Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship semi-final: Cork 0-15 Galway 2-6
IT has taken Cork nine games to get the better of Galway and they have suffered three of those eight losses in April and June this year alone.
But they emerged victorious from Saturday’s intense Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie semi-final at UPMC Nowlan Park and will be strong favourites to add to their record 28 titles when they meet Waterford in Croke Park in the final on August 6.
The Rebels held the upper hand for most of proceedings but they found it difficult to shake off the reigning league champions who scored a goal in each half to stay in touch.
Cork seemed to be able to find their go-to players more easily than Galway and Matthew Twomey was also able to introduce strong players from the bench in Laura Hayes, Cliona Healy, Orla Cronin, Ashling Thompson and Orlaith Cahalane, all of whom were influential down the home straight.
By contrast, Cathal Murray’s bench was a lot weaker this year even though they had come from behind to beat the Lee-siders in the league decider earlier in the season and followed it up with a first round championship defeat. Aoife Donohue and Róisín Black were probably their best performers in the Kilkenny rain.
Libby Coppinger and official player of the match Saoirse McCarthy had huge second halves for Cork but the boost the subs provided probably made the real difference.
It was 0-6 to 1-2 at half-time with Katrina Mackey slotting two points and Amy O’Connor three on her way to a tally of seven.
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Siobhán McGrath buried the first of her two goals in the 17th minute, thanks to a real touch of skill from Donohue to somehow get a pass off to Rachel Hanniffy. Hannify then supplied the through ball for the Sarsfield’s finisher to drive low beyond the advancing Amy Lee.
Donohue brought the teams level on the re-start but half-time sub Hayes and O’Connor pushed Cork clear, while Healy also hit the first of her two points from the bench as Matthew Twomey’s crew took a lead of four points.
However, McGrath’s second goal closed the gap once more, but Cork responded well to what really was a goal-keeping blunder
Healy fired over her second point and midfielder McCarthy pointed brilliantly from a tight angle. They were significant scores and when O’Connor pointed a close-in free and Orlaith Cahalane drove over from 35 metres, Cork were four clear entering injury-time. They were able to knuckle down and hold out for the win.
Cork: A O’Connor ( 0-7, 6 frees); K Mackey (0-2), C Healy (0-2), L Hayes (0-1), O Cahalane (0-1), C Sigerson (0-1 free), S McCarthy (0-1)
Galway: S McGrath (2-0), C Dolan (0-4, 0-3 frees), A Donohue (0-2)
Cork: A Lee, M Murphy, L Coppinger, P Mackey, M Cahalane, L Treacy, I O’Regan, A Healy, H Looney, C Sigerson, F Keating, S McCarthy, S McCartan, K Mackey, A O’Connor.
Subs: L Hayes for Murphy (h-t), O Cronin for McCartan (40), C Healy for A Healy (47), A Thompson for O’Regan (49), O Cahalane for Keating (50)
Galway: F Ryan, S Healy, R Black, D Higgins, R Hanniffy, E Helebert, A Keane, A Donohue, S Gardiner, S Spellman, C Dolan, N Hanniffy, N McPeake, S McGrath, A O’Reilly.
Subs: S Rabbitte for McPeake (33), O McGrath for Gardiner (50), A O’Reilly for S Rabitte (59)
Referee: Ray Kelly (Kildare)
