Tipperary will play in the Littlewoods Ireland Camogie Leagues Division 1 Final for the first time in 11 years after shocking champions Galway in a pulsating affair at Duggan Park. The Premier women failed to score in the second half but produced some heroic defending to hold out and prevail by 1-8 to 0-10. Captain Cáit Devane was inspiration for Tipp, scoring six points in the opening period to supplement Róisín Howard’s early goal and then dropping deep to help protect the 1-8 to 0-5 interval advantage into the wind. Indeed, the Clonoulty/Rossmore All-Star made one fantastic dispossession of Rebecca Hennelly on the edge of her own area, deep into the eight minutes of injury time played in the second half, to help keep Galway at bay. Cathal Murray will be disappointed that his charges could only match their first-half return with the elements after the resumption, Carrie Dolan adding to her three first-half points and Niamh Kilkenny also on target. The westerners poured forward late on but the big plays were being produced by Bill Mullaney’s players. Aoife McGrath was sensational in added time, nipping in to clear after Aoife Butler spread herself well to stop an Aoife Donohue shot. Later on, she took a yellow card for fouling the ever-dangerous Ailish O’Reilly at the expense of Galway’s last score from a Dolan, and then got in a stupendous block on O’Reilly to maintain her side’s advantage.
After the game, Galway manager Cathal Murray spoke to Darren Kelly...
