TIPPERARY MINOR TEAM
By Declan O'Shea, Assistant PRO
Tipperary Minor Ladies Footballers kicked off their championship campaign against Kerry ladies in Bansha on Saturday April 19th. This Tipperary panel had come together last November following a number of county trials. This team also features a number of girls from the under 16 county team who have already enjoyed opening round successes against Limerick and Clare. A number of dual players among this minor panel found that they were also on county duty with the camogie team versus Cork earlier in the day. 

Today the Kerry girls travelled to Bansha knowing they needed another win to remain in contention in this year's championship having already defeated Limerick in round one. Tipperary were as of yet, untested but were reputed to be going well in training and were hoping to get their campaign off to a winning start against illustrious opponents. The words Kerry and football go hand in hand and a large number of supporters had gathered in sun kissed Bansha to watch this excellently prepared Tipperary team do battle with the Kerry ladies. 

We hadn't long to wait as right from the throw in Tipperary laid siege to the Kerry end of the field and with less than a minute on the clock Aisling McCarthy had registered Tipperary's first score from play. By the tenth minute the Tipperary girls had clocked up a goal and seven points before Kerry registered their first point from play in the twelfth minute, the Tipperary goal coming from under 16 player Aoibhe O'Shea. Five Tipperary girls had at this point scored from play and a feature of their attack was the wonderful inter-passing flowing football played at speed out of defence. Passes went to hand and to say the Kerry girls were hit with a whirlwind would be an understatement. Eventually Kerry got their hands on some ball and between the fifteenth and twenty eighth minutes scored four points to keep them in touch. Aoife Corcoran, Laura Dillon and Dara Walsh for Tipperary added further points to leave the half time score, Tipperary -1-10 Kerry 0-5. Kerry had two goal chances during this half but on both occasions resolute defending from Tipp girls Elaine Kelly, Brid Condon and Hazel Shanahan repelled the Kerry attempts on goal. The Tipp supporters were the happiest at half time but wondered could Tipperary maintain this pace in the sweltering heat. 

When Tipperary emerged they had made one change, Mairead Eviston replacing the injured under 16 player Aoife Corcoran in midfield. Tipperary were again first to score with a fine point from Sara Everard. Kerry replied with point from a free before Aisling McCarthy buried the ball in the Kerry net following some lovely football that began in the half back line. A feature of Tipp's play was the strong running from defence by centre back Brid Condon. Her pace and distribution were top class throughout. Aisling Moloney from midfield was now assisting her defence and early interceptions broke up some dangerous looking Kerry attacks. Further Tipperary pressure added two points from frees for Aisling McCarthy and Elaine Fitzpatrick. Kerry added four more points in what was for them their first period of dominance. With two minutes of normal time remaining, Tipperary's Mairead Eviston was sin binned. Now down to fourteen players for the remainder of the game, the Kerry pressure mounted. A goal bound shot from the Kerry corner forward was saved on the line by Brid Condon at the expense of a point. At this point in the game Tipperary were nine points up but Kerry had not given up. 

Both managements now elected to bring on fresh legs as players began to tire. Roisin Howard had replaced Aoibhe O'Shea for Tipperary on the fifteenth minute and Kerry made a triple substitution on the twenty fifth minute. With thirty minutes played three further Tipperary substitutions brought fresh impetus to proceedings. In injury time Tipp added three more points from Sara Everard, Aisling Moloney and Caoimhe Condon with Kerry adding their only goal two minutes in to stoppage time. Two more Kerry points followed before referee Chris Cronin from Cork called a halt to proceedings after an additional five minutes play leaving the full-time score -Tipperary 2-16 Kerry 1-12. 

Tipperary's management team of John Joe O'Connor, Jim McSweeney, Elaine Harte and Nicola Gilmore will be extremely satisfied with this result which has been four months in the making. Tipperary's next game is against Limerick in round two on Wednesday evening next in Hospital, Limerick. 

Following on from earlier wins recently for the Tipperary under 16s, Tipperary ladies football is in a healthy position with much talent emerging from the juvenile ranks. Of course this doesn't just happen and it is a credit to the clubs and structures in place over the past number of years that Tipperary football can now compete at all levels. 

Tipperary Team: Lauren Fitzpatrick (Ardfinnan); Elaine Kelly (Cappawhite), Maureen Murphy (Brian Borus), Louise Cadwell (Templemore); Hazel Shanahan (Moyle Rovers), Brid Condon (Aherlow), Maria Kinnane (Moycarkey Borris); Aisling Moloney (Cahir), Aoife Corcoran (Cahir); Elaine Fitzpatrick (Templemore), Dara Walsh (Clonmel Commercials), Laura Dillon (Ardfinnan); Aoibhe O'Shea (Mullinahone), Aisling McCarthy - Captain (Cahir), Sara Everard (Moyle Rovers). 

Scorers: Aisling McCarthy 1-5, Aoibhe O'Shea 1-0, Sara Everard 0-3, Aoife Corcoran 0-2, Aisling Moloney 0-1, Brid Condon 0-1, Elaine Fitzpatrick 0-1, Dara Walsh 0-1, Laura Dillon 0-1, Caoimhe Condon 0-1. 

Panel: Laura Peters (Galtee Rovers), Mairead Eviston (Templemore), Niamh Butler (Moyne Templetuohy), Clare Walsh (Brian Borus), Niamh Mackey (Clonmel Commercials), Emma Buckley (Cahir), Kate Cashman (Templemore), Maria Curley (Templemore), Caoimhe Condon (Brian Borus), Roisin Howard (Cahir), Meghan Shanahan (Moyle Rovers), Eimear Everard (Moyne Templetuohy), Maeve O'Gorman (Aherlow), Roisin Finnane (Galtee Rovers), Sarah Ryan (Clonmel Commercials). 

TIPPERARY INTERMEDIATE TEAM
To date Tipperary Ladies have recorded four victories in the Tesco Homegrown National Football League and earned themselves a place in the Semi Final against Armagh on Sunday, April 27th at 2:00pm. This is a repeat of the 2013 League semi-final which Armagh won by a point. The venue for next Sunday's game is St. Peregrines, Blanchardstown, Dublin. We would welcome all support

TIPPERARY U16 TEAM
Last Wednesday April 16th Tipperary supporters travelled to Lattin to see the Tipperary U16 Team take on Clare in the next round of their Munster Championship. The team recorded another comprehensive victory over Clare on a score line of 7-19 to 4-4, for a full match report check out www.tipperaryladiesfootball.ie. Scorers on the day were Lara O'Dwyer (4-3), Caoimhe Condon (2-1), Roisin Finnane (1-2), Aoibhe O'Shea (0-5), Aisling Moloney 0-4, Grainne Condon (0-2), Kate Davey (0-1), Kristy Crotty Ryan (0-1).

A Munster Final awaits the team now and this is fixed for Saturday April 26th at a venue to be confirmed. Check out www.facebook.com/tippladiesfootball for details later.

TIPPERARY POST PRIMARY BLITZ
Due to the Post Primary involvement at All Ireland level it has been decided to postpone the blitz until 2nd May, venue will be Dr. Morris Park, Thurles and full details are available on www.tipperaryladiesfootball.ie.

Information concerning Ladies Football will appear in these notes. If you wish to include any item of interest, please contact us at [email protected] before 8pm on Sunday. Visit the Tipperary Ladies Football web site at www.tipperaryladiesfootball.ie to date with all the latest news in Tipperary Ladies Football. Tweet

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