All Ireland champions Galway are through to the Littlewoods Ireland Camogie League division one final against Cork on April 9 after a 1-11 to 0-13 win over Tipperary.
In a tough encounter the All-Ireland champions only hit the front when Rebecca Hennelly pointed a pressure free in the eighth minute of injury time to send her team into this year's decider.
Midfield dynamo Aoife Donohue conceded feeling relieved to have escaped with the victory having been pushed all the way in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final.
“We’re relieved to come out the right side of that,” said Donohue. “A couple of years ago we mightn’t have got through. Tipp pushed us all the way. It was a hugely physical game and both teams went at it. We knew we had to be at our best to compete with Tipp. They’re a serious team and they pushed us all the way in the (All-Ireland ) semi-final last year.
Donohue was involved in one of the game’s key incidents, getting entangled with Casey Hennessy after the Tipp forward had dispossessed her, leading to Hennessy’s dismissal at the beginning of the second quarter. Hennessy had already scored two points by that juncture and though Tipp led by 0-9 to 0-4 at half-time, it did not seem sufficient given that their numerical disadvantage and the strong wind they would be playing into after the resumption.
In the end however, Cathal Murray had to send for the big guns and within two minutes of their 47th minute introduction, Orlaith McGrath set up sister Siobhán for a goal and then shot an equalising point.
Cáit Devane slotted her seventh point of the day from a free to restore Tipp’s advantage but Hennelly levelled from inside her own half and then when John Dermody judged that Claire Hogan had charged into Sarah Dervan, the sweet-striking ciotóg made little of the pressure to complete the smash-and-grab job.
Mullaney was incensed by the decision against Hogan and could not comprehend Hennessy’s sending off either, it is Galway who prevailed, and can now look forward to the league final.
"You want to be playing as many matches as you can at this stage of the year, so we’re just happy to put ourselves in that position." says Donoghue, while praising the contribution of Áine Keane, and also the Sarsfields' duo of Siobhán and Orlaith McGrath.
“Fair play to Siobhán and Orlaith. They’d a serious run with Sarsfields a couple of weeks ago. Orlaith was in Manchester. I think Cathal only texted the two girls on Tuesday and Orlaith got an early flight home to be here. It shows the competition that’s in the group and everyone is pushing for places.
“We knew once we got the ball into them they’d do the business. They were only on the field I’d say five minutes and they’d 1-1 scored between them. It’s just pushing everyone on. The standards are huge and there’s huge competition for places, so they’ve certainly put their hands up. They’re only just back into the set-up and they haven’t had that long a break so credit to them for coming in."
