Tipperary continue to impress form with facile win over Wexford in camogie championship

Glen Dimplex All Ireland Senior Camogie Championship - Group 2 - Round 2

Tipperary 3-15

Wexford 0-12

Tipperary continued their winning ways on the east coast last Saturday evening as an impressive first-half performance paved the way for a comfortable victory over Wexford in Bellefield GAA Grounds in Enniscorthy.

Denis Kelly's team were the dominant force throughout the match and by half-time they had put themselves in a commanding position, building up an eight-point lead after goals from Cait Devane and Teresa Ryan in the first quarter left Wexford flailing with a big deficit to bridge in the second half.

The second half was devoid of any real talking points as the Tipperary defence led by Karen Kennedy held very firm against any Wexford assaults, and it was mainly down to Ciara O'Connor frees that cut the gap to six points with some 20 minutes to go early in the second half.

But there was no breaching the Tipperary rearguard for green flags - which Wexford needed to pull back the margin - and with further scores from Eimear McGrath, Cait Devane, and a 58th minute goal from Roisin Howard, Tipperary saw out the game with ease to make it two wins from two in Group 2.

Eimear McGrath had a point on the board for Tipperary when Cáit Devane - being set up by the lively Teresa Ryan - came up with an inventive finish for a goal in the fifth minute despite the best efforts of Ciara Storey, who thought she had done enough but the sliotar was adjudged to have crossed the line by the umpire. 

Points from Chloe Foxe and Ciara O’Connor, who finished with 0-9, looked to settle the home team but Grace O’Brien, Teresa Ryan and Karin Blair raised white flags for Tipp before Ryan slammed a 12th minute goal after good work from the very prominent Karen Kennedy and a sublime cross-field pass by Devane to Eimear Heffernan, who provided the final assist for the Borris-Ileigh woman to goal.

Indeed, Ryan's relocation to the inside forward line caused huge issues for Wexford, while Eimear McGrath helped herself to some fine scores in the first half, and with Ciara O’Connor firing three points along with two from Linda Bolger, Wexford looked to eat into the nine-point deficit but five was as close as they got, Devane, Blair, Heffernan and McGrath enabling the Blue and Gold ladies to establish a 2-10 to 0-8 lead at the interval. 

Wexford had the benefit of the breeze which was blowing into the corner of the Tipperary end-line in the second half and to their credit, they did give themselves hope of pulling Denis Kelly's side back into a contest as O'Connor hit three frees in succession up to the 36th minute.

But that would be as close as they would come as Tipp had an answer for every question posed by the yellow-bellies with Eimear McGrath hitting the next three points (one free) and even though Tipperary were comfortable with the clock ticking down, Roisin Howard put a gloss on the score-line with a goal after a long ball in was parried by the Wexford keeper and the Cahir star swivelled and buried a shot through bodies to secure the win.

Tipperary are now back in the knockout stages after this win, putting right the seven-season unbroken run in the last six after losing out on scoring difference 12-months ago, but manager Denis Kelly has had no such worries in his maiden campaign as the Premiers have qualified with a game to spare. 

They will now face Kilkenny in UPMC Nowlan Park next Saturday evening with a chance of topping the group after the Cats had an easy 3-14 to 0-11 win over Dublin in their second game in Parnell Park.

Scorers: Tipperary: Eimear McGrath (0-6, 0-1f), Cait Devane 1-3, Roisin Howard 1-1, Teresa Ryan 1-0, Karin Blair 0-2, Casey Hennessy, Eimear Heffernan, Grace O'Brien all 0-1 each.

Wexford: Ciara O'Connor 0-9f, Linda Bolger 0-2, Chloe Foxe 0-1.

Tipperary: Caoimhe Bourke; Julieanne Bourke, Clodagh Quirke, Eimear Loughman; Karin Blair, Karen Kennedy, Aoife McGrath; Casey Hennessy, Teresa Ryan; Eimear Heffernan, Caoimhe Maher, Roisin Howard; Grace O'Brien, Cait Devane, Eimear McGrath.

Subs used: Mairead Eviston for Quirke (HT); Caoimhe McCarthy for Heffernan (44); Mary Ryan for Kennedy (49); Niamh Treacy for Maher (51); Courtney Ryan for T Ryan (56).

Wexford: Laura Brennan; Miria O'Dowd, Ciara Storey, Laura Dempsey; Aoife Dunne, Sarah O'Connor, Emma Walsh; Anais Curran, Orla Sinnott; Aine Lacey, Shelley Kehoe, Kate Kirwan; Linda Bolger, Ciara O'Connor, Chloe Foxe.

Subs used: Chloe Cashe for Bolger (49).

Referee: John Dermody (Westmeath)