Dublin Seniors - The Quest Continues on the Trip to Tipp

(23 Feb 2020)

‘Dublin Seniors - The Quest Continues on the Trip to Tipp…’

Littlewoods Ireland Camogie Leagues Division 1 Group 2

Tipperary Vs Dublin

Date: 23 Feb 2020 (2:00pm)

Venue: Bansha, Co. Tipperary

Referee: Justin Heffernan

FIRST HALF

The Dublin Senior team travel to Tipperary for the second round of the Littlewoods Ireland Division 1 National League.  Dublin come into the game on the back of a narrow defeat against Cork in the first round. Tipperary come on the back of a narrow win against Limerick. The team are well prepared and the coaching team are alert for the minor tweaks and recalibrations that show themselves only in competitive matches.  In that vein, having lost out in 1st round due to illness is Roisin Baker back at No 11 and replacing the injured Kerrie Finnegan, starting at no 14 is Julia Buckley making her first full senior debut.  The three St Vincent’s players Aisling Maher, Deirdre Johnstone and Muireann Kelliher are also welcomed back to the squad.

The ‘Trip to Tipp’ begins on a sun speckled morning with the coaching team there to provide guidance and advice. It is clear they are a devoted group. As the players board the bus they are greeted with good humour and counsel by John, Lorraine, Dee and Philip the bus driver who ensures that everyone is safely delivered to matches. Within this positive bubble, the squad journey to Tipp and the sun tags along in a pool of blue sky that seems tethered to the team bus. The weather deteriorates only on arrival at Bansha, but it is short-lived and the sun emerges again as do the spectators while they wander to the stand.

The game begins with Tipperary winning the throw in after a series of tussles.  A battle on the 22 ensues which Dublin clears.  Tipperary continue to press and after a long ball in and a great catch, a free is awarded in front of the Dublin posts. Cait Devane slots over for the first point to Tipperary.  Their pressing game continues and again some sharp passing precedes a lovely strike from Tipperary’s Roisin Howard.

The midfield area sees a number of skirmishes with Zoe Couch making a determined block.  The two teams are still testing each other. It is noticeable how a long diagonal Tipperary ball lands in the corner at the Dublin end and does not travel, mired into the heavy surface. Dublin attacks the Tipperary goal with a long delivery by Laura Twomey which is eventually cleared by Tipperary.

Niamh Gannon now surfaces and opens the scoring for Dublin sending a towering strike which crests the peaks of the posts for a fine point. Dublin advance on the Tipperary half and the lines are cleared. The game oscillates in this way with strike and counter strike, Jean Kelly of Tipperary striking a wide at one point.

Leah Butler stops a Tipperary run followed by a block down on a strike by Tipp’s Jean Kelly which eventually results in a free for Tipperary. Caragh Dawson sets off on an impressive run and it takes a foul which knocks Caragh to the ground to stop her.  The resultant free sails wide.  Tipperary now find a fluency of play out of midfield, transporting the sliotar upfield hand to hand or sprayed passes which Dublin doggedly defend.

Following a sharp pass from captain Hannah Hegarty to Sinead Wylde who sends the ball into the goal area and wide, a 45 is the awarded.  Leah Butler steps up and adds a point for Dublin. Dublin continue to probe for a way through the Tipperary defences, possession passing back and forth. Dublin win another free and send the sliotar wide.

It is a tight game personified in the play of Roisin Baker and Aoife Walsh as they aggressively pursue Tipperary’s Niamh Treacy. Dublin and Tipperary trade frees around the midfield as melee’s become stuck in the heavy ground. The sliotar appears as heavy and sluggish as the ground conditions as Dublin’s Miriam Twomey and Tipp’s Ereena Fryday exchange swift swipes of their hurls.  Another free for Dublin is sent wide.  The game resists the players’ attempts to increase momentum.  The wind stand stills and is its own doldrums.

Tipp are next to add to their tally with Aoife Butler taking advantage of a fortuitous bounce of the sliotar into her hands which she sends over the bar. The following sequences of play mirror the earlier one’s, with a panoply of players digging in and crowding small spaces.  One notable skirmish see’s Miriam Twomey, Laura Twomey and Roisin Baker scurry, block and parry with three of their counter-parts on the sideline, the six players a flurry of movement as the sliotar again resists their attempts to free it.

The stalemate is somewhat broken when Dublin’s Aisling Carolan snatches a great ball winning a free which Leah Butler sails over the bar. A slight turn in the game is sensed, very light like the breeze.  Some decisions go Dublin’s way as the referee adjudicates a free for Dublin in the midfield which enables progression upfield.

Dublin’s Niamh Gannon and Tipp’s Grace O’Toole are embroiled in a momentous confrontation swapping tackles, parries and blows.  The light wind favours Dublin as Niamh emerges from one such encounter to run, in her characteristic sprint, and let loose a high arcing sliotar which scales high and long attracting the gaze of all spectators as it lands between the posts.  Was the door opening a tad wider for Dublin? Tipp lean on the door and add another two points, one from play and the other a free. With Tipp’s nose in front, the two teams harry each other looking for a drop in intensity, a moment’s loss of concentration, a chink in the armour. Caragh Dawson is next up and runs hard at goal, swiping hard to send the sliotar goal-wards which is impressively parried wide by the Tipp keeper.  The resultant 45 is struck true and another point earned for Dublin.

After a period of fast, relentless play, Tipp end the half with two consecutive points from Cait Devine, a free and a point from play to twist the score in their favour. Dublin has wrestled the lead from Tipp once in the first half and Tipp have wrestled it back. Small margins. All to play for.

Half Time Score

Tipperary 0:7 Dublin 0:5

SECOND HALF

Tipp start the second half strongly with Emer McGrath powering the sliotar towards goal which Dublin parry successfully.  A point for Tipp follows a free which Cait Devine dispatches. Dublin step up with a keen pass from Aisling Carolan to Laura Twomey who bags a vital point. Tipp’s Emer McGrath is brought down in proximity to the Dublin posts and Cait Devine snatches another point from the resultant free.

For the next 14 minutes no scores are taken by either side as they battle for supremacy. The score stands at Tipp’s 9 points to Dublin’s 6 points. A kaleidoscope of desperate tackles, runs, blocks, catches and parries fills this fascinating gallery of play.  Such are the tiny and unforgiven margins, Dublin’s Niamh Gannon must somehow pick a sliotar off the tightrope that is the sideline running at pace and being tormented by a Tipp marker, but this she does with aplomb and makes the ensuing pass.  Dublin know that they must not let the scoreboard advance any further for their opponents with Tipp wanting to increase the distance. 

Tipp make a number of dangerous forays, the Dublin keeper Rosie Kenneally making a number of clearances, one a particularly monster strike upfield. The Dublin defence continue holding the line, making tackle after tackle, clearance after clearance, strikes forced wide.  The ferocity of the play is in inverse proportion to the becalmed weather.  Tipp try blunt force incursions and rapier like passing to break Dublin down but all are nullified.

In the latter part of this period, Dublin swing the momentum back to their opponents.  Caragh Dawson making one of her dangerous runs and sending a diagonal ball in to test Tipp. Leah Butler, doing likewise, soaring a high ball in to the hand of Sinead Wylde.  A number of throw-ins follow dogged play with 16 players in close proximity akin to scrum time in rugby.  Who will break first? 

Caragh Dawson provides the answer as she is first blocked, then retrieves the sliotar and sends a balletic pass to Martha O’Donoghue who obliges with a fine point. Tipp must engage in some desperate defending of their own as Dublin advance. Caragh Dawson again strikes keenly with another point putting Dublin within touching distance of Tipp. One point in it.

The intensive play moves to the sideline and the stands where the spectators give vocal support to their teams.  Controversy ensues over sideline calls and heavy tackles under the nose of the stand brings everyone to their feet. The sliotar moves up and down that sideline.  Tipp’s Karen Kennedy is stopped hard on a twisty run and the free awarded is converted to a vital point putting Tipp two points ahead. In the final minutes, once the tap was turned on, it couldn’t be stopped and Tipp added another four successive points. 

Dublin have proved how determined and dogged they are with all the skills to match.  The recalibrations continue to put the little touches in place that will propel this team forward.  As Emma Flanagan, in a recent interview stated, a few more scores resulting from the attacking game that Dublin wish to execute and they will be where they need to be. The quest continues. 

FINAL SCORE

Tipperary 0:14 Dublin 0:8

 

Dublin Managers - John Treacy, Willie Braine

FLO - Lorraine Greene

Physio – Dee Quinn

Stats – Tadhg Doran

GK Coach – Kathryn Kantounia

DUBLIN TEAM
1) ROSIE KENNEALLY- Nh Mearong 
2) MIRIAM TWOMEY- Nh Mearnog 
3) EMMA FLANAGAN-Lucan Sarsfields 
4) EMMA O BYRNE - Good Counsel 
5) NIAMH GANNON- Nh Jude 
6) HANNAH HEGARTY - Nh Jude 
7) ZOE COUCH - SOPER 
8 )LAURA TWOMEY- Nh Mearnog 
9) SINEAD WYLDE- Cuala 
10) AOIFE WALSH- Nh Jude 
11) ROISIN BAKER - Na Fianna 
12) CARAGH DAWSON - Nh Jude 
13) LEAH BUTLER- Nh Jude 
14) JULIA BUCKLEY- Kilmacud Crokes 
15) AISLING CAROLAN- SOPER 
16) NOELLE MURPHY- Faughs/Celtic
17) ORLA GRAY- Na Fianna 
18) EMILY BROWNE- No Jude 
19) MEGAN CARROLL- Skerries Harps 
20) MARTHA O DONOGHUE- BBSE
21) LAURA QUINN - Lucan Sarsfields 
22) KERRIE FINNEGAN- Faughs /Celtic 
23) SIOFRA WALSH- Kilmacud Crokes 
24) AOIFE WHELAN-Castleknock 
25) ORLAITH DURKAN- Skerries Harps 
26) GABY COUCH- SOPER 
27) JODY COUCH- SOPER 
28) AISLING MAHER- St Vincent’s 
29) DEE JOHNSTON- St Vincent’s 
30) MUIREANN KELLIHER- St Vincent’s 

By: Dublin Camogie Assistant PRO – Joe Shannon              



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