Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Championship senior semi-final: Galway 1-12 Tipperary 1-11
INJURY time points from Aoife Donohue and Carrie Dolan (free) turned imminent defeat into a single point victory for Galway in an exciting second senior semi-final in UMPC Nowlan Park Kilkenny on Saturday afternoon.
Although Galway took a 1-9 to 1-7 lead six minutes into the second half, Tipperary led for the most of the game and were two points up when Eimear McGrath pointed for the sixth time in the 57th minute.
Dolan pointed a free a minute later and after Donohue had equalised in the 61st minute added the winning point two minutes later.
It was tough on Tipperary, who had narrowly beaten Galway in the league final back in April. They were three points down after six minutes, two from Dolan frees and one from midfielder Niamh Kilkenny, but recovered with the help of a goal from Eimear McGrath at he midway point of the half and were 1-6 to 0-5 ahead after 23 minutes.
Two late points from ex-Down captain Niamh Mallon closed the gap before the break and the Portaferry native buried a goal within 60 seconds of the restart. Although Niamh McPeake and Niamh Kilkenny tagged on points, Tipperary took over again and added five points without reply including three from McGrath and one from sub Cáit Devane.
However it wasn’t enough and the late Galway scores means that a second All-Ireland senior medal will head north after next month’s final as former Down stars Sorcha McCartan and Niamh Mallon will be on opposite sides in the Croke Park showpiece.
Galway scorers: N Mallon (1-2), C Dolan (0-5 frees), N Kilkenny (0-2), A O’Reilly (0-1), N McPeake (0-1), A Donohue (0-1).
Tipperary scorers: E McGrath (1-6, 0-4 frees), C McIntyre (0-2), E Loughman (0-1), E Heffernan, C Devine (0-1)