Tipperary 0-17 Waterford 0-11
Tipperary moved through the gears in the second-half to pull away from Waterford and book a place in the All-Ireland senior camogie semi-finals for a fourth-consecutive season.
It is a fourth-straight defeat for the Déise girls at this stage of the competition and though they were extremely competitive in the first-half, albeit playing with the wind, they just could not get their speedy attackers into the play in the latter period.
Of course their hopes received a real blow ever before thorow-in when it was announced that their talisman, leading scorer and multiple All-Star Beth Carton would not be togging out due to a hamstring injury, suffered during the warm-up of the final group game against Cork three weeks ago.
They still led at the end of the first quarter by 0-5 to 0-4 and were still well in the game at the interval, trailing by just one, 0-8 to 0-7.
Niamh Rockett took over freetaking duties to good effect and had three points in that opening period, including a fantastic score from play, but it was the pace of former underage basketball star that really troubled the Tipp defence in that period, the De La Salle flier grabbing two points.
Things might have been even better for Waterford but for a sensational block by Mary Ryan, who came from a different postcode to deny Shona Curran what seemed a certain goal.
The long-serving Moneygall defender had to depart the fray with an injury early in the first-half, and was seen getting treatment on her elbow and a strapping on her upper leg. Tipp will need her in next week’s semi-final.
Cáit Devane converted four of her seven points from frees in that first half but Róisín Howard’s brace from full-forward were crucial in the overall context of the game, Ereena Fryday and Orla O’Dwyer also getting on target in that first-half.
Tipp looked to have more scope for improvement and they found it, stepping up another level which Waterford couldn’t match.
Aoife McGrath and Fryday were monumental around the middle third. It is an indication of their progress as a unit that five of the six forwards got on the scoresheet, Emer McGrath and Clodagh McIntyre firing second-half braces.
Howard’s workrate when she ventured out the field was phenomenal as Tipp hit five points in a row after a Rockett point from a free had brought the teams level on 0-9 apiece, the highlights being two tremendous points by Fryday and Emer McGrath.
That broke the Waterford resistance and it is Tipp that move forward to the final four.
Tipperary: C Bourke; J Bourke, M Ryan, E Loughman; M Eviston, K Kennedy, A McGrath; G O'Brien, E Fryday; E McGrath (0-2), C Devane (0-7, seven frees), O O'Dwyer (0-2); C McIntyre (0-2), R Howard (0-2), N Walsh. Subs: K Blair for Ryan (38 mins, injured), M Campion for O'Brien (41m), N Treacy for Walsh (52m).
Waterford: B O'Regan; K Corbett-Barry, I Heffernan, K Lynch; C Carroll, O Hickey, L Bray; C Griffin, S Curran; C O'Sullivan (0-1), N Rockett (0-6, four frees, one 45), A Flynn (0-2); S Lacey (0-1), A Corcoran, V Falconer (0-1). Subs: S Fitzgerald for Corcoran (51 mins), S McGuckian for O'Sullivan (54m), C Whyte for Lynch (58m), J McCarthy for Lacey (60+1m).
Referee: Liz Dempsey (Kilkenny)
Kilkenny 3-19 Wexford 1-12
Kilkenny turned Wexford’s dream All-Ireland quarter-final day into a nightmare, as they inflicted a harsh lesson with a ruthless first-half exhibition on the way to a comfortable All-Ireland senior camogie semi-final triumph.
The All-Ireland champions were fantastic as they played into a very strong early wind and there was no doubt about the result as the teams went off at the break with the scoreboard reading 2-13 to 0-6 in their favour.
Kevin Tattan will be delighted with how his charges improved their intent in the third quarter, a period in which they outscored their vaunted opponents into the stiffening elements by six points to five.
There’s a fair chance Brian Dowling wasn’t however, and one imagines he made that known at the second water break, after which the Walsh sisters Grace and Miriam sent over brilliant points from either flank.
But Wexford stuck to their task, Leah Walsh splitting the posts from wide on the left within seconds of coming on and the deadly accurate Foxe converting her seventh placed ball. However Kilkenny responded with a goal from distance by Denise Gaule after an error by goalkeeper Laura Brennan, who had made one splendid save from Steffi Fitzgerald in the first-half.
At the other end of the field, Aoife Norris made a smart stop from Ciara O’Connor but then substitute Katrina Parrock, a four-time All-Ireland winner from Wexford’s halcyon days, got the final touch to a Walsh delivery for a goal that her sides; second-half efforts deserved.
The game ended on a low note for Kilkenny, when Miriam Bambrick was sent off on a straight red card, following an apparent off the ball altercation with Foxe.
Kilkenny: A Norris; C Dormer, D Tobin, M Teehan; C Phelan, M Farrell, K Doyle; G Walsh (0-2), D Gaule (1-6, three frees, one 45); M Walsh (0-3), K Nolan (0-3), M O'Connell (1-3); S Fitzgerald, K Power (0-2), A Doyle (1-0). Subs: N Deely for K Doyle (21 mins, injured), M Kenneally for Fitzgerald (47m), L Murphy for Nolan (50m), M Bambrick for Teehan (55m).
Wexford: L Brennan; S Harding Kenny, Á Lacey; M Sinnott, L O'Leary, S O'Connor (0-1); E Walsh, A Cardiff; O Sinnott, A Curran, C O'Connor (0-1); J Quigley (0-1), K Kirwan, C Foxe (0-7, six frees, one 45), J Dillon. Subs: Linda Bolger (0-1) for O Sinnott (20 mins), K Parrock (1-0) for Kirwan (37m), M Byrne for Curran (47m), L Walsh (0-1) for Cardiff (47m), A Guiney for Quigley (52m).
Referee: Andrew Larkin (Cork)
