*Chloe Morey. Photograph: Burren Eye Photography
CLARE’S BID for a fourth Munster senior camogie title is still alive after it finished all square in their provincial semi-final with Tipperary.
Clare 2-13
Tipperary 1-16
Venue: FBD Semple Stadium, Thurles
A late goalmouth scramble which saw Eimear Kelly push the sliotar over the line to put Clare into a one point lead on sixty minutes was not sufficient to see Clare hold onto victory with Tipperary working the ball up the field and scoring an equaliser from midfielder Grace O’Brien.
Full-back Clare Hehir produced an excellent block to deny Cait Devane seconds previously from securing the draw but poor marking elsewhere in the defence meant her efforts were in vain as O’Brien exploited space to pop the ball between the posts.
Confirmation on the replay has yet to be issued with the possibility of it being held prior to the Munster SHC meeting between Tipperary and Limerick on the cards in the Gaelic Grounds next weekend.
They were level on six occasions throughout the game with Jenny Grace’s twelfth minute goal putting some parity between the sides inside the first quarter. Defensive inexperience showed for this concession with spine of Clare defence easily ripped apart while backs also stayed focused on ensuring their marker didn’t gain possession rather than stopping the run of Clodagh McIntyre.
However a strong finish to the opening half from Clare which included 1-03 in succession had them right back in the mix. Áine O’Loughlin struck for the major on twenty nine minutes when a long range Morey free fell to Zi Yan Spillane who clocked up the distance before offloading to O’Loughlin. McIntyre and debutant Muireann Scanlon swapped scores to leave it 1-08 apiece at the interval.
With the Clare crowd beginning to make their way from the various social settings of Thurles into Semple Stadium, the Banner contingent was growing on the restart but the extent of saffron and blue support watching and supporting the county camogie team was disappointing given the amount that were among the 20,834 for the hurling.
O’Loughlin was first on the board on the resumption, eight minutes into the second half but the side joint managed by Conor Dolan and John Carmody never really built on this lead and what followed was a tit for tat affair where the outcome unsurprisingly was a draw.
Scorers Clare: A O’Loughlin (1-03), E Kelly (1-01), L McNamara (0-04 1f), C Morey (0-04 4f), M Scanlon (0-01).
Scorers Tipperary: C Devane (0-06 5f), J Grace (1-01), C Hennessy (0-02), G O’Brien (0-02), C McIntyre (0-02), N Walsh (0-02), E McGrath (0-02)
Clare:
1: Doireann Murphy (Clarecastle)
2: Ciara Grogan (Clooney/Quin)
3: Clare Hehir (Inagh/Kilnamona)
4: Caoimhe Kelly (Kilkishen)
5: Aoife Keane (Inagh/Kilnamona)
6: Chloe Morey (Sixmilebridge)
8: Susan Daly (Scariff/Ogonnelloe)
9: Caoimhe Carmody (Kilmaley)
18: Muireann Scanlon (Sixmilebridge)
10: Lorna McNamara (Feakle/Killanena)
11: Niamh O’Dea (Kilmaley)
12: Lynda Daly (Scariff/Ogonnelloe)
13: Eimear Kelly (Truagh/Clonlara)
14: Áine O’Loughlin (Truagh/Clonlara)
15: Zi Yan Spillane (Feakle/Killanena)
Subs:
Tipperary:
1: Áine Slattery (Shannon Rovers)
2: Julieanne Bourke (Borrisoleigh)
3: Mary Ryan (Moneygall)
4: Eimear Loughman (Clonoulty Rossmore)
5: Ciardha Maher (Burgess Duhara)
20: Courtney Ryan (Clonoulty Rossmore)
7: Aoife McGrath (Drom/Inch)
8: Grace O’Brien (Nenagh Éire Óg)
9: Niamh Treacy (Drom/Inch)
10: Jenny Grace (Burgess Duharra)
11: Roisin Howard (Cahir)
12: Casey Hennessy (Clonoulty Rossmore)
13: Claire Hogan (St Killians)
14: Cait Devane (Clonoulty Rosmore)
15: Clodagh McIntyre (Lorrha Dorrha)
Subs:
Referee: Diarmuid Kirwan (Cork)
