Tipperary turn the tide against Kilkenny to set up Galway rematch

All-Ireland senior camogie quarter-final AET: Tipperary 1-22 Kilkenny 0-19

Tipperary are headed to the last four of the All-Ireland senior camogie championship, where they will play Galway in a repeat of last year’s dramatic semi-final clash, after two crucial plays in the space of 60 seconds midway through extra-time turned a tense quarter-final battle with Kilkenny their way.

With the first half of extra-time expiring, a high ball from Laura Murphy dropped just outside the Tipp box. As Caoimhe Keher Murtagh hit the deck, referee Ray Kelly blew for a penalty to discount Keher Murtagh’s one-handed sweep which had sent the sliotar to the net.

Aoife Prendergast’s penalty was on target, but Laura Leenane read the strike, diving left and low to make the block.

On the next attack Clodagh McIntyre, who had been replaced in the second half but was reintroduced for extra time, took possession and exploded through a tackle to bear down on goal. Her thunderous shot to the roof of the Kilkenny net but Tipp 1-19 to 0-19 ahead. When Eimear Hefferan started the second half of extra time with a sensational strike for a point, Tipp were well on their way back to an All-Ireland semi-final.

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Kilkenny Laura Murphy goes for a high ball challenged by Tipperary's Caoimhe McCarthy. Photograph: Leah Scholes/Inpho

The key moment during normal time was another goalmouth incident midway through the second half, when Tipperary showed their survival instinct to preserve their goal when the contest was finely poised.

Katie Power’s pass to Keher Murtagh set the Rower Inistíoge attacker through on goal, but she couldn’t quite get clear of Mairead Eviston, who came up with a crucial block from 10 metres out.

Maria Brennan dropping deep left Eviston as a free operator at the other end, but Kilkenny’s excellent use of the ball, allied to some outstanding play from Murphy and Katie Power along the spine of the attack, seemed to give them an edge. The two attackers were imperious, scoring 0-4 and 0-3 from play respectively in the opening half as Kilkenny struck 10 points from 10 shots.

Not that Tipperary were wasteful either, with just two wides in the first half-hour, but they found it harder to keep the ball out of Brennan’s sphere of influence. It was only two excellent points from Caoimhe McCarthy on her forays forward that kept them within range, trailing 0-10 to 0-8 at the interval.

Kilkenny's Aobha O'Gorman blocks a shot from Tipperary's Caoimhe McCarthy. Photograph: Leah Scholes/Inpho

The shift in momentum at the break was subtle. While Murphy remained influential, McCarthy took a greater hold of that individual battle; and every bit as significant was the switch of Casey Hennessy to midfield.

Freed from the shackles of a strong marking display by Tiffanie Fitzgerald, Hennessy had a fresh lease of life and hit three points from her new berth, as well as creating several more chances. Her point opened the scoring in the second half after an excellent give-and-go saw her attack the centre of defence, and by the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the introduction of Jean Kelly added an extra dimension to the attack.

Points from Kelly and McCarthy seemed to put Tipp in the driving seat, but the maturation of this Kilkenny team has been one of the stories of the championship, and it fell to Sarah Barcoe and Murphy to split the posts in the closing minutes and send the contest through to extra time.

When Prendergast hit the first three points of extra time, the Leinster champions had a home semi-final in a fortnight in their grasp, but that was all to change in the space of one very consequential minute.

TIPPERARY: L Leenane; M Eviston, K Blair, E Loughman; N Costigan, C McCarthy (0-3), S Corcoran; K Kennedy, C Maher (0-1); R Howard (0-1), M Burke (0-1), E Heffernan; C McIntyre (1-0), C Hennessy (0-4), G O’Brien (0-9, 0-8f).

Subs: J Bourke for Costigan (23 mins); J Kelly (0-3) for Burke (46); L Purcell for McIntyre (48); N Cunneen for Howard (60+2); McIntyre for Purcell (f-t); Howard for Heffernan, E Cunneen for Hennessy (both 79).

KILKENNY: A Norris; M Teehan, T Fitzgerald, D Quigley; K Doyle, N Deely, C Dowling; A O’Gorman, L Greene (0-2); S Fitzgerald, L Murphy (0-5), M O’Connell; A Prendergast (0-7, 0-4f), K Power (0-4), M Brennan.

Subs: C Keher Murtagh for O’Connell (h-t); S Barcoe (0-1) for O’Gorman (50 mins); S Holden for Doyle (58); K Nolan for Brennan (67); S O’Dwyer for Power (74).

Referee: R Kelly (Kildare).