Minor qualification bid dealt Tipp blow

TIPPERARY 0-4 WEXFORD 1-9

WEXFORD TRAVELLED to The Ragg near Thurles for round three of the Tesco All-Ireland Minor ‘A’ camogie championship, hoping to keep their winning ways going after a victory against Laois the previous week.

However, they were beaten by a physically stronger Tipperary team, as they slipped behind early on and were always playing catch-up.

It’s rare to see the Premier county with a weak team at this level. Their consistency in producing talent is remarkable, and they showed it again in this contest.

Tipperary got off to a strong start and were 1-1 to nil up after five minutes, with Laura Linnane on target with the major.

The Wexford girls did battle hard right through but couldn’t bridge that early gap, eventually going in 1-4 to 0-2 down, despite points from Aoife O’Connor and Emma Dempsey

Wexford continued to battle away on a very heavy pitch, which was far from ideal for fancy camogie.

The sides exchanged points early in the second-half and the visitors were still just in touch heading into the last few minutes, with O’Connor and Dempsey on target again.

Yet there was to be no late drama in as Tipperary scored the last couple of points to win easing away. Wexford hopes of progression now look increasingly slim after this defeat, with Cork next on the horizon.

The Leesiders were 17 points better than a Waterford side which dispatched Brendan Tobin’s charges in their opening game. The Slaneysiders will round out the group stages with a visit to currently unbeaten Dublin.

Wexford: Eimear Goland; Rachel Murphy, Miria O’Dowd, Katelyn O’Connor; Niamh Cogley, Muireann Fitzpatrick (capt.), Eabha Farrell; Loren Doyle, Lauren Delaney; Aoife O’Connor (0-2 frees), Emma Dempsey (0-2, 1 free), Siobhán Sinnott; Faye Codd, Andrea Fielding, Katie Bates. Subs. - Grace Roche for Farrell, Kerry Doyle-Kinsella for Sinnott, Emma Tomkins for Fielding, Farrell for K. O’Connor, also Abbie Dagg, Róisín Scallan, Molly Crowdle, Nadine Fortune, Hannah White, Laura Conroy, Donna Delahunty, Fiona Cousins, Cora Redmond, Ciara O’Connor, Rebecca Fanning.

Tipperary: Áine Slattery (0-1 free); Alison Connolly, Aoibhinn Ward, Nell Spillane; Alison O’Mahoney, Emer Heffernan, Laura Heffernan; Leah Heffernan, Aoibhe Gayson; Caoimhe McCarthy (0-2), Laura Linnane (1-3, 0-2 frees), Ciara Dwan (0-1); Jill Anne Quirke, Lucy Fogarty, Eva O’Dwyer (0-2). Subs. - Niamh Cunneen, Ellen Cunneen, Kate Murphy, Miriam Murphy, Caoimhe McCormack.

Referee: Fintan McNamara (Clare).