Waterford 1-18
Tipperary 0-18
1-11 from 2023 Player of the Year Beth Carton blasted Waterford into the Munster Camogie final on Saturday afternoon.
In a ferocious semi final battle, Jerry Wallace's charges trailed league champions Tipperary by six points after eight minutes but fought back to set up a provincial decider with Cork on May 19. Carton's goal on 44 minutes turned the tide while De La Salle club mate Brianna O'Regan delivered two brilliant saves in injury time. Mairead O'Brien was a menace all afternoon with her driving runs.
"It was unbelievable stuff," exclaimed an ecstatic Jerry Wallace. "Pure Munster championship camogie! We're absolutely delighted."
Tipp, fielding twelve of the team that beat Galway in the league final, edged a frantic and physical first half 11-10. Denis Kelly's side led six nil after just eight minutes. Clodagh McIntyre charged forward from the throw in and Eimear McGrath pointed the free that followed. McGrath then struck one over off her knees just like Brian Corcoran did for the Cork hurlers. McIntyre, Grace O'Brien and Karen Kennedy also raised white flags. Kate Lynch followed Kennedy throughout.
Beth Carton moved the scoreboard for Waterford in the ninth minute. She put over six points (three from play) to drag the Déise back into the contest. Niamh Rockett fired two from play. Two brilliant blocks from Tipp corner back Eimear Loughman denied the 2020 All Star a goal in injury time.
Carton levelled within two minutes of the restart but McGrath, Caoimhe McCarthy, Kennedy and Caoimhe Maher hit back at the other end to make it 0-15 to 0-12. On 44 minutes, a long range Brianna O'Regan free was kept in play by Annie Fitzgerald and Carton batted the sliotar to the net (1-14 to 0-16).
In a rip roaring finish, Lorraine Bray and Annie Fitzgerald knocked over points for the visitors. Carton then caught a puckout a minute into injury time and split the posts from an acute angle. The score of the day. The Déise still needed O'Regan to pull off late, late saves from Róisín Howard and Eimear McGrath to secure a golden victory.
Scorers for Tipperary: E McGrath 0-7 (6fs), K Kennedy 0-3, C McCarthy, G O'Brien 0-2 each, C McIntyre, M Ryan, C Maher, C Hennessy 0-1 each.
Scorers for Waterford: B Carton 1-11 (6fs), M O'Brien, N Rockett 0-2 each, L Bray, R Walsh, A Fitzgerald 0-1 each.
Tipperary: N Walsh; J Bourke, M Eviston, M Ryan; C McCarthy, E Loughman, C Quirke; C McIntyre, C Hennessy; K Kennedy, C Maher, E Heffernan; G O'Brien, E McGrath, R Howard.
Subs: T Ryan for M Ryan (49), M Burke for Heffernan (49), N Treacy for O'Brien (51), K Blair for McIntyre (58).
Waterford: B O'Regan; K Corbett Barry, L Forrest, I Heffernan; T Power, C Carroll, B Bowdren; L Bray, O Hickey; A McNulty, R Walsh, M O'Brien; N Rockett, B Carton, K Lynch.
Subs: A Fitzgerald for McNulty (37), S Lacey for Rockett (37), R Kirwan for Walsh (55).
Referee: C McAllister (Cork)
