WHILE there were several key interventions – most notably a goal from top forward Amy O’Shea in each half – Cork’s character in the face of their biggest challenge since getting to the top in the TG4-sponsored Ladies Football All-Ireland senior championship in 2005 kept their five-in-a-row quest alive in Nenagh on Saturday.

PREDICTABLY, the plaudits which holders Cork earned from another top-class display in the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies SFC were lost in the after-shock surrounding Valerie Mulcahy’s sending-off and the speculation on how much more difficult it would be to beat Monaghan in her absence.

Cork 0-13 Mayo 1-9

Cork 2-13 Galway 0-6