen 0-2, Ava Bevans 0-1.
Cork: A Sheppard 1-4 (0-1 f), A McAuliffe 1-2, N McNabola 0-4, M Condon 0-3, C Morrison, A Cashman 0-2 each, O Cremin, S Murphy 0-1each.
Tipperary: Molly O'Dwyer; Sarah McLaughlin, Katie Fitzgerald, Emma Kelly; Ellen Cunneen, Miriam Murphy, Emily Spillane; Eimear Fogarty, Kate Ferncombe; Niamh Cunneen, Caithlin Treacy, Ciara Shelly; Ava Bevans, Danielle Ryan, Lucy Heffernan.
Subs used: Anna O'Brien for E Fogarty (40); Elana McGrath for D Ryan (40); Emma Darcy for L Heffernan (40).
Cork: Anna Kearney; Meabdh De Burca, Aoife Barrett, Maebdh Murphy; Ava Fitzgerald, Laura Dunlea, Orlaith Cremin; Millie Condon, Avril Cashman; Niamh McNabola, Rose Murphy, Ciara Golden; Amy Sheppard, Ava McAuliffe, Ciara Morrison.
Subs used: Eimear Duignan for C Golden (38); Sarah Murphy for R Murphy (38); Catherine Murphy for A Sheppard (38); Erinn Curtin for A McAuliffe (42); Kate Cahalane for A Fitzgerald (42).
Referee: Gavin Donegan (Dublin)