Cork bid to reach sixth camogie final in a row as they take on Tipp in Thurles

Cork head to FBD Semple Stadium tomorrow for the semi-final of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie championship.

They will face Tipperary at 6pm, in the second semi-final, with Galway and Kilkenny on before them at 4pm.

Manager Ger Manley has named an unchanged side from their clash with Waterford as they bid to reach their sixth final in a row. But their minds will only be on tomorrow’s game as they know they are in for a tough evening.

Ahead of the game Manley confirmed that Ava McAuliffe, Aoife O’Neill, Clare Kingston and Keeva McCarthy are all out injured. The most serious is McCarthy who did her cruciate in a challenge game and is out for at least 10 months, more likely a year.

But on the plus side Orlaith Mullins is back in the squad having returned from studying abroad and Rachel Murphy has also been added to the panel.

Cork are taking on Tipp for the fourth time this season and the record stands at one win each and a draw in the league.

But it will be the third time they have played them at Thurles, a distinct advantage for Tipp on their home patch.

No doubt Tipp will be hoping that their supporters will turn out in numbers as they aim to make that advantage count. Cork will also be hoping their supporters make the trip to Thurles in numbers as they will need all the support they can get, for what will be their toughest challenge of the season so far.

In their league tie Tipp finished strongly as Cork were hanging on for the draw, having played superbly in the first half.

Their next clash was in the Munster championship and it was a game that the Rebels will want to forget as they lost out by 1-18 to 2-9, as Tipp went on to be crowned champions.

That game, in many ways, was a turning point for Cork as they put the heads down, and put in a block of hard training ahead of the All-Ireland series.

Their first game was against Galway, where the Tribeswomen had home advantage and were firm favourites to win.

But the Rebels were outstanding that day to get off to a winning start, ahead of their third clash of the season with Tipp, again at FBD Semple Stadium.

This time, after another battle, Cork headed home with the points after a 0-21 to 0-18 win. The Rebels will need to be at their best defensively as they try to stop the likes of Eimear McGrath, Grace O’Brien and Clodagh McIntyre.

But Cork’s new look half back line of Ava Fitzgerald, Meabh Murphy and Isobel Sheehan has grown in stature with every game and they will need to put in another top-class showing tomorrow.

Laura Hayes and Ashling Thompson are a midfield pairing that is more than a match for any in the country and up front Cork have plenty of quality players to trouble any defence.

The full forward line of Sorcha McCartan, Orlaith Cahalane and Amy O’Connor are a handful and add in others like Saoirse McCarthy, who has a habit of picking up Player of the Game awards in ties like this.

“We know this is going to be a massive challenge as Tipp are a great side,” said Manley. “We have had a few battles with them already this season and it’s going to be another one tomorrow.

They have quality players all over the pitch, but so have we and we will need every one of them to put in a performance if we are to come out on top.

“But our players are up for the challenge and will give it everything and hopefully that will be enough to reach another final and we will only think about that then once we are there.”

CORK (v Tipp): 

A Lee (Na Piarsaigh); 

I O’Regan (Ballygarvan), L Coppinger (St Colums), M Cahalane (St Finbarr’s):

A Fitzgerald (Sarsfields), M Murphy (Ballinora), I Sheehan (Éire Óg); 

L Hayes (St Catherine’s), A Thompson (Milford); 

M Condon (Ballinascarthy), S McCarthy (Courcey Rovers), E Murphy (Glen Rovers); 

S McCartan (St Finbarr’s), O Cahalane (St Finbarr’s), A O’Connor (St Vincent’s).