All-Ireland champions Tipperary set up a Croke Park final meeting with Munster rivals Cork for the third successive year as they fought off a late Wexford comeback in Nowlan Park for a 1-10 to 2-5 victory.
Tipp manager Raymie Ryan masterminded another semi-final win, despite a stern challenge from the Model women, who were looking for their first final appearance since 1994.
The twin-pronged attack of Michelle Hearne and Kate Kelly did all the Wexford damage, especially in the first half as they held a surprise 1-3 to 0-5 lead at the break.
Ciara Gaynor, Clare Grogan (both frees) and Sinead Nealon had all pointed for the champions before Hearne raced in from the right wing to crash past Tipp goalkeeper Jovita Delaney on 12 minutes.
Points from Emer McDonnell and Grogan on the quarter-hour saw Tipp re-assume the lead. But after Hearne had lashed a 29th minute goal shot off the Premier county’s crosssbar, Kelly came into her own with three late frees.
She continued that trend after the restart and, with Grogan stroking a free wide on 41 minutes, Tipp were scoreless for almost half an hour.
Three minutes later, however, a stalwart of Tipp's four recent All-Irelands, Deirdre Hughes, latched onto a long ball from Gaynor to fire past Margaret Darcy.
A point in front, two Grogan points and three off the stick of corner forward Jill Horan put the necessary distance between the sides - 1-10 to 1-5.
Kelly saw her rasping injury-time free deflect off Suzanne Kelly's stick and into the Tipp net, but it proved too little too late for the Leinster side.
The final is scheduled for September 19 at Croke Park.
Tipperary: D Hughes 1-0, C Grogan 0-4 (3f), J Horan 0-03, C Gaynor (1f), S Nealon, E McDonnell 0-1 each.
Wexford: K Kelly 1-5 (1-4f), M Hearne 1-0
Filed by James Boylan
