2023 TG4 Munster Ladies Football Championship – Kerry 2-8 Tipperary 1-5

Kerry are through to the 2023 TG4 Munster Senior Championship final after producing a fantastic performance to comprehensively beat Tipperary at Galtee Rovers GAA club in Bansha this afternoon.

Kerry 2-8 Tipperary 1-5

Report By Stephen Gleeson in Bansha

The Kingdom, Lidl National League Division 1 champions, will face holders Cork in the provincial decider in Mallow on May 28.

Visitors Kerry made little of the trek to west Tipp and were fired up from the off. A blistering opening ten minutes saw Kerry shoot 2-3 as they called the game in all sectors.

Just a minute in, Anna Galvin struck the first Kerry point, which was followed with a fine strike low to the corner of the net on four minutes by full forward Danielle O’Leary. The attacking was relentless and Hannah O’Donoghue sensed an opening to strike a point just after.

Tipp were rattled and jittery on the ball and during their next attack, Kerry went for the jugular again. The ball was sent into the full-forward line and centre back Emma Costello attempted to flick past Lauren Fitzpatrick in the Tipp goal but the keeper directed the effort onto the crossbar.

As the ball dropped, Costello found herself in the right place at the right time to push the ball with her hands into the empty net to leave it 2-2 to no score on eight minutes.

From the kickout Niamh Ní Chonchúir added another point for Kerry, leaving Tipp with a mountain to climb after just ten minutes of football. Tipp finally got off the mark through an Emma Morrissey free on 14 minutes to leave it 2-3 to 0-1.

Kerry kept the pressure on, though. Danielle O’Leary and Niamh Carmody kicked good scores from play and the incisive, accurate foot passes of the Kerry side meant they dictated proceedings.

Emma Morrissey pointed a close in free for Tipp before a fantastic long-range kick from outside the 45 by Niamh Carmody for Kerry on 26 minutes made it 2-6 to 0-2 – and that was how it remained until the break.

Tipp regrouped at the break and right on the resumption, Emma Morrissey struck a lovely point to raise local cheers but Kerry weren’t going home without a win. Niamh Ní Chonchúir and Lorraine Scanlon responded within a couple of minutes with well-struck points.

Tipp, to their credit, kept attacking but the Kerry defence kept a tight watch on Aishling Moloney and it took Tipp until the 23rd minute of the second half to get their next score. It was a great, long-distance kick by Neasa Towey.

The game ebbed and flowed but Tipp kept the pressure on and were awarded a penalty on 27 minutes, which Emma Morrissey duly dispatched to the net, sending the ball down the middle past the keeper.

Lucy Spillane notched a point for Tipperary with the last kick of the game but, overall, Kerry were full value for the win and progress to the provincial decider.

Scorers – Kerry: D O’Leary 1-1, E Costello 1-0, N Carmody 0-2, N Ni Chonchúir 0-2, A Galvin 0-1, H O’Donoghue 0-1, L Scanlon 0-1.

Scorers – Tipp: E Morrissey 1-3 (1-0 pen, 0-2f), N Towey 0-1, L Spillane 0-1.

Tipperary: L Fitzpatrick; C O’Dwyer, L Spillane, E Cronin; N Martin, L Morrissey, E Kelly; E Morrissey, M Curley (capt.); M Murphy, M Creedon, A Delaney; A McGuigan, A Moloney, A Fennessy.
Subs: C English for A Delaney (23), N Towey for A Fennessy (HT), K Downey for E Kelly (50), S Ryan for N Martin (50), E O’Sullivan for M Creedon (52).

Kerry: C Butler; C O’Brien, K Cronin, C Murphy; L Galvin, E Costello, C Lynch; L Scanlon, M O’Connell; N Carmody, N Ní Chonchúir, A Galvin; H O’Donoghue, D O’Leary, L Ní Mhuircheartaigh (capt.).
Subs: C Evans for N Carmody (40), N Broderick for C O’Brien (45), E McGlynn for L Ní Mhuircheartaigh (48), R Dwyer for H O’Donoghue (58), C McCarthy for L Scanlon (62).