Katie Quirke kick earns Cork a hard-earned draw with Waterford

The sides battled on a heavy pitch at Piltown.

Waterford 2-9 

Cork 2-9 

Katie Quirke earned Cork a share of the points following Sunday’s LIDL LGFA National League Division 1 encoutner with Waterford in Piltown, Kilkenny.

The Bride Rovers forward landed a free six minutes into injury-time as a new-look Cork team emerged from a hard-hitting league encounter with a 2-9 to 2-9 draw.

Waterford led from the third minute when Áine Fitzgerald found the net but couldn’t hold on for what would have been a morale-boosting victory. Instead, a Cork team that, at one juncture, trailed by seven points demonstrated admirable grit to leave Kilkenny with a share of the spoils.

Sunday’s venue was the cause of much pre-match chatter not least because of the state of a heavily used playing surface.

The fact that a young Cork team was able to overcome that obstacle and a dogged opponent to earn a draw bodes well for next Monday’s glamour clash with Dublin in Páirc Uí Rinn.

Áine Fitzgerald and Lauren McGregor’s first-half goals cemented a merited 2-4 to 1-3 Waterford lead. Daire Kiely’s goal proved crucial for a Cork team that struggled to find their feet.

A high-scoring third quarter saw Erika O’Shea raise a green flag to level matters, 2-7 apiece, heading into the closing stages.

Both teams tired having played their hearts out on a heavy pitch before Caragh McCarthy and Katie Quireke exchanged scores. Emma Murray looked to have won it late on for a Waterford team down to fourteen players following Áine O’Neill’s yellow card.

It was left to Katie Quirke, who finished with five points, to salvage a draw courtesy of a nervlessly converted free six minutes into injury-time for a relieved Cork.

Scorers for Waterford: K Hogan 0-4 (0-4f), L McGregor 1-1, E Murray 0-3, Á Fitzgerald 1-0, C McCarthy 0-1.

Cork: K Quirke 0-5 (0-3f), D Kiely and E O’Shea 1-0 each, E Kiely 0-2, L Coppinger 0-1 and E Cleary 0-1 each.

Waterford: Evelyn O’Brien; Cora Murray, Megan Dunford, Aoife Murray; Eve Power, Emma Murray, Hannah Power; Kellyann Hogan, Aoibhe Waring; Áine O’Neill, Bríd McMaugh, CaraghMcCarthy; Annie Fitzgerald, Lauren McGregor, Karen McGrath (captain).

Subs: S MacGuckian for A Fitzgerald (50), C Hayes for C McCarthy (55), M Comeford for A Waring (60).

Cork: Meabh O’Sullivan; Shauna Kelly, Eimear Meaney, Dara Kinry; Aoife Healy, Hannah Looney, Melissa Duggan; Rachel Leahy, Erika O’Shea; Emma Cleary (captain), Libby Coppinger, Daire Kiely; Katie Quirke, Eimear Kiely, Abigail Ring.

Subs: O Cahalane for A Ring (ht), L O’Mahony for L Coppinger (40), B O’Sullivan for D Kiely (40), A Ryan for E Kiely (46), S McGoldrick for A Healy (62), E Jack for E Cleary (62).

Referee: Seamus Mulvihill (Kerry).