Tipperary 1-12
Waterford 0-10
A SECOND-HALF goal by Karen Kennedy gave Tipperary the vital breathing place and ensured a place in the last four of the Liberty Insurance All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championships for the third consecutive season, with champions Galway lying in wait.
It was the third year in a row too that Waterford failed to get beyond this hurdle but they will have little cause for complaint having not been able to go through the gears in the second-half.
It was a far cagier affair than the opening quarter-final, with both teams withdrawing players even when playing with the gale into the Blackrock End.
That was undoubtedly a nod of respect to the attacking threats of both sides, though the irony of the situation was that they each carried more threat into the elements.
Fergal O’Brien and Dan Shanahan moved Beth Carton to the edge of the square just as the minimum of five minutes of injury time was announced and the De La Salle scoring-machine had a rasping shot brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Áine Slattery.
A goal wouldn’t have been enough anyway as Tipp showed all their experience in the second-half to impose their will.
It was a huge win for Bill Mullaney’s crew, particularly as they were without the considerable services of suspended Aisling Moloney and former skipper Orla O’Dwyer, who departed for Australia to take up AFLW duties.
But with Waterford having excelled in the first-half in terms of workrate and craft and gone in at the break trailing by just 0-8 to 0-6, it was their Munster neighbours who found the necessary improvement, upping their intensity considerably to maintain and then increase their advantage.
Tipp got off to a fantastic start with a point after 10 seconds from Niamh Treacy, followed by a point from Cáit Devane, who provided seven points of her side’s tally.
But Waterford were showing plenty and it was notable that four of their forwards scored from play, Abby Flynn in particular looking very dangerous, well supported by Sarah Lacey, Carton and Niamh Rockett.
But they could not get into the game after the resumption, Tipp instead finding another level.
Devane launched a prodigious score from nearly 65 metres into the wind before Nicole Walsh and Rockett exchanged scores.
That had three between the sides when Kennedy, marking Carton throughout, somehow found herself in the opposition danger zone, and winning the race with Waterford goalkeeper Brianna O’Regan to force the sliotar home for a critical score.
Carton led the resistance but Walsh and Devane kept the scoreboard ticking over at the other end, and Aoife McGrath, Kennedy and Mary Ryan were in among those in no mood to yield.
SCORERS FOR TIPPERARY: C Devane 0-7(5fs); K Kennedy 1-0; N Walsh 0-2; N Treacy, M Campion, G O’Brien 0-1 each
SCORERS FOR WATERFORD: B Carton 0-5(2fs, 1 45); N Rockett, A Flynn 0-2 each; S Lacey 0-1
TIPPERARY: Á Slattery, C Quirke, M Ryan, E Loughman, M Eviston, K Kennedy, A McGrath, N Treacy, S Quirke, N Walsh, R Howard, C Devane, G O’Brien, M Campion, C McIntyre. Subs: E Fryday for S Quirke (ht), J Kelly for O’Brien (41), K Blair for Fryday inj (55), JA Burke for Ryan (60+6)
WATERFORD: B O’Regan, S Harney, I Heffernan, C White, L Bray, C Carroll, C McGrath, O Hickey, S Curran, A Flynn, B Carton, A Fitzgerald, K Lynch, S Lacey, N Rockett. Subs: A Landers for Fitzgerald (45), A Corcoran for Lacey (50), K Corbett Barry for Hickey (55), S Fitzgerald for Curran (55)
REFEREE: John Dermody (Westmeath)
Bad day for one referee..thought Howard Webb had an good game
Agree!
Absolutely
Russia will be hard to beat.
Yes even him :)
France to win it
Frank Ribery player of tourament
Kj Hunteraler leading goalscorer
I’m Putin a tenner on them!
if Ireland did what Greece managed, we would all b over the moon. its a game if two halves after all. very worrying that the Spanish ref can book a player for winning a header well, even more concerning that he sent the same lad off for a second yellow that he probably could have kept in his pocket. hopefully that can be appealed. the Russians looked decent, but the other big guns will have something to say too. bring it on!
All in all a feast of football,drama and determination, 1 ref had shocker,goalie should have stayed up,some good players on show and Sampras and Baros showed the bad players but abundandance of everything yes :)
samaras?
They played tennis?
Ref in first game had a nightmare but game was good. Second game made ussr look good and weeb should have got player of the game (as he kept the it even) but 7 goals in two games nothing to complain about. As for me I’m still having a great time here waiting for Sunday night kick off as the crack is mighty. No recession in Poland.
No offence Quite man but the Journal.ie would be the last thing in the head if I was over there in all that madness.Is it really your sitting room your in and wish like me that you were there.;-)
USSR?
ussr ? head back to the 70′s man.
Great start to set the bar, hopefully
If you think that Russia have the oldest team in the tournament, they played very well with a lull (or a bit of arrogance) beginning of the second half. But if they can keep this up they could be in for a surprise semi….
Not one of todays teams will win the tournament- poor all round
What were you watching today?