Tipperary school qualify for All-Ireland final after excellent semi-final victory in Antrim!

Corn Sceilge Senior 'A' Camogie Semi-Final

Ursuline Thurles 1-14

Cross & Passion, Ballycastle 1-9 

Ursuline Thurles made the long trip at the weekend to Cushendun in Antrim to take on an excellent Cross and Passion College side in the All-Ireland Senior A final. At half time the Munster champions trailed the home side 1-5 to 0-6 points. 

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But a superb second half display capped off by a late Mel Flannery goal secured victory and a place in the final where they will meet Loreto of Kilkenny who defeated Athenry in the other semi-final. 

Cross and Passion got off to a very promising start with a goal from Eimear McCaughan in the fifth minute giving them a five point lead. 

The goal somehow settled Thurles and they sprung into life with four unanswered points three from the brilliant Caoimhe Stakelum and Jessie Shanahan with the other as she also had a hand in all four of the Thurles side's scores in that same period.

By the ninth minute of the second half, Ursuline had drawn level, with Alice Butler adding her second point and Stakelum also finding the target. Tegan Cassidy replied with two points for Cross and Passion, either side of an Alice Callanan score, as the sides continued to trade scores.

Both sides put in a brilliant battling display with some superb defending and fine scores throughout the contest. Roisin Ferncombe came to the rescue of Ursuline with a string of fine saves. 

While at the other end, Alice Butler had a superb second half with five points from play. The game went right down to the wire with only three points between the sides.

Thurles, however, had the final say when Mel Flannery scored the defining goal in the 59th minute. A late free from Eobha McAllister was all the Ballycastle side could muster in response before the final whistle. 

Ursuline Thurles: R Ferncombe; O Gleeson, L McGrath, S O’Dwyer; R O’Brien, K Dowling, K Duffy (0-1); A O’Connor, E Frend (0-1); M Jones, C Stakelum (0-5, 3f’s), S Coughlan; M Flannery (1-1), J Shanahan (0-1), A Butler (0-5).

Subs used: E McGrath for S Coughlan (35).

Cross & Passion: M McToal; S Flavin, SL Kearns, C Delaney, A Gillan, F Sands; E McAllister (0-8; 4f’s, 1’45), R McMullan; L McBride, T Cassidy (0-1), M Laverty; A McAllister, M McArthur (0-1), E McCaughan (1-0).

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