Munster Junior Championship CORK RETAIN MUNSTER TITLE THANKS TO CONTROVERSIAL SIN BIN !!!

Munster
Junior Championship
CORK RETAIN MUNSTER TITLE THANKS TO CONTROVERSIAL
SIN BIN !!!

Tipp
got off to the perfect start with the opening
score by Edel Hanley from a free after Denise
Fitzgerald was fouled on the 20m line, both
teams were tense and didn’t settle Edel Hanley
missed another scoreable chance on four minutes.
Ciara O Sullivan was causing havoc in the time
defence by dragging players all over the forward
line and she opened the Cork scoring on the
7th minute. Susan Power followed with two quick
points. Cork were dominating the mid field exchanges
with Annie Walsh popping up to score a long
range point and put Cork points to 1 up. Cork
were unfortunate to loose right half back Blathniad
Wiseman who was getting a torrid time from Siobhain
Costelloe with an ankle injury, She was replaced
by Siobhain Buckley. Both teams were guilty
of poor shooting for the next ten minutes

18 minutes into the first half Tipp lost centre
back Angie McDermott when she was forced to
retire with a badly dislocated figure sustained
while trying to field a high ball. Tipp were
forced to reorganise bringing Claire Peters
back to wing back with Sarah Jane Coady taking
up the centre berth and Mary Ryan coming on
to the half forward line. This seemed to spur
Tipp into action and when play resumed Edel
Hanley took a great point, the first for Tipperary
for about 15 minutes this was quickly followed
by points from Claire Tobin and Mairead Morrissey,
Cork replied with points from Susan Power and
Eleanor Twohig leaving the half time score Cork
0-6 Tipperary 0-4. Tipp finished the half stronger
and only two points in arrears.

Tipp
made positional changes at half time with Denise
Fitzgerald coming to mid-field to partner Sheila
Carew and Mairead Morrissey moving into the
full-forward position. From the throw -in Cork
gained possession and Triona Lucey shot over
a long range point, from the resultant kick
out Susan Power collected the ball on the wing
and slotted over another point to leave the
Cork ahead double scores 0-8 to 0-4. For the
next ten minutes Tipperary totally dominated
with Sheila Carew and Denise Fitzgerald in control
in mid-field and getting ball out to the wing
to both Mary Ryan and Siobhain Costelloe who
had the better of their Cork opponents and with
the wing forwards getting quick ball into Mairead
Morrissey who beat Rose Cogan to put the ball
in the back of the net to start the Tipp come
back. From the kick out Claire Peters collected
the ball around mid-field soloed through the
Cork defence passed the ball to Edel Hanley
who put it over the bar to level the score at
Tipp 1-5 Cork 0-8. Cork came down the field
from the kick out but the Tipp defence closed
ranks and there was no way through and with
swift ball out of defence to Mary Ryan & Siobhain
Costelloe who ran at the Cork defence and getting
the ball into full forward Mairead Morrissey
who but the ball pasted Orla Murphy in the Cork
goal twice in the space of three minutes. Tipperary
were in total control for the first time in
this match and Cork having no answer to the
Tipp attach at this time Cork heads began to
drop with Tipp six points up. The turning point
came in this match on the 18th Minute of the
second half when Sheila Carew was sin-binned
for ten minutes. This resulted in Tipp being
reduced to 14 players at a vital stage in the
game. At this time Cork sprung Emma Harrington
to corner forward position and the fresh legs
had an immediate effect. Tipperary managed to
sustain the Cork pressure for a while but Emma
Harrington was keen to prove to the Cork selectors
that she should have been in the starting 15
and slotted home a goal to start Corks revival.
Cork were buoyed by this and from the kick out
Susan Power collected the ball and soloed to
the 20 meter line and put it between the posts
to put only 2 points between the teams and five
minutes left in the game. From the kick out
to a packed Tipperary half of the field the
ball was intercepted by Emma Harrington and
she lobbed the Tipp goal-keeper to put Cork
a point to the good. From the kick out Jennifer
Grant collected the ball on the left hand side
of the field passed to Mary Ryan who ran at
the Cork defence passed the ball to Edel Hanley
who was fouled for the umpteenth time, she scored
from the resultant free to level the scores
once again. Following the sin-binned the Tipperary
players were afraid to tackle and Cork went
on to score three valuable points from Eleanor
Twohig, Susan Power and Ciara O Sullivan to
lift the Munster Junior title for 2005. While
the players and management alike were disappointed
after the game, Tipperary are still in the All-Ireland
Championship and return to training on Thursday
in Bansha to prepare for the All-Ireland Quarter-Final
clash with Sligo on August 27th/28th at a venue
to be decided.