Munster Intermediate Camogie Club Final
Super Gailltír 2-17
Toomevara 1-11
Gailltír retained their Munster Intermediate Camogie Title at Cappamore on Saturday last as they overcame the challenge of Tipperary champions Toomevara with nine points to spare.Gailltir’s win now means that they have reached an All-Ireland semi-final for the third time in four years which means that new Waterford Senior Manager Fergal O’Brien will have to plan without the services of the Gailltir players in early 2020 as they prepare for that semi-final.
Gailltír’s Annie Fitzgerald fires over a great point from play under pressure from Toomevara’s Shauna Quirke.
However, this will give a chance to players from the remaining clubs to shine in the opening games of the National League and possibly throughout the league should Gailltir reach an All-Ireland Final for the second year in a row.Despite the fact that it was the North Tipperary outfit who were first to score, the ladies from the Barony were always the better of the two sides and it will take a very good team to stop them in their quest for the All-Ireland title. Right throughout their side there is class to be found in this Gailltir side and in this game they had some brilliant performances from Kate Lynch, Trish Jackman, Áine Lyng, Anne Corcoran, Aoife Fitzgerald and of course Player of the Match Annie Fitzgerald who finished the game with eight points, five of which were from open play.
Toomevara may have opened the scoring when Aoife Ryan scrambled a goal past Gailltír keeper Ciara Jackman, but that was as good as it got for the Tipperary side who failed to score in the next 22 minutes in which time Gailltír hit 1-8.Gailltír’s scores came from Aoife Fitzgerald, who hit a brace of points while Áine Lyng who, made the game despite injury concerns, Annie Fitzgerald and Anne Corcoran all had white flags raised before Kate Lynch set up Emer Walsh for Gailltir’s first goal of the game on 12 minutes.
Annie Fitzgerald and Trish Jackman followed up with points from placed balls after which Annie Fitzgerald knocked one over from play to send Gailltír into a 1-8 to 1-0 lead.Elaine Young broke Gailltír’s flow of successive scores when she pointed a badly needed score for Toomevara on 23 minutes.Six minutes from the break Toomevara keeper Paula Ryan, who had earlier made brilliant saves from both Annie and Aoife Fitzgerald, produced another classy stop and denied Gailltír what looked a certain goal when she deflected an Annie Fitzgerald piledriver over the crossbar.
Annie Fitzgerald and Trish Jackman, from a free, extended Gailltir’s lead and while Aoife Ryan pulled a point back for the North Tipp outfit, Gailltír finished the first half in a very good position.The defending champions landed points from Annie Fitzgerald before Aoife Fitzgerald netted a second goal for the Sky Blues in stoppage time to give her side a 2-12 to 1-2 lead at the break. Toomevara did much better in the second half outscoring Gailltír by nine points to five but Gailltír’s brilliant first-half performance ensured they always stayed in front.
Gemma McCarthy pointed from a free for the Greyhounds but Gailltír followed up with efforts from Emer Walsh and a brace from Annie Fitzgerald, both from placed balls, before the North Tipperary outfit enjoyed their best period with five points in a ten-minute spell.
Gemma McCarthy put over three points, all from frees while Shauna Quirke and Mary Flaherty hit one each.
Anne Corcoran and Emer Walsh landed points for Gailltír but at the other end the Gailltir defence was put under pressure as the North Tipperary outfit tried to close in for a goal.
Gailltír ‘keeper Ciara Jackman displayed all her class with four minutes of the hour remaining when she made a terrific save from Aoife Ryan, deflecting the shot out for a ’45 from which Gemma McCarthy split the posts. Jackman followed up with another brilliant save, this time from Elaine Young, and when Jill Anne Quirke was fouled for a very late penalty Gemma McCarthy, obviously feeling that there was going to be no way past a goalkeeper on top of her game, took the easier option and lifted the sliothar over the Gailltír crossbar.
