Galway had to ‘dig it out’ in a narrow victory over Tipperary

FOLLOWING Galway’s dramatic victory over Tipperary in Saturday’s All-Ireland senior camogie semi-final, captain Róisín Black was delighted with the efforts of her teammates, and their progression into this year’s decider.

‘‘We had to dig it out there in the last few minutes, and the character of the girls really shone through at the end. In those situations, you can’t let the head drop, and you have to keep driving on and focus on winning the next ball every time. You can never give up in the last few minutes of a game.’’

Black credited her teammates for their resilience and hunger to win, which were vital components when Galway had to come from behind late in the game.

‘‘There was inspirational stuff there in the second half from the girls; they never put their heads down and they kept driving on to the end. That just shows the level of character and leadership that we have in the team.’’

After coming through their semi-final in dramatic fashion, the Galway captain was looking ahead to their All-Ireland Final clash with Cork on August 11, and another great occasion for Galway camogie.

‘‘We’re delighted with the win, and we’ll enjoy today, but we have a big two weeks ahead of us now to prepare for the final. That’s going to be our main focus, and we’re not going to get carried away after today.’’

‘‘We had a great support here today and there’s a great buzz around the county, with all of the teams we have in All-Ireland finals this year. It’s great to see the ladies’ footballers in their final this weekend and we wish them the best of luck. It’s a great time in Galway GAA at the moment and long may it continue,’’ concluded the Galway captain.

Her Oranmore-Maree teammate Ailish O’Reilly was similarly satisfied with the win. Having played in many semi-finals during a decorated career, O’Reilly felt that this win was as sweet as any semi-final could be.

‘‘It feels a bit surreal at the moment to be honest. It says a lot about our team, that we looked dead and buried near the end today, and we stayed playing and never quit. It was a great way to win a semi-final, we know there’s still another step but we’ll take that win today.’’

O’Reilly felt that the composure of her teammates was crucial in the dying minutes of the game, when Tipp went two points ahead. The Tribeswomen never panicked and engineered the scores they needed to eke out a win.

Pictured: Galway's Roisin Black breaking out of defence against Tipperary in Saturday's All-Ireland senior camogie semi-final at Nowlan Park. Photos: INPHO/Bryan Keane