by Kevin Egan

Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Camogie Championship final day on August 11 in Croke Park will get underway with a meeting of Laois and Tipperary in the premier junior final, as the two neighbouring counties secured their place in the first leg of the big triple header of national finals thanks to their victories over the Ulster duo of Cavan and Armagh this afternoon.

Cavan’s clash with Laois was first on the bill at Donaghmore Ashbourne GAA Club today and the Breffni women started strong when a long-range shot from Róisín O’Keeffe bounced on the wet astroturf in the goalmouth and deceived Aedín Lowry in the Laois nets.

Laois replied brilliantly with 1-3 on the trot courtesy of two Aimee Collier frees, followed by a perfect ball from Susie Delaney allowing Collier to rattle the back of the Cavan net with a Gráinne Delaney point sandwiched in between.

O’Keeffe proved to be a tricky customer for Laois, pointing her second score of the game to keep her side within three. Laois took control once more with a Collier free and Aisling O’Dea pointing from a tight angle. O’Keeffe stood up for Cavan once more splitting the posts before Collier converted two more frees, one coming from the 65-metre line.

Cavan stemmed Laois’ momentum with a brace of scores from Aideen Coyle and O’Keeffe but Laois finished the half strong. They took a firm grip on the game when a Clodagh Tynan free on the 65-metre line flew all the way into the net evading the grip of Emma Mulvaney in the Cavan goal, and when Collier added her sixth free of the contest, Laois went in at break with a comfortable seven-point lead (2-8 to 1-4).

The half-time team-talk in the Cavan dressing room appeared to have the desired effect as the Ulster county exploded out of the blocks with early points from Shanise Fitzsimons and Niamh Keenaghan, but a couple of unforced errors allowed Laois to cancel those out.

The competition well and truly caught fire when Fitzsimons and Emma Plunkett fired in Cavan goals in quick succession, but the Laois reply was the winning of the game as they rattled off the next six points unanswered, including a fabulous score from Tynan that was one of the highlights of the day for those in attendance, and those watching the live stream.

It finished 2-16 to 3-7 as Laois continued their fine run of form this year, but supporters looking for a close battle certainly got it in the second contest, which went right down to the wire before Tipperary edged out Armagh by 0-15 to 1-11.

Tipperary's Laura Shinners takes a shot against Armagh ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

Like Cavan, Armagh made an excellent early start, replying to an early free from Jenny Grace with four points on the spin. Former Cork star Jennifer Curry (née O’Leary), who won the first of her five senior All-Irelands 22 years ago and the first of her eight All-Stars two years later, opened the scoring for the Orchard County. Ciara Geoghegan scored two frees while Curry hit over a neat point from play.

Anna Fahie and Sophie Pembroke replied for Tipp as the contest quickly settled into a nip and tuck affair with neither side able to get any separation. Geoghegan hit over her third free to put two between the sides in the 14th minute. Points from Orla O’Brien (two) and Ciara Brennan edged Tipp ahead in the 21st minute.

The quality was very good with some terrific catches from both sides and good blocks. The sides were level for the second time in the 23rd minute when Geoghegan fired over another free. Two pointed free from Grace gave Tipp a two-point lead going in at the break, and the score-for-score nature of the contest continued after half-time, with the dead-ball experts on both sides prominent.  

Armagh keeper, Laura Leenane pulled off a fine save in the 47th minute to deny Tipp sub Laura Shinners and keep the game close, but once again Grace made no mistake with three consecutive 65s to extend her side’s lead to dour points.

That gave them enough of a cushion to be able to concede a goal to Curry deep in stoppage time and still hold firm, putting themselves 60 minutes away from winning this championship for the first time in 32 years.

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