By Daragh Ó Conchúir, at Croke Park
Tipperary 0-12
Laois 1-8
A pointed free in the fifth minute of injury time by Jenny Grace secured the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland premier junior camogie title for Tipperary, completing a comeback as the Premier awoke from the dead to lay the ghost of last year’s final defeat.
It was very tough on Laois, who did not fall behind until the 52nd minute and recovered from that to lead again thanks to a sensational point by Susie Delaney with the hour just about to elapse.
They will know, however, that they should have made more hay from their dominance of the opening 25 minutes, when it was almost one-way traffic, a dominance that was not reflected by a seven-point advantage and certainly not by the four that separated the sides at half-time.
Tipp finished the first half well and were a different side after the restart, obdurate, physical and battling in the war zone of the middle third that they had been blown out of in that initial period.
They got a big return from their bench, Eva O’Dwyer hitting two points and offering a presence up top. Meanwhile, Lily Fahie, who only came on in the 58th minute, set up her sister and fellow sub Anna, with a very cool stick-pass for a 62nd minute equaliser before being fouled for the winner.
That winner was a ninth point for Grace, who served a lengthy stint with the seniors and had Bill Mullaney as boss at that grade before this season’s reunion. Her experience told with the calm conversion not just of that score, but the important ones that dragged her side back into the game.
Laois flew out of the traps wand were the more threatening team by some distance for most of that first half. They attempted to pull the Tipperary defence to the flanks and use their speed in the resultant spaces, judiciously placing diagonals in front of the runners, who offered themselves in ones and twos.
They had two points inside five minutes from Gráinne Delaney and Eimear Hassett, before Tipp got off the mark from a seventh minute free by Grace. It was 22 minutes before Tipp scored again and yet somehow, they only trailed by four at the interval, 1-5 to 0-4.
While the victors’ strong finish helped, Laois shot some bad wides and threatened to score more than the one goal they did manage in the tenth minute, with a thunderous drive to the roof of the net by Susie Delaney.
It was the Portlaoise player that had been fouled for a penalty as the O’Moores carved the Tipp defence open again. Collier’s poor effort was easily saved by Laura Leenane, who blocked the follow-up bravely. The sliotar broke eventually to Susie Delaney however, who nearly blew the net off the rigging.
Further points from Collier (two) and Aisling O’Dea increased the margin to seven but with Sinéad Meagher beginning to make her physical presence felt around the middle and O’Dwyer doing likewise inside, Tipp managed to win three frees, all of which were converted to put a different slant on proceedings at the change of ends.
The second half was keenly contested but the Laois defence continued to concede frees under pressure and with Sarah Pembroke making up for the penalty concession with a thunderous display at centre-back, Tipp were motoring.
They were within one point by the 42nd minute and though Collier pointed a free to put the team managed by her father Pat and Robert Jones two clear, three in a row by Grace – the third from a 60m free – gave Tipp the lead for the first time.
Back came Laois with an equaliser from Collier and then Susie Delaney dispossessed Gráinne Fox before landing a spectacular point from tight to the Cusack Stand touchline and just inside the 45m line to put Laois in front with the four minutes of allotted injury time approaching.
It was fine margins at this juncture and after the Fahie siblings combined for the Tipp leveller, Lily Fahie went tumbling right under the nose of excellent referee Karol Collins as the clock ticked into the 65th minute, leaving Grace to do the needful.
SCORERS FOR TIPPERARY: J Grace 0-9(8fs); E O’Dwyer 0-2; A Fahie 0-1
SCORERS FOR LAOIS: A Collier 0-4(1f); S Delaney 1-1; G Delaney, A O’Dea, E Hassett 0-1 each
TIPPERARY: L Leenane, L Ryan, C Ryan, M Connolly, O O’Brien, S Pembroke, G Fox, A Quinlisk, C Brennan, JA Quirke, S Meagher, G Moloney, E Flanagan, L Shinners, J Grace. Subs: E O’Dwyer for Quirke (26); A Fahie for Moloney (52), L Fahie for Flanagan (58)
LAOIS: A Lowry, L Finlay, L Daly, F Scully, A Finlay, C Tynan, S Creagh, L C Fennell, J Bergin, A O’Dea, G Delaney, A Walsh, E Hassett, A Collier, S Delaney. Subs: LM Maher for O’Dea (ht); R Deegan for Fennell (44); A Hyland for Daly (49); A Coss for Walsh (60+3)
REFEREE: Karol Collins (Galway)
