REPORTS: Senior camogie championship down to last four after brilliant quarter-final ties

FBD Insurance Tipperary Senior Championship Quarter-Final

Burgess Duharra 1-10

Cashel King Cormacs 3-16

By Joe Scully

Cashel King Cormacs qualified for the Tipperary Senior Camogie Championship semi-finals after a dominant 12-point quarter-final victory over Burgess Duharra on Saturday evening. 

It was a deserved victory for the West Tipp outfit who were very impressive throughout, with a fast start setting the tone for their victory. 

Burgess Duharra, to their credit, kept fighting throughout, and every time they looked like building a bit of momentum to get back into the game Cashel would hit a few key scores to keep the home side at arm’s length and were able to see out the game comfortably by the end. 

Cashel were led excellently by a solid defensive platform which gave very little away to the Duharra attack, that, while they can have no complaints about the result, will be disappointed with their performance, as they only had three scorers as their county championship dreams come to an end for another year.

Cashel got off to an absolute flyer and had a point and a goal in the board by the second minute, the point coming from the impressive Philly Fogarty after 45 seconds from a placed ball, then a minute later they had the ball in the back of the net through Caoimhe Perdue after being set-up by Karin Blair. Cashel extended their lead in the seventh minute through a Áine O’Dwyer effort. 

A minute later Burgess, had a great opportunity to open their account when Jenny Grace was fouled running through on goal and a penalty was awarded, which Grace herself would take but her effort was brilliantly saved by Aoife O’Brien in the Cashel goal. 

Grace would make amends a minute later by hitting her sides first score from a free to leave it 1-2 to 0-1 after nine minutes. 

Cashel would add the next two scores through Grace Moloney and Emer Dwan to go ahead by six before Burgess would then hit a bit of form and hit the next four scores, two frees from Jenny Grace and one each from Caoilfhinn & Ciardha Maher to leave the gap at just two points after 18 minutes. 

Shortly after, Cashel struck with a massive blow when Ciara Dwan hit her sides second goal after a mistake by the Burgess keeper Ciara Holohan after she failed to deal with a long ball in. 

Jenny Grace responded with a point for Burgess, but Cashel took control again, hitting the final four points of the half from Hannah Butler, Ciara Dwan, Philly Fogarty (free), and Anna Fahie to leave the score at the break 2-8 to 0-6 in favour of Cashel.

Cashel started the second half as they finished the first, on the attack, and had a penalty awarded in the opening minute after a foul on Caoimhe Perdue, which Philly Fogarty stepped up to and she made no mistake hitting a low unstoppable effort into the bottom corner. 

Grace Moloney extended the lead even more with an effort from play a minute later to leave the Kings twelve points ahead. 

Burgess would then take a bit if a hold on proceedings led by Jenny Grace who would hit 1-3 in a row, the goal an excellent finish after being set-up by Ciardha Maher, all the points coming from dead-balls, to leave the score at 3-10 to 1-9 after 41 minutes. 

But, just like the first half, Cashel would nip the Burgess revival in the bud and hit the next three scores to effectively put the game to bed, firstly from a Philly Fogarty free before two from play from Grace Moloney, who would then set up sub Katelyn Downey. 

Jenny Grace added another to her tally from a 45 in the 52nd minute, which would be her sides last score of the game, as Cashel saw out the game comfortably hitting three more points from play from Philly Fogarty, player of the match Grace Moloney to bring her tally to four from play, and it was another of the Cashel subs who had the final when Nicole Shelly pointed in the last minute of normal time with her first touch, as Cashel ran out impressive winners to set up a semi-final meeting against Thurles Sarsfields.

Cashel King Cormacs: Aoife O’Brien; Meabh Elle Ryan, Laura Connolly, Ella O’Dwyer; Lily Fahie, Sorcha Ryan, Emer Dwan (0-1); Karin Blair, Aine O’Dwyer (0-1), Grace Moloney (0-4), Ciara Dwan (1-1), Anna Fahie (0-1); Caoimhe Perdue (1-0), Philly Fogarty (1-5, 1-4f), Hannah Butler (0-1).

Subs used: Katelyn Downey (0-1) for A O’Dwyer (38); Nicole Shelly (0-1) for Dwan (58); Amy Crosse (NR) for L Fahie (61).

Burgess Duharra: Ciara Holohan; Lucy Slattery, Iris Garce, Ella Slattery; Malwina Dziewiatza, Caoimhe Maher, Ciara McKeogh; Kaitlin O’Halloran, Katie Grace; Aisling Cremin, Jenny Grace (1-7, 0-7f), Caoilfhionn Maher (0-1); Danielle Nealon, Tara Kennedy, Ciardha Maher (0-1).

Subs used: Roisin Duffy for Nealon (42); Kara O’Connell for Dziewiatza (47); Aine Grace for Caoilfhionn Maher (55).

Referee: Tommy Ryan (Kiladangan)