PREVIEW: Tipperary head to Croker to end 20-year wait for National League title

VERY National Camogie League Division 1A League Final

Sunday, April 14 @ 2.30pm at Croke Park

Tipperary V Galway

All roads lead to Croke Park this Sunday as Tipperary take on Galway in the Very Division 1A League final. It’s 15 years since Tipperary contested a Division 1 League final, losing to Wexford in 2009 in Parnell Park, Dublin, while it is even longer since they won one back in 2004.

Galway on the other hand are hoping to make their own history by winning their third league title in a row.
A really close and exciting game is expected, with Tipperary having beaten Galway in the group stages earlier this year by three points.

Tipperary won’t fear Galway, having also beaten them last year in the group stages of the league. However, Galway have had the edge over Tipperary in championship encounters, although it has been a number of years since the sides last met in the championship.

Having lost to Waterford in the opening round of the league in a poor display, Tipperary have really improved since then with impressive wins over Galway, Cork, Kilkenny, and Clare. The team and panel have grown stronger as the league progressed with experienced players such as Karen Kennedy, Grace O’Brien, Julieanne Bourke, and Aoife McGrath all returning from injury.

Karen Kennedy, however, remains a doubt for this weekend having picked up a shoulder injury against Clare. In her appearances to date, she has operated around the half forward line, where she has been tough for any defender to handle, but it remains to be seen if she returns to the number six spot in Croke Park to help curtail the Galway attack.

Galway have also improved as the league progressed. They had a crucial one-point win over Waterford in their second-last group game before beating Cork by 0-14 to 0-9 on March 30 to book their place in the final, before Tipperary secured theirs.

Eimear McGrath has been Tipperary’s scorer-in-chief to date and all of Tipperary would be delighted if she could repeat her player of the match display from the group game, where she hit a hat trick of goals.

Grace O’Brien has looked sharp since returning from injury, with 2-2 the last day against Clare. The wide open spaces of Croke Park will suit her on Sunday as she looks to win her first-ever league title.

With Clodagh McIntyre and Caoimhe McCarthy operating at wing-back in recent games, Tipp have adopted a real running game style with support play and hopes this will again pay dividends on Sunday.

The Galway team that started in their win over Cork included captain Roisin Black at full-back. UL star Aine Keane has been settling into the centre-back spot while upfront Cathal Murray has been able to call upon all the experience and talent of Aoife Donohue, Ailish O’Reilly, Carrie Dolan and the Sarsfields and McGrath duo of Siobhan and Orlaith.

It all lends itself to a really intriguing battle and hopefully a large crowd will travel from both counties to witness it and, hopefully, Tipp can get the win.