Tipperary camogie team find extra time straps to clip the Cats and book semi-final spot

Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Quarter-Final

Tipperary 1-22

Kilkenny 0-19

After extra time

Tipperary’s senior camogie team had to dig into every ounce of their reserves to battle their way to a huge extra-time victory over Kilkenny in Croke Park on Sunday, in a fiercely contested All-Ireland Senior Championship quarter-final clash.

READ NEXT: IN PICTURES: Droves of Tipperary fans continue to descend on Croke Park ahead of the hurling

A tight contest throughout, the game turned in five minutes at the end of the first period of extra time when Tipperary scored 1-2 without reply in the minutes after Laura Leenane stopped a Kilkenny penalty from Aoife Prendergast.

Kilkenny had started the extra time period like a train, scoring three frees inside five minutes as the Premier ladies looked jaded after their efforts.

There was a turning point that gave Tipp a massive boost when Kilkenny were awarded a penalty in the 75th minute, but that came after Kilkenny had lashed the ball into the net after the foul, but referee Ray Kelly had the arms outstretched before it and brought it back for a penalty.

Laura Leenane’s heroics sparked the Tipp effort into gear, and points from Jean Kelly, Casey Hennessy, and a fantastic goal from speedster Clodagh McIntyre put Tipperary 1-19 to 0-19 ahead at the extra time interval.

From there, Tipperary held their shape as Eimear Heffernan’s amazing score and a brace from Grace O’Brien secured a brilliant win for Denis Kelly’s side, who now advance to the semi-final, where they will face Galway in the coming weeks.

Scorers: Tipperary: Grace O’Brien (0-9, 0-8f), Caoimhe McCarthy, Jean Kelly, Casey Hennessy all 0-3 each, Clodagh McIntyre 1-0, Roisin Howard, Eimear Heffernan, Caoimhe Maher, Mary Burke all 0-1 each.

Kilkenny: Aoife Prendergast (0-7, 0-4f), Katie Power, Laura Murphy 0-4 each, Laura Greene 0-3, Sarah Barcoe 0-1.

Tipperary: Laura Leenane (Shannon Rovers); Niamh Costigan (Cahir), Karin Blair (Cashel King Cormacs), Eimear Loughman (Clonoulty Rossmore); Caoimhe McCarthy (Knockavilla Kickhams), Mairead Eviston (Drom & Inch), Sarah Corcoran (Moycarkey Borris); Karen Kennedy (Thurles Sarsfields), Caoimhe Maher (Burgess Duharra); Roisin Howard (Cahir), Mary Burke (Drom & Inch), Eimear Heffernan (Knockavilla Kickhams); Clodagh McIntyre (Lorrha), Casey Hennessy (Clonoulty Rossmore), Grace O'Brien (Nenagh Éire Óg).

Subs used: Julieanne Bourke (Borris-Ileigh) for Costigan (20); Jean Kelly (Éire Óg Annacarty) for Burke (46); Lucy Purcell (Thurles Sarsfields) for McIntyre (48); Niamh Cunneen (Silvermines) for Howard (62); Clodagh McIntyre for Purcell (61, ET); Ellen Cunneen (Silvermines) for Hennessy (79, ET).

Kilkenny: Aoife Norris (Piltown); Michelle Teehan (James Stephens), Tiffanie Fitzgerald (Young Irelands), Danniell Quigley (O'Loughlin Gaels); Niamh Deely (James Stephens), Laura Murphy (O'Loughlin Gaels), Caoimhe Dowling (Dicksboro); Aobha O'Gorman (Dicksboro), Laura Greene (O'Loughlin Gaels); Mary O'Connell (Clara), Steffi Fitzgerald (Young Irelands), Maria Brennan (Gailtir); Aoife Prendergast (Dicksboro), Katie Power (Piltown), Kellyann Doyle (Piltown).

Subs used: Caoimhe Keher Murtagh (Rower Inistioge) for O’Connell (HT); Sarah Barcoe (Piltown) for O’Gorman (51); Sophie Holden (Piltown) for Doyle (58); Katie Nolan (St Martin’s) for Brennan (67, ET); Sophie O’Dwyer (James Stephens) for Power (74, ET).

Referee: Ray Kelly (Kildare)

READ NEXT: IN PICTURES: Droves of Tipperary fans continue to descend on Croke Park ahead of the hurling