Tipperary Ladies Notes 16.06.2015

TIPPERARY Ladies U14 TEAM
St. Rynagh’s GAA Club, Banagher was the venue for the All Ireland Under 14B Championship Semi Final on Saturday last when the Munster Champions Tipperary played the Leinster Champions Longford, winners over Laois at the end of May. Tipperary on the other hand came through a thrilling Munster Final, emerging winners over Waterford after extra time in a replay.

On the strength of two tough provincial finals, Tipperary would have silently favoured their chances meeting an unknown Longford team and from the start of the game Tipperary alluded to this registering a goal from Eva Fennessy and two points courtesy of Niamh Ryan and Eva Fennessy, respectively in the first five minutes. Another two points from Caoimhe Ryan were on the scoreboard before Longford got their first point of the game from Ciara Healy in the twelfth minute. Tipperary’s reply came in the form of two quick goals from Angela McGuickan (13th) and Ruth Butler (15th). Tipperary had dominated the first quarter of the game reflected not only on the field but on the score board as well, Tipperary 3-4 Longford 0-1. Longford fought hard to feed the ball into their forwards but the Tipperary defenders had established a blanket defence and managed to keep the Longford forwards scoreless for the remaining quarter while Tipperary added four points to extend their margin, two from Eva Fennessy and single points from Ciara Dwan and Caoimhe Ryan to leave the half-time score – Tipperary 3-8 Longford 0-1
After a one sided first half the question of the second half hung in the air, could Tipperary continue as in the first half or would Longford re-emerge in the second half a stronger team? Tipperary started the scoring with their first point from play in the thirty fourth minute from Eva Fennessy and a second point in the forty first minute from Ciara Dwan. For the following ten minutes the game ebbed and flowed from one end of the field to the other with both teams being denied the opportunity to score, with some excellent goal keeping skills from Nicola O’Dwyer, Tipperary and Ciara Mulligan, Longford. The scoring drought ended coming into the closing stages with a hat trick of goals from Longford, Ciara Healy (50th), Orla Farrell (52nd) and Clodagh Lohan (57th) with Tipperary responding with a Cailín Napier pointed free followed by a Niamh Ryan goal. Longford’s purple patch succeeded only in reducing their margin as the last point of the game went to Ellie Ryan, Tipperary to leave the full-time score – Tipperary 4-12 Longford 3-1.
Tipperary now look forward to an All-Ireland Under 14 B Championship Final against Donegal on July 4th at a venue to be decided.
Tipperary Team:- Nicola O’Dwyer Joint Captain (Mullinahone); Niamh Martin (Slievenamon), Aine Hahessy (Slievenamon), Eimear O’Connor (Ardfinnan); Dervla Heffernan (Boherlahan), Caitlin Kennedy (Aherlow), Ciara Maher (Thurles Sarsfields); Maire Creedon, Joint Captain (Thurles Sarsfields), Caoimhe Ryan (Brian Borus); Lucy Spillane (Fethard), Eva Fennessy (Clonmel Commercials), Ruth Butler (Templemore); Niamh Ryan (Moyne Templetuohy), Angela McGuickan (Slievenamon), Ciara Dwan (Boherlahan).
Subs used:- Cailín Napier (Clonmel Commercials) for Angela McGuickan (47th); Emma Morrissey (Aherlow) for Ciara Dwan (55th); Ellie Ryan (Boherlahan) for Ruth Butler (56th); Louise Norris (Moyle Rovers) for Niamh Martin (58th)
Scorers:- Eva Fennessy 1-4, Niamh Ryan 1-1, Ruth Butler 1-0, Angela McGuickan 1-0, Caoimhe Ryan 0-3, Ciara Dwan 0-2, Cailín Napier 0-1 (f), Ellie Ryan 0-1