Liberty Insurance All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Quarter-Final – Galway 1-22 Tipperary 0-10

Galway defeated Tipperary by 1-22 to 0-10 in the Liberty Insurance All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Quarter-Final on Saturday August 5th at Semple Stadium Thurles.

Galway make smooth progress to last four

By Daragh Ó Conchúir

Galway 1-22 Tipperary 0-10

A STUNNING opening quarter laid the groundwork for Galway as they charted a comfortable path to the last four of the Liberty Insurance All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship.

The result of the opening quarter-final at Semple Stadium would have ensured that Mark Dunne’s players were extremely wary of the Tipperary threat and they laid down a marker from the beginning, streaking into a 0-10 to 0-0 lead despite playing into the wind.

Tipperary did show plenty of spirit however and did extremely well to peg back the westerners to a seven-point margin at the interval, when they trailed by 0-12 to 0-5.

Orla O’Dwyer reduced that by one more 35 seconds after the resumption but with the wind at their backs and the speed and movement of their forwards creating so many opportunities, there was no way that Brian Boyle’s crew were likely to prevail having started so poorly.

It was all too easy for the westerners early on as the McGrath sisters Orlaith and Niamh got on the scoresheet, with the youngest of the four siblings on the squad Siobhán causing carnage and adding two of her own later on.
Maria Cooney and Niamh Kilkenny also shot a pair of points each, while Ailish O’Reilly punished Tipp’s defensive indiscretions clinically, converting four from four placed balls.

Ciardha Maher finally got Tipp on the board in the 21st minute, after Sarah Healy had saved Mary Ryan’s hand-passed attempt at goal and that seemed to settle the home side. Cáit Devane, Orla O’Dwyer, Mairéad Teehan and Maher also found their range to give their side hope at the break.

O’Dwyer’s second score added to that optimism but when O’Reilly profited from a neat touch by Aoife Donohue to calmly place a ground shot beyond Orla McEniry for a goal and it was over from that juncture.

Ann Marie Starr, Niamh McGrath, Donohue and the graceful Kilkenny kept the scoreboard ticking over and though Devane, Megan Ryan and Róisín Howard did earn some reward for their efforts, the margin would have been much greater but for the 11 wides Galway recorded as they became a little self-indulgent with the game in the bag.
Notably, the Galway defence kept up their intensity and workrate throughout, pulling off a range of hooks and blooks and forcing numerous turnovers.

Tara Kenny and Heather Cooney were magnificent in that regard with the former earning the Player of the Match award, although there were plenty other contenders.

In the end, both sides introduced a host of subs as the game fizzled to its inevitable conclusion but while Tipperary will be disappointed that they didn’t ask more questions of Galway, the Tribeswomen appear hellbent on adding to their haul of two All-Ireland titles, and winning their first since 2013.

SCORERS FOR GALWAY: A O’Reilly 1-7(0-6fs, 0-1 45); N Kilkenny 0-4; N McGrath 0-3; M Cooney, S McGrath 0-2 each; O’McGrath, A M Starr, A Donohue, C Finnerty 0-1 each

SCORERS FOR TIPPERARY: C Devane 0-3(2fs), Ciardha Maher 0-2, O O’Dwyer 0-2, M Teehan 0-1, Megan Ryan 0-1, R Howard

GALWAY: Sarah Healy, S Dervan, R Black, T Kenny, H Cooney, R Hennelly, L Ryan, O McGrath, A M Starr, N McGrath, M Cooney, N Kilkenny, A Donohue, A O’Reilly, S McGrath
Subs: N Hanniffy for Cooney (51), C McGrath for Black (55), Shauna Healy for Kenny (56), C Finnerty for Donohue (58), N Coen for S McGrath 58)

TIPPERARY: O McEniry, C Walsh, G Grace, J A Bourke, A McGrath, Caoimhe Maher, C Quirke, E Fryday, Megan Ryan, O O’Dwyer, C Devane, N Walsh, Mary Ryan, R Howard, Ciardha Maher
Subs: M Teehan for McGrath temp (23, McGrath for Fryday 33), T Ryan for Caoimhe Maher (37), E Loughman for Bourke (37), M Campion for Walsh (53)

REFEREE: O Elliott (Antrim)

Match Preview

Team News

Teams named for tomorrowhttps://t.co/XvpWObEYQL@tippstarsport @NenaghGuardian @TheNationalist @TippFMSport @tippmidwest

— Tipperary Camogie (@camogietipp) August 4, 2017

Match Preview

Galway v Tipperary, Semple Stadium, 7pm

In one sense, Tipperary are already in bonus territory, having waited until the last round of games to record a win that proved enough to make it through to this stage by one point on score difference against their victims, Offaly.

It was the definition of fine margins but the fact of the matter is that Tipp had been performing reasonably well, without getting the results.
Another fact is that they were in the top six last year too and were minutes away from a sensational victory over Wexford. They allowed an eight-point lead to slip and went out to a Kate Kelly injury-time point.

Lack of consistency has dogged them for a couple of years now but while Sarah Fryday is a huge loss, Cáit Devane’s return has offered more firepower, and Orla O’Dwyer, Megan Ryan and Nicole Walsh are dangerous attackers too.

Galway are on their third management team in three seasons with the retired former goal sneak Molly Dunne joining ex-Galway and Dublin hurler Niall Corcoran in Mark Dunne’s backroom staff. Much of the playing personnel is familiar however.

Niamh Kilkenny remains a driving force from the middle and along with Lorraine Ryan provides serious leadership. Ailish O’Reilly has assumed freetaking duties and is doing very well, while also retaining her eye for goal. Orlaith McGrath is in top form too while the youngest of the siblings Siobhán (Niamh and Clodagh are also on the panel) invariably contributes off the bench.

There have been some tweaks in defence with long-hitting Sarah Healy assuming the goalkeeper’s mantle from the now-retired Susan Earner.
Galway will be expected to advance to the Semi-Finals but Tipp have shown before that they can bother the very best if they put their best foot forward.

Liberty Insurance All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Quarter-Final
Saturday August 5th
Dublin v Wexford
Semple Stadium, Thurles, Co. Tipperary
Throw-in: 5pm
Referee: Cathal Egan (Cork)

Galway v Tipperary
Semple Stadium, Thurles, Co. Tipperary
Throw-in: 7pm
Referee: Owen Elliott (Antrim)

*Extra-time to be played in the event of a draw in either game.

Admission Prices
Adults: €10
Students/OAPs: €5
Juveniles (U18): Free

Tickets can be purchased online from www.tickets.ie or from selected Centra and SuperValu stores nationwide. Tickets will also be available to purchase at the ground on the day of the match.

Get your tickets for the @LibertyIRL All-Ireland Quarter-Finals! U18s go FREE! https://t.co/oPDvRyP5hD #RaiseTheBar pic.twitter.com/bQFQZuFgXg

— Camogie Association (@OfficialCamogie) July 31, 2017