Waterford full-forward Sinead Ryan produced a Player of the Match performance at Fraher Field on Saturday afternoon last as Waterford booked a seventh Munster Final appearance in a row, despite having one game yet to play in the round robin phase.
The Ballymacarbry sharpshooter hit 3-6 in total for the home side as her side ran out comfortable winners by 29 points.
The hosts had the game well and truly won at the break as they went to the dressing rooms with a 4-11 to 0-4 lead.
Waterford’s first goal came on 20 minutes, as Sinead Ryan finishing to the net to give the Deise a 1-7 to 0-3 lead.
Maria Delahunty added a second Waterford goal on 27 minutes and a minute later Sinead added her second and third goals of the game within seconds of each other.
Tipperary’s best player on the day, Gillian O’Brien, pulled a goal back for the visitors eight minutes after the restart but it was to prove the Premier’s only score of the half.
Waterford eased up the pressure they were exerting on the Tipperary defence in the second half.
However, they did manage to add two further goals as first half substitute Hannah Landers did her claims for a place in the team from the start in the final round robin game against Clare as she struck two goals in the 56th and 62nd minutes.
Waterford: Katie Hannon; Mairead Wall, Michelle McGrath, Linda Wall; Elaine Power, Megan Dunford, Emma Murray; Louise Ryan, Karen McGrath, Mary-Kate Morrissey, Maria Delahunty, Grainne Kenneally: Aileen Wall, Sinead Ryan, Mary Foley.
Substitutes: Hannah Landers for Mary-Kate Morrissey, Michelle Ryan for Louise Ryan, Nicola Fennell for Mairead Wall, Nora Dunphy for Linda Wall and Kate McGrath for Karen McGrath.
Scorers: Sinead Ryan (3-6), Maria Delahunty (1-5; 0-2f), Hannah Landers (2-1), Aileen Wall (0-3), Mary Foley (0-2) and Emma Murray (0-1).
Tipperary: Lauren Fitzpatrick; Bernie Ryan, Marie Curley, Sinead Delahunty; Niamh Lonergan, Louise Cadell, Roisin McGrath; Anne O’Dwyer, Lorraine O’Shea; Breda Feeney, Gillian O’Brien, Aoife Ryan; Aimee Pollard, Aisling McCarthy, Sarah Everard.
Substitutes: Laura Dillon for Sinead Delahunty, Sheelagh Carew for Breda Feeney, Shauna Ryan for Aimee Pollard, Elaine Butler for Aisling McCarthy and Gemma O’Dwyer for Sheelagh Carew.
Scorers: Gillian O’Brien (1-2), Aisling McCarthy and Sarah Everard (0-1 each).
Referee: Maurice Mulcahy (Cork).
