Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship quarter-final: Tipperary 3-23 Antrim 0-6
IT was a tough day for Antrim in Croke Park on Saturday. They fell heavily to Tipperary who have now reached the semi-finals in five of the last six seasons.
The Saffrons, appearing at this stage for the first time in 41 years struggled to contain the reigning Munster champions who pulled away in the third quarter, helped by the opening goal from Cáit Devane 20 seconds into the second half.
“We knew what we were up against,” manager Elaine Dowds said afterwards.
“It was all about containment for us and I was very pleased with how the first half went, apart from three late scores they got that put them 0-10 to 0-5 ahead.
“I don’t think that we had any choice but to play defensively and pull a player back to sit in the hole. We felt that if we could contain the game, get our confidence levels up, then we could start to play. But we also needed to take every chance we got.”
Dowds is adamant that this Antrim team will gain from the experience and will return to Croke Park at this level.
“Of course we will. We want to be playing at this level. We want to bridge the gap between the top four or five counties and the rest of us playing at senior level. We aren’t going to do that playing each other.
“We need to get up into Division 1A of the league next year and get more games against teams like Tipperary, Galway, Kilkenny. That way we start learning and getting better and closing the gap.”
Tipperary simply had too much experience for the Ulster side. Nevertheless after 15 minutes the teams were still on level terms and even coming into half-time, Tipperary led by just 0-7 to 0-5.
However, they finished the half strongly with points from Casey Hennessey, and Cáit Devane and Eimear McGrath frees.
At that stage Antrim were not being outclassed, had kept a decent shape and were holding their own, albeit that four of their five points had come from dead balls, including a monster free from inside her own 65 from Niamh Cosgrove.
Things took a dramatic turn for the worse just after the break when Caoimhe Maher broke down the centre. The Antrim defenders converged on her, but the sliotar broke for Cáit Devane to stab to the net.
That goal was the signal for an onslaught from Tipperary. They forsook the long delivery in favour of driving at the Antrim defenders pulling them out of position and by the end of the third quarter had run in a further seven points while Antrim struggled to get an attack going and hadn’t scored since the 26th minute.
Denis Kelly had brought on two substitutes by half-time and both left their mark on the remainder of the game.
Caoimhe McCarthy had arrived five minutes before the break. She took off down the centre in the 46th minute, but her shot was brilliantly saved by Catriona Graham. Eimear Heffernan, who had come on during the interval, reacted first and finished to the net.
Heffernan then fired over four points during the last quarter as Antrim struggled to contain her while another run from McCarthy saw the sliotar off-loaded for Devane to volley to the net, giving Graham no chance. It was a sublime finish, more at home in Wimbledon, but greeted with the same gasps of admiration.
Devane, with two goals and six points, Heffernan with 1-4 for her 30 minutes of action or Karen Kennedy who dictated everything from the centre of defence were all worthy of the Player of the Match award. None of the Antrim team reached that level of performance, save Catriona Graham in goals. It went to Devane, the Clonulty-Rossmore full-forward.
Antrim will lick their wounds this week. They have taken heavy defeats last weekend and this. But this team is still at the learning stage and under-age successes over the last few years should see younger players come into the mix.
This is only Antrim’s second season at the top level. They have been hit by injuries in both seasons. Making the quarter-finals is a milestone reached. The next one, closing the gap to the top four or five counties, is a more long-term goal.
Antrim: C Graham, C Patterson, K Laverty, M Lynn, N Cosgrove (0-1 free), A Boyle, L McKenna, L McNaughton, A Connolly, S McKillop, R McCormick (0-4, 0-3 frees), C Dobbin (0-1 free) , K McKillop, M McKillen, Á Magill
Subs: F Kelly for S McKillop (40), C McArthur for M McKillen (40), M McGarry for L McKenna (50), E McShane for K McKillop (50) E Kearns for C Patterson (56)
Tipperary: Á Slattery, J Bourke, M Eviston, E Loughman. K Blair, K Kennedy, A McGrath, T Ryan, C Hennessy (0-1), R Howard (0-1), Caoimhe Maher (0-1), E McGrath E McGrath (0-5 frees), G O’Brien (0-1), C Devane (2-6, 0-4 frees), C McIntyre (0-2)
Subs: C McCarthy (0-1) for C Hennessy (27), E Heffernan (1-4) for G O’Brien (HT), M Ryan for A McGrath (39), Ciardha Maher for T Ryan (44), C Ryan for C McIntyre (50)
Referee: Andy Larkin (Cork)
