Late Jenny Grace free lands junior title for Tipperary

A pointed free in the fifth minute of injury time by Jenny Grace secured the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland premier junior camogie title for Tipperary, completing a comeback as the Premier awoke from the dead to lay the ghost of last year's final defeat.

It was very tough on Laois, who did not fall behind until the 52nd minute and recovered from that to lead again thanks to a sensational point by Susie Delaney with the hour just about to elapse.

They will know, however, that they should have made more hay from their dominance in the opening 25 minutes, when it was almost one-way traffic, a dominance that was not reflected by a seven-point advantage and certainly not by the four that separated the sides at half-time.

Tipp finished the first half well and were a different side after the restart, obdurate, physical and battling in the war zone of the middle third that they had been blown out of in that initial period.

They got a big return from their bench, Eva O’Dwyer hitting two points and offering a presence up top. Meanwhile, Lily Fahie, who only came on in the 58th minute, set up her sister and fellow sub Anna, with a very cool stick-pass for a 62nd minute equaliser before being fouled for the winner.

That winner was a ninth point for Grace, who served a lengthy stint with the seniors and had Bill Mullaney as boss at that grade before this season’s reunion. Her experience told with the calm conversion not just of that score, but the important ones that dragged her side back into the game.

Laois flew out of the traps and were the more threatening team by some distance for most of that first half. They attempted to pull the Tipperary defence to the flanks and use their speed in the resultant spaces, judiciously placing diagonals in