Camógs pick up excellent away win over Tipp

Camogie

Tipperary 1-11

Cavan 2-9

Goals from Tina O’Reilly and Áine Corcoran proved crucial as Cavan camógs picked up a fantastic away win over hosts Tipperary in The Ragg last Saturday in this All-Ireland Championship clash.

Cavan have been on a remarkable run of late and while they came away with a great victory here, they missed numerous chances and could have won the game by more.

In the opening minutes of the game, both sides were left disappointed from missed chances with Cavan missing a point from a set play and Tipperary being denied a goal after a superb save from Laragh’s Jenny O’Rourke.

Tipperary applied pressure with Grace Moloney and Aoife McLoughney prominent up front as they looked for scores in the first ten minutes of the game but Nomonde Majola and Erinn Galligan defended superbly.

Cavan landed the first score after six minutes of play with Emer Fitzpatrick slotting one over the black spot. The Tipperary backline were under pressure and conceded two frees, both of which Clodagh Keenaghan popped over the bar.

Late addition to the squad Áine Corcoran was next to get in on the act as she registered a point in the 15th minute. Cavan’s defenders struggled to get a hand on Shannon Rovers’ Aoife McLoughney as she scored three points from play and another point from a free by the 24th minute.

Aideen Coyle and Emer Fitzpatrick, working hard in the centre, won puck-outs from not just the Cavan keeper but from Tipperary’s Ciara Houlihan too and their precise deliveries to Clodagh Keenaghan saw the Laragh star land three points from play.

Again Aoife McLoughney got her name on the scoresheet for Tipp as she found the onion bag in the 27th minute of the game, leaving it finely poised at Cavan 0-7 to Tipperary 1-5 at the break.

Cavan were rearing to go in the second half as Áine Corcoran found herself slotting a point over in just the second minute of the game. After some excellent play from the centre, the ball was launched into the ‘Denn Destroyer’ Shanise Fitzsimons, who was hoping to work her magic but she selflessly handpassed to Tina O’Reilly who buried it into the back of the net.

Cavan continued to press as Fitzsimons opened her account with a well-deserved point from play, coming in the ninth minute. As a unit, the Cavan squad worked well with the introduction of fresh legs coming in at crucial times making the difference.

Another fine ball won by Fitzsimons left her within her goal-scoring range, but she spotted Corcoran in a better position and the Drumgoon player bagged another goal in the 42nd minute.

Tipperary weren’t about to drop the heads as they slotted a point from play over in the 45th minute. Late in the second half, Tipperary started to dominate as they fired over three unanswered points from play, with the last going over in the 55th minute.

But Cavan held on to take a priceless opening victory, which sets them up well for the remainder of the competition.

Cavan face Waterford in the next round of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Premier Junior Championship at home this Saturday (details TBC).

Cavan: Jenny O’Rourke, Aine Finnegan, Erinn Galligan, Nomonde Majola, Susie Cusack, Rosie Crowe McKeever, Josephine Maguire, Aideen Coyle, Emer Fitzpatrick, Megan Shields, Tina O’Reilly, Eimear Brady, Aine Corcoran, Shanise Fitzsimons, Clodagh Keenaghan

Subs: Hannah Fitzsimons, Niamh Keenaghan, Lorraine O'Rourke

Pic: Back (from left): Ciara Fitzpatrick, Aoife Brady, Niamh Keenaghan, Shanise Fitzsimons, Lorraine O’Rourke, Suzanne Cusack, Jenny O’Rourke, Laura Bambrick, Carmel Fay, Hannah Fitzsimons, Emer Fitzpatrick, Aisling Collins, Kerri McQuillan, Áine Corcoran, Katie Fitzpatrick, Eimear Brady and Eimear Cahill.

Front: Aislinn Keenaghan, Megan Shields, Clodagh Keenaghan, Rosie Crowe-McKeever, Joey Maguire (joint-captain), Aideen Coyle (joint-captain), Tina O’Reilly, Erinn Galligan, Nomonde Majola, Aideen Finnegan and Emma Mulvaney.