St Finbarr's advance to Munster senior camogie championship final with win over Thurles Sars

St Finbarr's 1-17

Thurles Sarsfields 1-10

A second-half tour de force by St Finbarr’s camogie team where they outscored Thurles Sarsfields 13 points to two on Sunday in the Ragg, gave them a seven point win and a place in the Munster Final once again. 

The Barrs will now face Gailltir in the final on Sunday, November 15th.

After what was a sluggish first half from the Barrs where they trailled by four at the break, the second half was a completely different story as last year's beaten All-Ireland finalists took complete control all over the pitch with the likes of Gemma O’Connor, Liz O’Donovan, Aisling Shannon, Kate Wall, Orlaith Cahalane and Sorcha McCartan all excellent. 

And judging by this performance, it will take some team to beat the Cork champions in this year's All-Ireland series. 

The Tipperary champions to their credit never gave up at any stage, but were just simply outclassed and out muscled in all areas of the field and struggled to create any real scoring opportunities as the game wore on.

However, they did have a gal chance in the 54th minute when a Karen Kennedy shot from close range flashed across the goal and wide and at that stage there was only four points in it, but overall, Sarsfields two-in-a-row Tipp champions can have little complaint.

The Barrs had seven different scorers overall to Thurles’s three and that tells the story of the game, with Caoimhe Stakelum hitting eight of her side's total of 1-10.

Thurles opened the scoring after 37 seconds through Aoife O’Dwyer, and less than a minute later Caoimhe Stakelum had the lead out to two and the same played would add two frees to leave the Tipperary champions four ahead by the ninth minute as Thurles started the game with a fierce ferocity which the Barrs struggled to cope with. 

The Cork outfit would be right back in the game in the 11th minute when a Sorcha McCartan free was caught by Ella Wiggington Barrett, who made a beeline for the Thurles goal before finishing from close range.

The sides were level in the 15th minute through a Liz O’Donovan effort. 

A Caoimhe Stakelum free had Thurles ahead, and in the 16th minute Thurles were four ahead again through a Laura Loughnane goal after Stakelum had seen her shot saved and after a scramble Loughnane knocked in from a yard out. 

Kate Wall then hit the Barrs second point after a fine catch and finish, before Caoimhe Stakelum added another to her tally. 

Cork star Sorcha McCartan hit her first of the game from a free, before Stakelum added two more both from placed balls, with the final score of the half going the Barrs way thanks to a superb finish from Liz O’Donovan.

Thurles extended their lead five minutes into the second half through another Stakelum free, but this would be as good as it would get for them, as the Cork outfit would take complete control of the game from here on in.

Within the space of a minute would have the gap back to just two points thanks to scores from Kate Wall, then a Sorcha McCartan effort after they overturned Thurles from the puckout and then Orlaith Cahalane got in on the act with a fine score. 

After she missed a close in free Sorcha McCartan made up for it soon after with a tidy finish to leave just a solitary point between the sides and the same player had the scores level in the 42nd minute with a free. 

The Barrs took the lead for the first time in the game in the 45th minute when with her first touch after coming on off the bench Eimear Hurley pointed from close range. 

A McCartan free and a Kate Wall effort had the gap out to three, and then the score of the game came via McCartan with a superb over the shoulder effort from out by the sideline, and it was Aisling Shannon next on the scoresheet with a fine effort from range. 

Thurles finally got their second and final score of the half in the 58th minute through Laura Loughnane, who pointed well under pressure from three Barrs players. 

But the Barrs kept going and finished the game through two McCartan frees and a brilliant score from Liz O’Donovan in the 61st minute with the game’s final score as the St Finbarr’s machine marches onto another Munster Final.

St Finbarr's: Ciara Hurley, Stephanie Punch, Aisling Egan, Kate Cahalane. Meabh Cahalane, Gemma O’Connor, Aoife O’Neill, Liz O’Donovan (0-3), Aisling Shannon (0-1), Nicole Olden, Ella Wigginton Barrett (1-0), Ciara Golden, Kate Wall (0-3), Orlaith Cahalane (0-1) Sorcha McCartan (0-8 5f).

Subs: Eimear Hurley (0-1 for N Olden).

Thurles Sarsfields: Siobhan Hennessy, Leanna Coppinger, Niamh McCormack, Nicola Loughane, Ciara Cummins, Emer Kennedy, Emam Carey, Karen Kennedy, Aoife O’Dwyer (0-1), Andrea Loughnane, Anna Derby, Marie Creedon, Laura Loughnane (1-01), Caoimhe Stakelum, Lucy Purcell.

Subs: Sarah Stakelum for A Derby (ht), Robyn Fanning for N Loughnane (53 mins).