Tipperary Schools miss out on All-Ireland Final Spot

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February 06, 2023

All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Senior A Semi-Final

 

Loreto Kilkenny 3-13 (22)

Ursuline Thurles 3-12 (21)

 

A Julie Lennon point in the dying seconds of a rip roaring Senior A All-Ireland semi-final sent Loreto Kilkenny through to the All-Ireland final and broke Ursuline Thurles hearts. It was a fantastic contest full of drama with the lead changing hands on a number of occasions and 6 goals to excite the large crowd. Julie Lennon was a constant threat and had the opening score of the game a second minute goal after just 2 minutes had lapsed. A Sarah Corcoran point off her left reduced the gap to two before Loreto had 3-in-a-row from Julie Lennon, Caoimhe Keher Murtagh and Rachel Dowling. Both sides continued to score points as they game was played at a great tempo with great attacking camogie on display. Good work by Caoimhe Stakelum and Danielle Ryan in attack led to a Kate Ferncombe point before Caoimhe had a point of her own 5 minutes later. Paula Quirke was getting onto plenty of possession in defence and it was her clearance that found Lucy Purcell for her first score of the game to make it 1-05 to 0-4.  An Emma Mulhall point stretched Loreto’s lead before Caoimhe Stakelum showed her class with a super point from 50 metres. Two well-executed Sarah Corcoran frees left the half-time score 1-07 to 7 points.


Loreto started the second half strong with two quick scores. Then a great save by Ali Kennedy in the Loreto goal from a Caoimhe Stakelum effort on the 37th minute was followed up with a Sarah Corcoran point. Two minutes later Corcoran was on the scoreboard again, this time with a free. Ursuline were enjoying a great spell and had Loreto under serious pressure when Lucy Purcell levelled up proceedings with a well taken goal – 1-09 apiece and game on! The response from the Leinster champions was top drawer with Julie Lennon splitting the posts. Again, both sides exchanged white flags. With 13 minutes gone in the second half Ursuline Thurles took the lead thanks to an Alisha Kearney goal after Sarah Corcoran’s free had dropped into the square. The lead was extended to 4 (2-11 to 1-10) when Thurles Sarsfield’s Lucy Purcell split the posts with a superb score. A substitution and some positional switches really worked in Loreto’s favour and they nabbed the next 1-2 without reply, all from the dangerous Amy Clifford. Clifford first scored two frees before receiving a handpass from Caoimhe Keher Murtagh and firing home a goal from close range.  Three minutes later Ursuline were back in the lead when Lucy Purcell goaled to make it 3-11 to 2-12 in favour of the Munster champions. Their joy was short lived when a minute later Amy Clifford scored her second goal and the game’s sixth as both teams continued to serve up a cracker with the supporters on the edge of their seats. On the 57th minute Robyn Fitzgerald made it all square 3-12 each with the clock ticking down. With two minutes of injury time played up stepped Julie Lennon to inflict heartbreak on the Ursuline team with a late late winner to the delight of the Kilkenny school.


Ursuline Thurles: Orla Ryan (Clonoulty Rossmore), Aoife Kavanagh (Emeralds), Alison Fitzgerald (Holycross Ballycahill), Caoimhe Fitzgibbon (Moycarkey Borris), Emma Kelly (Borris-Ileigh), Lorna Ryan (JC) (Clonoulty Rossmore), Paula Quirke (Boherlahan Dualla), Kate Ferncombe , Aoife Bourke (Both Clonouty Rossmore), Sarah Corcoran (Moycarkey Borris) Louise Hickey (JC) (Emeralds), Lucy Purcell (Thurles Sarsfields), Danielle Ryan,(Boherlahan Dualla), Caoimhe Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields) Alisha Kearney (Moycarkey Borris)


All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Senior B Semi-Final

 

Gorey Community School 2-13 (19)

St Mary’s Nenagh 1-02 (5)

 

St Mary’s Nenagh travelled to Gorey on Saturday on the back of a fantastic victory the week previous in the Munster Final. However their dreams of reaching an All-Ireland final came crashing down as they met a superior Wexford outfit on top of their game. Gorey dominated from the outset and they had a big lead at the interval 1-08 to no score. Credit to St Mary’s they emerged in the second half eager to get the scoreboard ticking over and got an early goal from Eimhear Troy. But Gorey responded with a goal of their own and with 40 minutes played the score read 2-10 to 1-00. Two further points from St Mary’s (Isobel Kingston from play and an Iris grace free) left the fulltime score 2-13 to 1-02. It was a disappointing end to St Mary’s Nenagh’s season but they still end the year as Munster Champions, which is a great feat for a very young side which had no player on the starting 15 in 6th year.


St Marys , Nenagh: A Gleeson (Kildangan);M Gleeson (Toomevara), A Dooley ( Eire Og, Nenagh)(c), E Williams (Kilruane McDonagh);L Nagle, B Kennedy (Moneygall),M Steed(Silvermines); I Grace Burgess-Duharra),K O'Dwyer (Silvermines);E Costello( Moneygall), A Kennedy(Burgess-Duharra),A Treacy (Silvermines);E Troy ( Toomevara), J Ryan (Silvermines), M Ryan (Burgess-Duharra).