Tipperary footballers shoot themselves in the foot by conceding two early goals

Waterford 2-9 Tipperary 1-7

Overcoming their near neighbours and high-ranking Division One side Waterford was always going to be a tough ask for Tipperary in the opening round of the TG4 Munster Ladies Football Senior Championship at Fethard Town Park on Sunday.

Trying to do so after gifting the Deise girls two goals in the first four minutes made it a nigh-on impossible task.

Dungarvan’s Lauren McGregor capitalised on sloppy Tipperary defending to find the net in the second and fourth minutes, and a Katie Murray point sandwiched between them gave Waterford a 2-1 lead before Tipperary had settled into the game.

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Conceding avoidable goals had been an Achilles Heel for Tipp throughout the league campaign and here again it cost them dearly in the white heat of Munster championship football.

And yet the home side responded positively to the early setback. With big displays from Maria Curley, Anna Rose Kennedy, Ava Ryan and Aishling Moloney, they fought their way back in contention, outscoring Waterford 1-7 to 0-8 for the remainder of the game, and got within three points of them, 2-7 to 1-7, with seven minutes left.

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However, Waterford, backboned by eight players from two clubs just across the Tipperary border, Ballymacarbry and Comeragh Rangers, finished stronger, with late points from Katie Murray and Kellyann Hogan sealing the win.

There was a poignant minute’s silence before the game began to honour the memory of former Moyle Rovers player Bronagh English, who was so tragically killed in a car accident last week.

Despite the defeat, Tipperary manager Ed Burke was upbeat about the performance.

“We had a bad start but we also did a lot of things right. When you are up against this level of opposition, you cannot give scores away like we did.

“We gave them at least 2-3 out of their 2-9 and we cannot do that. After their start, they didn’t do much after, except on the break when we were pressing,” he said.

The Moyle Rovers man added – “I was happy with the way we came back because we could have lost the game by 20 points. We are here to show what we can do. We had our chances where things didn’t come off for us, including a goal chance, but it is what it is. Waterford deserved their victory on the day”.

And he stressed that Tipperary won’t change their style of play.

“The goals proved costly, and you can stop trying to do what you are doing and you won’t concede them, but then we are going nowhere. So, we will continue to keep trying to do what we are doing and fix the mistakes. We will keep working on our kicking and hand-passing, things we have to do, because if we don’t then we won’t get better at them”.

Tipperary’s response to the early setbacks was impressive as Waterford, playing with the aid of a stiff breeze, didn’t score again for another 24 minutes. Tipp were struggling with the conditions, with shots from play and placed balls off-target or dropping short, but they kept the visitors on the back foot.

Aishling Moloney had their opening score in the 21st minute with a fine point, followed two minutes later by another from Aoibhe O’Shea, with Moloney and Kirsty Crotty Ryan central to the build-up.

A heavy knock had forced Ava Ryan to the sideline for treatment, but the Moyne/Templetuohy player is made of stern stuff and she returned to the action with another outstanding display.

Two points in a row for Waterford, from the Ballymacarbry duo Kellyann Hogan and Clare Walsh, in the 28th and 29th minutes broke the Tipperary momentum, but they hit back in stunning fashion. Aishling Moloney created the chance with a brilliant run through the centre, before offloading to Maria Curley, with the Templemore player shooting to the net past Gemma Corcoran from close range. An added time Brid McMaugh point gave Waterford a 2-4 to 1-2 lead at half-time.

The second half was a more even affair, with the sides sharing ten points. Kellyann Hogan from a free extended the Waterford lead in the first minute before Moloney replied from a Tipp free following a foul on Ava Ryan.

Tipp had a great chance of a second goal in between those scores, when it took a brilliant save from Gemma Corcoran to deny Kirsty Crotty Ryan after great work from Anna Rose Kennedy.

Waterford were reduced to 14 players for ten minutes when midfielder and captain Emma Murray was yellow-carded for a foul on Moloney, and the Cahir player made her pay with two pointed frees to leave it 2-6 to 1-5 midway through the half.

The prolific Kellyann Hogan extended the lead to five again before two in a row for Tipp gave renewed hope to their supporters among the large crowd in Fethard.

Kirsty Crotty Ryan hit a monster point for one of the scores of the game, and when Moloney followed up with another great score there was only three points between them, 2-7 to 1-7, with seven minutes to play. Another misplaced pass denied them another score, before Waterford finished stronger with the two late points to claim victory.

Tipperary host Cork at the same venue in the second of their round robin games next Sunday.

Tipperary: Lauren Fitzpatrick (Ballymacarbry), Nora Martin (Sliabh na mBan), Laura Morrissey (Brian Borus), Emma Cronin (Moyle Rovers), Kate Cashman (Templemore), Maria Curley (Templemore) 1-0; Brid Condon (Aherlow), Anna Rose Kennedy (Aherlow); Sinead O’Carroll (Ardfinnan), Heather Spillane (Fethard), Ava Ryan (Moyne/Templetuohy); Aoibhe O’Shea (Mullinahone) 0-1; Caoimhe Condon (Ardfinnan), Kirsty Crotty Ryan (Moyle Rovers) 0-1; Aisling Moloney (Cahir) 0-5, 3f.

Subs: Sarah English (Ardfinnan) for Cashman (HT); Ava Fennessy (Clonmel Commercials) for Caoimhe Condon (HT); Angela McGuigan (St Sylvesters) for Spillane (42); Sinead O’Carroll (Ardfinnan) for Brid Condon (50).

Waterford: Gemma Corcoran (Ballysaggart), Aoife Murray (Comeragh Rangers), Rebecca Casey (Stradbally), Cora Murray (Comeragh Rangers), Karen McGrath (Ballymacarbry), Hannah Power (St Pat’s), Aine O’Neill (Kilrossanty Brickeys), Emma Murray (Comeragh Rangers), Eve Power (St Pat’s), Brid McMaugh (Ballymacarbry) 0-1; Kellyann Hogan (Ballymacarbry) 0-5, 3f; Lia Ni Harta (An tSean Phobail), Katie Murray (Comeragh Rangers) 0-2; Clare Walsh (Ballymacarbry) 0-1; Lauren McGregor (Dungarvan) 2-0.

Subs: Chloe Fennell (Stradbally) for Walsh (51); Aoife Brazil (Stradbally) for Ni Harta (52); Aine Power (Comeragh Rangers) for O’Neill (54).

Referee: Seamus Mulvihill (Kerry).