Powerful second half fires Barrs back into another Munster final

The Barrs were struggling to cope with the Thurles ferocity early on but roared back into the game

Thurles Sarsfields' Leanna Coppinger tackles St Finbarr's Orlaith Cahalane. Photo: Diarmuid Brennan Sportsfocus

Munster senior camogie semi-final: St Finbarr’s 1-17 Thurles Sarsfields 1-10

It’s another Munster Final appearance for St Finbarr’s after a strong second half showing when they hunted in packs and snuffed out the Tipperary champs.

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. Stakelum added two frees to leave the Tipperary champions four ahead by the ninth minute.

The Barrs were struggling to cope with the Thurles ferocity but were 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. Liz O’Donovan then levelled. 

A Stakelum free had Thurles ahead, and they were four ahead again through a Laura Loughnane goal after Stakelum had seen her shot saved.

Kate Wall hit the Barrs' second point after a fine catch, before Stakelum added another to her tally. Cork star Sorcha McCartan hit her first from a free, before two more Stakelum frees. The final score of the half went 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 took complete control.

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

St Finbarr's Eimear Hurley and Sorcha McCartan celebrate following their victory over Thurles Sarsfields. Photo: Diarmuid Brennan Sportsfocus

Sorcha McCartan missed a free but made up for it soon after with a tidy finish to leave just a point between the sides. She then levelled from a free in the 42nd minute. 

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

Aisling Shannon was next on the scoresheet with a fine effort from range before 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. 

The Barrs kept going and finished the game through two McCartan frees and a brilliant score from Liz O’Donovan as they march onto another Munster Final.

Scorers for St Finbarr’s: S McCartan (0-8, 0-5 frees); K Wall, L O’Donovan (0-3 each); E Wigginton Barrett (1-0); A Shannon, O Cahalane, E Hurley (0-1 each).

Scorers for Thurles Sarsfields: C Stakelum (0-8, 0-6 frees), L Loughnane (1-1); A O’Dwyer (0-1).

ST FINBARR’S: C Hurley; S Punch, A Egan, K Cahalane; M Cahalane, G O’Connor, A O’Neill; L O’Donovan, A Shannon; N Olden, E Wigginton Barrett, C Golden; K Wall, O Cahalane, S McCartan.

Sub: E Hurley for N Olden.

THURLES SARSFIELDS: S Hennessy; L Coppinger, N McCormack, N Loughnane; C Cummins, E Kennedy, E Carey; K Kennedy, A O’Dwyer; A Loughnane, A Derby, M Creedon; L Loughnane, C Stakelum, L Purcell.

Subs: S Stakelum for A Derby (HT); R Fanning for N Loughnane (53).