They have the unenviable task of dethroning defending champions Raharney.
Portlaoise 1-2
Tullamore 0-9
Portlaoise hosted Tullamore on Sunday afternoon in the Leinster Junior Semi Final having taken care of Drumree of Meath last week. While weather conditions looked promising on Sunday morning, by the time the players arrived at the ground supporters will not have envied the players as they went through their warm up routine in the rain and cold.
By the time the throw in approached a biting wind added to conditions that were horrible for a game of camogie. Before throw in Tullamore made 3 changes to the team listed in the programme with Leah Gallagher replacing Shannon Touhey in goals and Ciara Brady and Robyn Leavy lining out instead of Michelle Mann and Becky Bryant.
When play got underway Tullamore playing with the aid of the breeze, quickly set about their business with Lisa Gorman hitting over after just two minutes of play.
Both teams found it difficult to play any kind of flowing camogie given the conditions but Tullamore were proving to be that bit strongers and Gorman added her second of the game when she hit over from a free. This was quickly added to when Sarah Walsh pointed to leave the Offaly Champions leading 0-3 to no score at the water break
Scores proved difficult to come by when play resumed and Portlaoise, playing into a stiffening wind struggled to get close to shooting range. Tullamore managed to double their lead in the second quarter with points coming from a Lisa Gorman free, with Orla Gorman and Ciara Brady scoring from play to leave the visitors leading 0-6 to no score at half time.
No doubt the Portlaoise Management will have encouraged their team at half time that they had the advantage of the breeze in the second half and that they were still in the game. Those words will have been boosted when after 3 minutes a high ball in was batted down by Leah Gallagher in the Tullamore goals and finished to the net by Portlaoise’s Susie Delaney.
Tullamore responded with a converted free again by Lisa Gorman before Delaney replied in kind for Portlaoise. The teams traded points with Rachel O’Brien hitting over for Tullamore and Delaney raising a white flag for Portlaoise just before the water break and despite Tullamore being the stronger there was still just one score between the teams.
While both teams battled hard and gave their all the sole score in the final quarter came from a free from Lisa Gorman from Tullamore to leave the Offaly side victors when the final whistle sounded.
Tullamore will now go on to face All Ireland Champions Raharney in the Leinster Final next weekend.
Teams:
Portlaoise: Cara Phelan, Ashling McAuley, Sarah Fleming, Sinead Murphy, Aileen O’Neill, Ciara Crowley, Aoibhe O’Brien, Grainne O’Reilly, Regina Ogbulafor, Ciara Murphy, Niamh Crowley, Helen Murphy, Amy Byrne, Rebecca Reddin, Susie Delaney
Subs: Shauna Dooley, Jasmine Burke, Katie O’Reilly, Chloe Norton, Tyra Duff, Tara Byrne, Rachel Glynn, Holly Dunne, Ali Dunne, Emma O’Sullivan, Louise Corrigan, Charlene Duff, Aoibheann Dalton, Emily Stack, Ciara Byrne
Tullamore: Leah Gallagher, Aideen Harte, Ayesha Brazil, Emily Conlon, Paula Kinnarney, Aisling Feeney (Capt) Laura Walsh, Sarah Kehoe, Chloe Fogarty, Lisa Gorman, Sarah Walsh, Orla Gorman, Ciara Brady Rachel O'Brien and Robyn Leavy.
Subs: Becky Bryant, Kate Troy, Rachel Fogarty Eimear Gallagher, Chloe Buggy, Aoibha Waters, Niamh McCormack, Clodagh Spollen, Niamh Spollen, Lauren Leavy, Emma Finlay, Hannah Heffernan
Scorers:
Portlaoise: Susie Delaney 1-2
Tullamore: Lisa Gorman 0-5 (4 frees), Sarah Walsh 0-1, Ciara Brady 0-1, Orla Gorman 0-1, Rachel O’Brien 0-1
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