Cork Camogie: Sars, Seandún, Cloughduv into last four

KEY WOMAN: Cork's Katrina Mackey celebrates. Pic: Eddie O'Hare

In the SE Systems Cork senior camogie championship quarter-finals on Sunday, Cloughduv, Sarsfields and Seandún made it through to the last four, the draw to determine the semi-final pairings will take place tomorrow night.

The weather wreaked havoc with the fourth quarter-final involving St Catherine’s and Éire Óg fixed for Caherlag, which fell foul of the weather.

Cloughduv, with the perfect blend of youth and experience, produced one of the most spectacular results of the day, defeating a fancied St Finbarr’s by the minimum, 1-12 to 0-14, in a thriller at Castle Road. They got off to a flyer shooting 1-4 without reply to dominate the early stages, Rachel Hurley bagged the all-important goal to set the mid Cork team on their way.

Mairéad Corkery and Lisa Lynch were to the fore as well.

They were five points ahead at the break, 1-6 to 0-4.

They pushed the lead to six points in the third quarter. Free-taker Keeva McCarthy kept the Barrs in contention with some superb efforts.

The Togher club didn’t go down without a fight, Caroline Sugrue and Orlaith Cahalane among their scorers to narrow the gap as the game petered out.

But Cloughduv saw this one out, in a game where the inspirational Briege Corkery is still going strong. The multiple All-Ireland winner, who lined out after recovering from a hand injury, played a significant role.

Elsewhere, Sarsfields ran out 1-10 to 0-7 winners over Inniscarra. The Riverstown club dominated the opening half at Castle Road. The elements, no doubt, a factor as they secured a seven points to nil lead at the break.

A goal was always going to be an important score, and it duly came early in the fourth quarter from the stick of Kate Fennessy. Fennessy hit 1-4, including three points from placed balls.

Ellen Crowley and Áine O’Regan contributed five placed balls for Inniscarra, but scores from open play were at a premium.

Meanwhile, defending champions Seandún, who remain on course for three-in-a-row titles, had eight points to spare over Courcey Rovers at Brinny, 1-17 to 2-6.

The titleholders pulled away late in the first-half to build up an interval advantage of 1-8 to 1-3 - the goal from Katrina Mackey (the Cork star totalled 1-5) in the first quarter laid the foundation. And while Ciara Hayes raised a green flag for Courcey’s, they left themselves with too much to do.

Despite their second goal from the penalty spot by Saoirse McCarthy, the city divisional side wouldn’t be denied, with Cork captain Amy O’Connor returning eight points.

SE Systems Cork senior camogie championship quarter-final results:

Cloughduv 1-12 St Finbarr’s 0-14; Sarsfields 1-10 Inniscarra 0-7; Seandún 1-17 Courcey Rovers 2-6.