Minor Match Report

Cork Too Strong for Brave Tipperary in Munster Minor Championship

Munster LGFA Minor Championship Rd 3

Tipperary 0-4 (4), Cork 0-10 (10)

Clyde Rovers GAA Grounds, 29th March 2025

Tipperary’s Minor Ladies footballers produced a spirited performance on Saturday in Clyde Rovers GAA Grounds but were eventually undone by a clinical Cork side in Round 3 of the Munster LGFA Minor Championship.

Cork hit the ground running, with early points from Kate Carey and Eabha O’Donovan giving them a solid foundation. Carey was especially influential, notching four points from play over the hour, while O’Donovan contributed two – one from play and one from a free. Laura Walsh also added her name to the scoresheet before the break as Cork built a 0-5 to 0-1 lead at half-time.

Tipperary’s only first-half score came from Grace Hogan in the 11th minute, finishing well under pressure after a strong team move. However, the Premier County found it difficult to convert their chances, with several wides proving costly.

The second half brought renewed purpose for Tipperary. Sinead O’Carroll and Evann Duffy both pointed from play, while another effort brought the total to four. Substitutions injected life into the Tipp side, with Aoife Shelly, Kate Nevin, Sarah English and Julie Grey making solid contributions from the bench.

Cork, however, continued to keep the scoreboard ticking. Ava McAuliffe struck a well-taken point, followed by two more from the ever-reliable Kate Carey. Late on, Catherine Murphy, introduced as a substitute, capped Cork’s scoring with a fine point from play.

Despite Cork's efficiency up front, Tipperary’s work rate never dropped. Defensively, they battled to the final whistle, limiting Cork to just five scores in each half. With more accurate shooting, Tipp could have made it a far tighter affair.

Cork Scorers:

Kate Carey (0-4), Eabha O’Donovan (0-2, 1f), Ava McAuliffe (0-1), Laura Walsh (0-1), Catherine Murphy (0-1), Sarah O’Connor (0-1)

Tipperary Scorers:

Grace Hogan (0-1), Sinead O’Carroll (0-1), Evann Duffy (0-1), 1 point uncredited in live feed

Tipperary Substitutions:

Aoife Shelly for Sophia O’Grady, Kate Nevin for Emma Kiely,   Sarah English for Lucy O'Brien, Lily Maher for Abi Ryan

Despite the defeat, there were plenty of positives for Tipperary, who showed heart, grit, and flashes of real quality. With the championship still in full swing, this group will look to build momentum heading into the next round.