Cork's perfect record books direct route
Cork’s Sorcha McCartan gets away from Waterford’s Laoise Forrest. Pic: ©INPHO/Stephen Heaney
The results might not have been as good as they would have liked earlier in the season, but Cork have rediscovered their winning formula just in time.
With ten of last year’s All-Ireland final starting team, they secured a direct passage to the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie championship semi-final courtesy of victory over Waterford in Páirc Uí Rinn.
By winning all three games in Group 1, they boast a 100 percent record. Galway occupy the second semi-final spot.
Waterford, meanwhile, will discover their opponents in the quarter-final on Monday’s RTÉ radio 1 Morning Ireland, 8.35am.
The league and provincial runners-up, as well as Tipperary, will be drawn against either Kilkenny or Clare, who completed Group 2 in first and second place respectively.
The Déise will have to plan without former All-Star Niamh Rockett, who received a straight red card for a challenge on Laura Hayes in second-half stoppage time.
“It was a tough game, there was a lot of hard tackling,” acknowledged Cork manager Ger Manley. “Camogie has changed quite a bit.
“We had a very hard game up in Galway, Tipp were the same. We’re four very even teams.
“Niamh isn’t a dirty player, nobody goes out to hurt anybody. Laura is a small bit sore, but she will be fine.”
Amy Lee’s seventh-minute goal was an important moment when the goalkeeper dispatched a monster delivery after a one-two with full-back Libby Coppinger, and the sliotar bounced high into the Waterford net.
“I’ll never hear the end of it,” Manley smiled.
“We were trying to be direct with the wind, use the ball well. Look, it took a bad bounce for Brianna (O’Regan) but it was very important for us as it gave us a bit of a cushion.”
That cushion was a 1-5 to 0-5 interval advantage.
“We didn’t go well in the first half. Our forward line looked dangerous when they got the ball, we just didn’t get enough in. I thought Waterford were very good coming out with it, they worked it well, they had runners coming through the middle and it took us a while to adjust. And when we did, Ashling (Thompson), Laura Hayes and Mille Condon came right into it.
“We were outstanding in the second half against a very strong wind.”
Player of the Match Sorcha McCartan was a constant thorn in the Waterford side, especially her three points in the opening half, while Amy O’Connor penalised any indiscipline.
The game also marked a return from injury for captain Méabh Cahalane and Ashling Thompson, and both stalwarts proved their worth during a tense and tight battle.
Even though Waterford face a quick turnaround to be ready for next weekend’s quarter-final in Croke Park, Mick Boland has plenty of reason to be optimistic. If you remove the goal, they are not far away.
Through top-scorer Beth Carton, fit again captain Lorraine Bray and Keeley Corbett Barry, you get a real flavour of how strongly motivated they are to succeed.
Being league and provincial finalists, they are not short on motivation either.
A O’Connor (0-6 frees), A Lee (1-0), S McCartan (0-3), S McCarthy (0-2 frees), A Thompson and O Cahalane (0-1 each).
B Carton (0-4, 0-2 frees), N Rockett (0-1 free) and A Fitzgerald (0-2 each), B Bowdren and M O’Brien (0-1 each).
A Lee; I O’Regan, L Coppinger, M Cahalane (Capt); A Fitzgerald, M Murphy, I Sheehan; M Condon, L Hayes; S McCarthy, A Thompson, E Murphy; S McCartan, O Cahalane, A O’Connor.
N McNabola for E Murphy (58), H Ryan for L Hayes (67 temp).
B O’Regan; V Falconer, L Forrest, A McNulty; C Carroll, K Corbett Barry, R Walsh; O Hickey, A Flynn; E O’Neill, B Carton, B Bowdren; A Fitzgerald, M Gostl, M O’Brien.
L Bray (Capt) for M Gostl (half-time), A O’Sullivan for B Bowdren (temp 32-36), N Rockett for M O’Brien (35), A O’Sullivan for O Hickey (55), R Kirwan for A Fitzgerald (58).
Donnacha O’Callaghan (Limerick).
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