Great joy as goal happy Tullamore SHS make All-Ireland camogie final

TULLAMORE Sacred Heart School are through to the All-Ireland Senior D Camogie Final after a comprehensive 12-point win over High Cross Tuam on Saturday afternoon. 2-1 from corner forward Emma Francis was the difference as the Tullamore women booked their place in the All-Ireland Camogie ‘D’ Final.

All-Ireland Colleges Camogie Senior “D” semi-final

Tullamore Sacred Heart School 4-6

High Cross Tuam 0-6

Conditions were more than ideal for the game with a crisp winter sun shining down on the Jack Wyer field in Ballinamere.

It was an action-packed start to the game, with both sides exchanging early wides. However, it was Sacred Heart who settled the ship first with player of the match Kayla Lawlor hitting a monster point from nearly 50 yards out after five minutes of play.

Soon after, High Cross Tuam hit back and they levelled when Emily Banks converted a close range free.

Sacred Heart were the better side in the opening half and Lawlor was dominating. She did well to bat down the ball, before beating her opponent in a foot race who pushed her in the back. Rachel Cunningham converted the free and it was one of three first half frees which Cunningham accurately pointed.

Tuam were playing very deep, and struggled to create any meaningful chances in the first half against a defiant Sacred Heart defence.

Banks pointed again from a free on the 18^th minute and it kept Tuam in the game with the Tullamore school leading by a single point after 20 minutes of play.

The all-decisive goal came in the 21^st minute. When the ball was played in towards, Emma Francis. There didn’t seem to be much danger, but the Tullamore woman did exceptionally well to skilfully flick the ball up and turn her marker in the one motion, before firing to the net from 21 yards out.

Sacred Heart were on fire now, and Lawlor put five points in it with a terrific piece of skill near the sideline. She picked the ball up on the turn, before running and tapping over.

There was drama at the end of the first half when Lily Marie Dolan was hauled down inside the small square and the referee didn’t hesitate in signalling a penalty. Cunningham’s stepped up, but her drilled effort cannoned off the crossbar and was eventually cleared by the Tuam defence to leave five points (1-5 to 0-3) in it at half time.

Sacred Heart came out fighting in the second half, and they put the game to bed inside the first two minutes. Francis got the first score of the half with a close-range point before Maeve Duffy put the game to bed two minutes in when she finished neatly to the net. This left nine points in it, and Tuam never looked like recovering.

They did play a lot better in the second half, but Sacred Heart looked unstoppable. Goalkeeper Aoife Kavanagh made four terrific saves in the second half, including a double save from Tuam’s Niamh Ni Threasaigh.

Sacred Heart poured more misery on Tuam when they netted their third after Niamh Hughes set up Emma Francis who slotted home for her second of the day. Lily Marie Dolan put the icing on the cake with 9 minutes to play when she buried to the net to leave 14 points the lead.

Despite this, Tuam finished strongly and never gave up, rallying two more points before referee Brian Deering blew for full time, much to the delight of the large crowd of Sacred Heart spectators in the crowd.

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MATCH ANALYSIS

PLAYER OF THE MATCH:

Kayla Lawlor (Sacred Heart Tullamore): Goalkeeper Aoife Kavanagh is an honourable mention with a string of decent saves in the second half, but Kayla Lawlor gets the shout. She played with fire in her belly, and was superb throughout. She covered a lot of ground, especially in the first half, when the game was in the melting pot, adding two points to the scoreboard at a time when Sacred Heart were looking to pull away. She is a fast and tenacious midfielder and both her point in the first half were top class. St. Sinchill’s club player did not put a foot wrong all afternoon.

THE SCORERS:

Sacred Heart Tullamore: Emma Francis 2-1, Rachel Cunnigham 0-3 (0-3F), Maeve Duffy and Lily Marie Dolan 1-0 each, Kayla Lawlor 0-2.

High Cross Tuam: Emily Banks 0-4 (0-3F), Kelsey Gilmore 0-2.

THE TEAMS

TULLAMORE SACRED HEART SCHOOL: Aoife Kavanagh (Tullamore); Lauren Byrne (St. Sinchill's), Rachel McEvoy (St. Sinchill's), Alice Walsh (Tullamore); Katie McDermott (Tullamore), Emily Walsh (Tullamore), Maebh Carey (Tullamore); Katie Fogarty (Tullamore), Kayla Lawlor (St. Sinchill's); Maeve Duffy (Tullamore), Niamh Hughes (Tullamore), Rachel Cunningham (Tullamore); Emma Francis (Tullamore), Lily Marie Dolan (Tullamore), Shannon Healion (Kilcormac). Subs: Nicole Dunne for Shannon Healion (50 mins), Molly Dillane (Tullamore) for Lawlor (52 mins), Summer Hogan for Lauren Byrne (55 mins).

HIGH CROSS COLLEGE, TUAM: Caoimhe Higgins (Sylane); Rachel Reaney (Trim), Emily Lardner (Tuam), Emma Burke (Turloughmore); Jessica Cooley (Sylane), Ava Hynes (Tuam), Katelyn Greaney (Sylane); Grainne Adeyeye (Tuam), Niamh Ni Threasaigh (Sylane); Clodagh Doyle (Tuam), Emily Banks (Tuam), Isabelle Comer (Tuam); Ailbhe Heffernan (Tuam), Meabh Dooley (Sylane), Gemma Gavin (Tuam). Subs: Kelsey Gilmore (Tuam) for Comer (40 mins), Sophie Blade (Tuam) for Adeyeye (43 mins), Sarah Morris (Sylane) for Cooley (46 mins), Jessica Cooley for Lardner (49 mins), Siofra O’Connor (Tuam) for Heffernan (50 mins), Sophie Blade (Tuam) for Meabh Dooley and Ciara McHugh (Sylane) for Burke (both 54 mins), Ella Flynn (Tuam) for Reaney (57 mins).

Referee – Brian Deering (Carlow).

REFEREE WATCH:

Brian Deering did a fine job. He was consistent and firm and was vocal in his reasoning behind each decision which is always great to see. A solid performance from the man in the middle.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH:

There was some top-class camogie on show but Francis’ first goal was brilliant. She picked it and turned her marker at the same time, in a Dennis Bergkamp-esque turn, before firing past the Tuam goalkeeper. It was not an easy thing to do on the wet and heavy ground, but she mastered it.

VENUE WATCH:

Ballinamere hosted the game well. A lot of supporters made the trip, and there were adequate facilities available. Despite the heavy rainfall over the last number of days, the pitch held up well. Their electronic scoreboard was not operating which was somewhat of a disappointment, but overall, they hosted well.

WHAT'S NEXT

Sacred Heart are into the All-Ireland final, where they will face Scoil Mhuire agus Ide of Limerick.

STATISTICS

Wides: Sacred Heart Tullamore: 9 (6 in first half); High Cross College Tuam: 3 (2 in first half).

Yellow cards: Sacred Heart Tullamore: 0; High Cross College Tuam – 1 (Gemma Gavin)

Red cards: 0