Wexford and Tipperary through to Semi FInals

Defending champions Wexford and former winners Tipperary have joined Cork and Galway in the last four of the Gala All-Ireland senior camogie championship.

Tipperary’s draw with Galway at Semple Stadium on Saturday evening means that National League champions Kilkenny cannot now qualify for the last four.

The Cats meet Dublin in Ballyboden on Sunday but that match is now effectively a ‘dead rubber.’

Any sort of result for Tipperary against Galway was good enough although the Premier County will be disappointed not to have taken maximum points.

Galway’s lethal Jessica Gill, who had been substituted, was brought back on two and a half minutes into stoppage time to convert a penalty which salvaged a 1-14 to 2-11 draw for the Tribeswomen.

Tipp led by 1-6 to 0-7 at half-time, the goal courtesy of Geraldine Kinnane who handpassed the ball to the net in the 17th minute.

With 12 minutes remaining, Claire Grogan set up top scorer Emily Hayden for Tipperary’s second goal and the same player was denied another major soon after by a smart Susan Earner save.

Tipp were clinging onto a three-point lead deep in stoppage time but there was a late twist in the tale as Gill added a goal to her three points collected earlier.

Meanwhile, defending champions Wexford booked their place in the last four with a facile victory against Limerick in Kilmallock.

The Model County lost their opening two matches in the competition but four successive victories since then have ensured that they will be in the hat for Sunday evening’s semi-final draw.

Red-hot Una Leacy and Ursula Jacob were in scintillating form against Limerick and the deadly inside forwards weighed in with 2-8 apiece as Wexford racked up 7-27.

Bridget Curran, a late call-up in place of the absent Katrina Parrock, justified her inclusion with a 2-2 haul while -ine Codd was also in good scoring form as she notched 1-2.

Limerick responded with 0-4 during the game, Eileen O’Brien supplying 0-3 from placed balls with Tara Power notching the only score from play for the hosts.

In other news, Kilkenny collected a fourth successive All-Ireland U16 title with a 3-7 to 2-5 victory against Cork in the curtain-raiser to the Tipp-Galway match.

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