Champions Cork destroy Dublin to return to All-Ireland senior camogie final
BRACE: Cork's Orlaith Cahalane celebrates scoring a goal with Amy O’Connor. Pic: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane
Cork remain on track for back-to-back Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie championship titles following a comfortable victory over Dublin in front of a huge crowd at UPMC Nowlan Park on Saturday afternoon.
Orlaith Cahalane’s pair of goals and one each from Saoirse McCarthy and sub Sorcha McCartan were killer blows as Ger Manley’s side continued their impressive unbeaten run in this season’s championship.
An unrelenting performance from the Rebels with their defence restricting Dublin’s goal-scoring opportunities.
The Sky Blues were hoping to bridge a 38-year gap since their last appearance in the All-Ireland final and having overcome a fancied Kilkenny in the quarter-final were not short on confidence, but their tactics of a sweeper meant they couldn’t match a more experienced Rebel outfit.
There was lots of red and white around the stadium but Dublin did bring that extra bit of excitement with Dublin Camogie Board and Friends of Dublin Hurling (FODH) donating €100 each to every club that travelled.
Among their supporters was the legendary Kay Ryder - a 10-time All-Ireland senior medallist with the Dubs - who was recently honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the GPA (along with Cork’s Dr Con Murphy).
The 90-year-old captained Dublin to success in 1965 and 1966.
The game started in a welter of excitement when Emma Flanagan was fouled and a penalty was awarded in the second minute, but Cork ‘keeper Amy Lee saved brilliantly from Aisling Maher.
It was a score the underdogs needed.
Yet, and playing into the wind, captain Maher - acting as an extra defender but her presence up front sorely missed as Laura Treacy cleaned up - opened the scoring from a placed ball in the fifth minute.
Cork got into their stride with a long-range Laura Hayes free and Saoirse McCarthy firing over twice from play after 10 minutes.
Division 1B league winners Dublin missed a couple of frees before Cork’s running game took over and Orlaith Cahalane’s goal in the 18th minute came as a result of a text-book flowing move that enabled them lead 1-5 to 0-2.
Five more unanswered points arrived (three from play) as Cork went to the dressing-room 1-10 to 0-2 up.
Dublin had a very good chance of pulling back a goal in stoppage time but Elyse Jamieson Murphy’s effort was superbly stopped by a diving Lee. Their return from the half was a brace from Maher, just one from play.
Dublin needed a fast start to the second half but it was Hayes who got the scoreboard moving again.
Dublin’s Sinead Wylde was denied a goal shot, while at the other end McCarthy raced through for Cork’s second major in the 40th minute.
The flood gates opened with McCartan’s green flag midway through the half, after she was put through by Cahalane.
A fourth goal came at the death from Cahalane while Orlaith Mullins, Clodagh Finn and Ciara O’Sullivan came off the bench to nail the closing white flags.
O Cahalane (2-2, 0-1 free), S McCarthy (1-2), A O’Connor (0-4, 0-3 frees), S McCartan (1-0), L Hayes (0-1 free) and C Finn (0-2 each), H Looney, A Healy, C Healy, O Mullins and C O’Sullivan (0-1 each).
A Maher (0-5, 0-4 frees), N Gannon, G O’Shea, E Flanagan and A Gannon (0-1 each).
A Lee; M Murphy, I O’Regan, P Mackey; H Looney, L Treacy, L Hayes (V-Capt); A Thompson, A Healy; C Healy, F Keating, S McCarthy; A O’Connor, K Mackey, O Cahalane.
S McCartan for K Mackey, C O’Sullivan for C Healy (both 41), N O’Callaghan for I O’Regan (48), O Mullins for F Keating, C Finn for A O’Connor (both 51).
A Gorman; A Ryan, E O’Byrne, Z Couch; C Gannon, K Finnegan, A McKearney; S Nolan, N Gannon; S Wylde, E Jamieson-Murphy, A Maher (Capt); G O’Shea, E Flanagan, A Gannon.
A Kenny for Z Couch (41), A Heffernan for S Nolan (42), G Skelton for E Jamieson-Murphy (47), N Comerford for S Wylde (58), H O’Dea for A Ryan (59).
Justin Heffernan (Wexford).
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