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Ciara McAnespie led Monaghan to a point over Tipperary in their TG4 Group 2 All-Ireland soccer championship clash at Parnell Park, as first-half goals from Roisín Howard and Aishling Moloney weren’t enough to overtake the team of Ulster.
For the second time in six days, Tipperary lost by a single point and his campaign was over, but his fate was largely decided in a brilliant Monaghan first quarter.
With Ciara McAnespie and Ellen McCarron leading the way, Monaghan led 0-09 to 0-01 after 15 minutes, but two outstanding goals from Tipperary meant they were all tied at the break.
Moloney kicked Tipp after the restart, but Cora Courtney led the comeback, meaning Monaghan will reach the semifinals if she defeats Galway on Sunday of the week.
With a very competitive game under their belt against Galway last weekend, Tipperary could have expected to be the sharpest team at Parnell Park, but instead they were absolutely blown away by Monaghan’s impressive start.
McCarron got Ciarán Murphy’s team going in the third minute before Ciara McAnespie, Louise Kerley and Muireann Atkinson made it 0-4 to 0-0 clear after five minutes.
Tipp was shaken by that start, but they nearly got back into touch after eight minutes when Howard tapped the ball into the net, only to have it ruled out for a square ball infraction.
And when McCarron and Kerley added a pair of quick touchdowns at the other end, Tipp got into big trouble.
After her 1-10 mark against Galway last weekend, all eyes were on Moloney up front for Tipp, but Jennifer Duffy managed her well from open play. However, from balls laid, Moloney began to reduce Monaghan’s lead.
Monaghan continued to find touchdowns easier to hit, with Ciara McAnespie looking dangerous and Cora Courtney playing brilliantly off the field, but the game suddenly changed with eight minutes into the break.
Tipperary trailed 0-11 to 0-03 at the time when Moloney got ahead of a routine free throw, but instead of cutting the point as expected, he crashed into the ceiling of the net from 13 meters. It was an unstoppable blow, which lifted his sick team.
Two excellent points from Emma Morrissey and team captain Samantha Lambert closed the gap to three points, but seconds before the halftime horn, Howard finished off Aisling McCarthy’s powerful run down the middle. That second unstoppable goal from the half tied things at 0-12 to 2-06 in the interval.
Moloney continued to add to his tally after the break with a free kick and first in play when Tipperary first took the lead, but that two-point cushion soon disappeared when Cora Courtney and Kerley found their target for Monaghan.
Cora Courtney finished a brilliant play for a score lead for Monaghan just before the second water break, which made it 0-15 to 2-08, and with Moloney battling injury, Tipperary appeared to fade.
Moloney was able to kick a free kick from close range to level the score again with 10 minutes to go, but there was a great shot off Monaghan. McCarron kicked them up front with six minutes to go before substitute Shauna Coyle secured the win to set up a decisive match against Galway next weekend.
Scorers
Monaghan: C McAnespie 0-03, L Kerley 0-03 (3f), E McCarron 0-03, M Atkinson 0-02, C Courtney 0-02, C Treanor 0-01, L McEnaney 0-01, A McAnespie 0-01 , S Coyle 0-01.
Tipperary: A Moloney 1-07 (1-05f), R Howard 1-01, E Morrissey 0-01, S Lambert 0-01.
Monaghan: E Corrigan; A Newell, J Duffy, A McAnespie; R Courtney, A McCarey, N Fahy; M Atkinson, L McEnaney; C Courtney (c), E McCarron, E Woods; L Kerley, C McAnespie, C Treanor.
Subs: L Garland for Woods (26), E McAnespie for Newell (ht), S Coyle for Treanor (45), J Drury for C McAnespie (52), T McNally Scott for Atkinson (58).
Tipperary: L Fitzpatrick; R Kiely, L Spillane, E Cronin; E Moore, S Lambert (c), M Curley; McCarthy, N Hayes; C. Kennedy, E. Morrissey, L. Dillon; A Fennessy, a Moloney, R Howard.
Subs: K Cunningham for Hayes (22), R Daly for Fennessy (33), K Davey for Kiely (38), C Lonergan for Dillon (48), S McKevitt for Morrissey (54).
Referee: Kevin Phelan (Laois).
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