Tipperary suffers second successive championship loss, this time to Cork
Tipperary lost out to Cork in FBD Semple Stadium on Sunday
Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship - Group 1 - Round 2
Tipperary 0-18
Cork 0-21
It’s now back-to-back defeats for Tipperary in Group 1 of the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship following a three-point defeat at the hands of a very impressive Cork outfit on Sunday.
The Rebelettes just had too much for the home side in what was a highly entertaining game, featuring some excellent scores and fine individual performances on both sides.
Played in glorious sunshine, Cork were deserved winners, causing problems with their running game throughout and with their full-forward line of Sorcha McCartan, Orlaith Cahalane and Amy O’Connor causing all sorts of difficulties for the Tipp rearguard.
While Tipperary’s full-back line also performed well, Cork’s superior use of possession and defensive tenacity, particularly in the second half, proved decisive.
Tipperary now sit bottom of the table with no points, but still retain an outside chance of securing a semi-final place.
To do so, they must defeat Galway in the final round of fixtures in two weeks’ time and also hope Cork overcome Waterford, with score difference then likely to determine second place.
Cork almost made the perfect start when Amy O’Connor flashed a shot across goal in the opening minute, but Tipp survived and went straight up the field where Grace O’Brien opened the scoring with a tidy finish.
O’Connor levelled in the third minute after Eimear Loughman missed an attempted clearance, allowing the Cork forward to punish the mistake from close range.
Tipperary regained the lead a minute later when Eimear McGrath pointed following a superb move involving a clever lay-off from Roisin Howard.
Cork then enjoyed a purple patch, hitting three points in succession through O’Connor, Hayley Ryan and Emma Murphy. McGrath reduced the gap before the sides traded frees through O’Connor and McGrath.
Sorcha McCartan stretched Cork’s lead to two, but points from Grace O’Brien and the impressive Eimear Heffernan brought Tipp level again after sixteen minutes.
The lead continued to change hands throughout a lively opening half. O’Connor edged Cork back in front from a free before Clodagh McIntyre’s quick puck-out set up Heffernan to level once more.
Laura Hayes restored Cork’s advantage after good work from Emma Murphy, only for Roisin Howard to produce a brilliant score while falling to the ground. Amy O’Connor responded with a magnificent point before Grace O’Brien replied immediately for Tipp.
McGrath briefly put Tipperary ahead from a free, but O’Connor again restored parity. Saoirse McCarthy nudged Cork back in front before McGrath attempted to catch the Cork defence out by going for goal from a close-range free. Amy Lee reacted sharply to turn it behind for a 45, which McGrath converted to leave the sides level at the interval.
Cork started the second half strongly, with Amy O’Connor landing two points from play to open a two-point gap. Eimear Heffernan got Tipp’s first score of the half in the 37th minute, but frees from Saoirse McCarthy and O’Connor stretched Cork’s lead to three.
McGrath responded from a free before McCarthy added another after Laura Leenane produced a brilliant save to deny Sorcha McCartan a goal.
An Eimear McGrath free and a fine score from substitute Aoife Dwyer with her first touch of the sliotar reduced the gap to just one point in the 48th minute. However, Cork continued to find answers.
McCarthy scored again before Heffernan reduced the deficit, only for Cork to strike three points in a row through Sorcha McCartan, an Amy O’Connor free and another McCarthy effort.
Tipperary battled to the end and two McGrath frees brought them back within two points, but that was as close as they would get. Amy O’Connor’s free in the third minute of added time sealed the victory and secured Cork’s second championship win.
For Tipperary, it was another disappointing result despite plenty of encouraging moments. Cork’s greater efficiency in possession and stronger defensive display ultimately proved the difference, leaving the Premier County with plenty of work to do ahead of their crucial final group game against Galway.
Scorers: Tipperary: Eimear McGrath (0-9, 0-6f, 0-1 45), Eimear Heffernan 0-4, Grace O’Brien 0-3, Roisin Howard, Aoife Dwyer 0-1 each.
Cork: Amy O’Connor (0-11, 0-5f), Saoirse McCarthy (0-5, 0-1f), Sorcha McCartan 0-2, Laura Hayes, Emma Murphy, Hayley Ryan all 0-1 each.
Tipperary: Laura Leenane; Amy Quinlisk, Mairead Eviston, Eimear Loughman; Sarah Corcoran, Caoimhe Maher, Celine Guinan; Karin Blair, Clodagh McIntyre, Eimear Heffernan; Lucy Purcell, Casey Hennessy; Roisin Howard, Eimear McGrath, Grace O’Brien.
Subs used: Aoife Dwyer for C Hennessy (47); Kate Ralph for C McIntyre (53); Niamh Treacy for G O’Brien (58).
Cork: Amy Lee; Izzy O’Regan, Libby Coppinger, Aisling Egan; Ava Fitzgerald, Meabh Murphy, Isobelle Sheehan; Millie Condon, Laura Hayes; Hayley Ryan, Saoirse McCarthy, Emma Murphy; Sorcha McCartan, Orlaith Cahalane, Amy O’Connor.
Subs used: Rose Murphy for H Ryan (38); Keeva McCarthy for E Murphy (58).
Referee: Brian Kearney (Kildare)