Cork get their feet back under camogie’s top table

Numerous hurdles were put in front of Cork before and during this taxing All-Ireland quarter-final outing. They even erected a few fences of their own

Mon, 10 Jul, 2023 - 07:50

Eoghan Cormican, Croke Park

All-Ireland Senior Camogie quarter-final

Cork 2-14 Kilkenny 2-13

Numerous hurdles were put in front of Cork before and during this taxing All-Ireland quarter-final outing. They even erected a few fences of their own. But for the first time in a very long time, Cork came out on the right side of a tight squeeze.

Prior to Sunday, Cork had tasted defeat on four of their last five trips to Croke Park. Prior to Sunday, Cork had tasted defeat in eight of their last nine knockout meetings against the other two members - Galway and Kilkenny - of camogie’s big three.

Sunday’s result wasn’t just revenge for last year’s All-Ireland final defeat or refamiliarising themselves with that winning feeling at GAA HQ. Sunday’s result was Cork reasserting themselves at camogie’s top table.

“Psychologically, very big win,” said Cork manager Matthew Twomey. “A win like that, against a crowd like that, as well. Our own players answered a lot of questions. We don't care what people think outside, but it’s just for ourselves.”

A quarter-final win on its own won’t sate the appetite of Twomey’s group. Kilkenny removed, the next obstacle on the road is Galway.

Sunday’s semi-final draw and its pairing of Galway and Cork means that for the first time since 2012, someone from outside the big three will be involved in the decider.

That newcomer will be either Tipperary or Waterford. The Premier were last there in 2006, Waterford haven’t reached the concluding day since 1945.

Cork’s road to Sunday’s quarter-final was a winding one. An incident on the Dublin line meant Cork had to disembark their train at Thurles. A bus was hastily organised. A Garda escort helped them to make up lost time, with throw-in put back by 15 minutes.

It was then further delayed as Cork returned to their dressing-room in protest at the ongoing fight for minimum standards of player welfare. Both camps wore ‘United for Equality’ shirts during the warm-up. But unity deserted the teams thereafter as Kilkenny remained on the field instead of disappearing under the Cusack Stand along with their opponents.

Once proceedings eventually got underway, Cork set about making life incredibly difficult for themselves.

When a Julianne Malone point on 13 minutes was followed two minutes later by an Aoife Prendergast goal, Kilkenny led 1-4 to 0-2.

Cork were resilient and resourceful in their response. The energy and runs of Saoirse McCarthy and Hannah Looney time and again cut open a Kilkenny rearguard wanting for structure and shape.

Amy O’Connor showed her trademark turn of pace for a Cork goal on 20 minutes. But for the post and an Aoife Norris save, she’d have had a first-half hat-trick.

Cork’s interval lead of 1-8 to 1-6 represented a seven-point swing on where they stood at the end of the first quarter. Into the second period. More goal openings, more Cork wastefulness.

Katrina Mackey had their second green flag on 35 minutes, after yet another McCarthy run. Norris denied Mackey a second four minutes later.

Approaching the hour, sub Cliona Healy was penalised for barging inside the large parallelogram. It was a bizarre call. Shortly after, Amy O’Connor had the shirt pulled off her back as she rounded Norris. No penalty, said referee John Dermody.

And when Denise Gaule fired in 1-1 on 58 and 59 minutes to bring her tally to 1-10 and Kilkenny within a point, Cork were in grave danger of signing their own exit papers.

The Cats had strong claims for a levelling free attempt in the fourth and final minute of injury-time. Dermody, though, ruled that Katie Power had not been illegally challenged.

Their title defence over, manager Brian Dowling and Power both remonstrated with Dermody at the final whistle.

“I probably thought it was a free, but I was more disappointed with the injury time,” said Dowling. “There were four minutes of injury time and four played, even though there was a stoppage in the middle of it for about a minute and a half. That was probably my frustration.”

Cork, mind, had their own bag of grievances. The calls against Healy and O’Connor late on jumped out.

“Especially Amy's one, she nearly got whiplash the way they were pulling the jersey,” said Twomey. “I wouldn't referee a game, so I don't want to be too critical of the man who is trying his best. But they were two poor decisions.”

Ashling Thompson and Laura Hayes back on the field after lengthy lay-offs, Cork are finding form at just the right time.

Scorers for Cork: A O’Connor (1-6, 0-4 frees, 0-1 ‘45); K Mackey (1-2); S McCartan, C Healy (0-2 each); C Sigerson (free), H Looney (0-1 each).

Scorers for Kilkenny: D Gaule (1-10, 0-7 frees, 0-1 ‘45); A Prendergast (1-0); A Doyle (0-2); J Malone (0-1).

CORK: A Lee; P Mackey, L Coppinger, M Murphy; M Cahalane, L Tracey, I O’Regan; H Looney, A Healy; C Sigerson, F Keating, S McCarthy; A O’Connor, S McCartan, K Mackey.

Subs: C Healy for Sigerson (36); O Cronin for McCartan (42); A Thompson for Looney (44); L Hayes for O’Regan (58).

KILKENNY: A Norris; G Walsh, C Phelan, S Fitzgerald; L Murphy, N Deely, T Fitzgerald; K Power, K Doyle; J Malone, A Doyle, M Kenneally; K Nolan, D Gaule, A Prendergast.

Subs: M Teehan for Murphy (32 inj); S O’Dwyer for K Nolan (46); A McHardy for Prendergast (50); J Clifford for Kenneally (62).

Referee: J Dermody (Westmeath).