Cork and Kerry win one each in Munster Championship

CORK LADIES FOOTBALL SENIOR MUNSTER CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 1
CORK 1-11 KERRY 3-11

If ever there was a game of two halves, this was it. Corks first
half display unquestionably cost them the game, as current Munster
champions Kerry, turned on the style big time in their own back
yard. With a minute gone, Shary Delaney wormed her way round the
Cork defence and snatched a goal which shook the Rebels’ to the
core. The Kingdom cleverly played two in the full forward line
to create space and with 9minutes gone All-Star Geraldine O’Shea
chipped the keeper for Kerry’s second, sending the sizeable crowd
wild. Cork answered with points from Mary O’Connor and Geraldine
O’Flynn but the third and final goal came on the 13minute when
Kacey O’Driscoll received a pass from O’Shea and fisted it towards
the net. Kerry were now in a league of there own, beating Cork
to every ball, they moved the ball fast and created openings in
the Cork defence. O’Shea added a total of 1-5 to Kerry’s first
half thumping and the score read 0-6 3-10 at the half.

Tactical switches by the Cork management should have come sooner
as it was the Rebels’ who excelled in the second, only permitting
Kerry to score a solitary point from a free. The movement of Angela
Walsh to midfield saw Cork win more ball, which was now distributed
quickly into the forwards. However Kerry’s defence were hunting
in packs and Cork couldn’t capitalise on their chances. Their
luck changed in the 48 minute when Jackie Murnane was sin-binned
for an off the ball incident in side the square and corner forward
Valerie Mulcahy smashed home a penalty to draw the sides closer.
However luck for Mulcahy was short lived as the referee gave her
a second ticking for bouncing the ball in frustration against
a decision, this saw her sin binned for the remainder of the game.
Geraldine O’Flynn did her best by adding a number of points from
frees but it wasn’t enough.

On the stroke of full time Kerry had a third player sin binned
but it didn’t affect Cork’s chances of a comeback. Cork play Clare
in the second round on July 24th and they will have to go back
to the drawing board if they are too reach this years Munster
final.
Scorers for Cork: V Mulcahy 1-3 (1-0 penalty, 0-2frees),
G O’Flynn 0-6 (0-5frees), M O’Connor 0-2.
Scorers for Kerry: G O’Shea 1-6 (0-3frees), K O’Driscoll
1-3, S Delaney 1-1, D Corridon 0-1
CORK: E Harte, N Keohane, B Stack, C Foley, A Murphy, A
Walsh, R Buckley, J Murphy (C), N Kelly, G O’Flynn, A O’Connor,
N Cleary, B Corkery, M O’Connor, V Mulcahy. Subs: L Power for
B Stack (24mins), M Kelly for A O’Connor (HT), R Curtain for N
Cleary (57).
KERRY: A O’Donoughue, K Gleeson, G Ni Fhlatharta, J Murnane,
S O’Connor, C Kelly, J Johnson, S O’Connor (C), E O’Connell, K
Kennelly, L Ross, P Dennehy, N Fealey, G O’Shea, K O’Driscoll.
Referee: M O’Connor (Limerick) JUNIOR

MUNSTER JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 1 CORK 3-9 KERRY 0-5

Excellent defending from the Cork junior team saw them defeat
Kerry in Kilorglin in the first round of the Munster championship
last night. It was hard to comprehend that these players had not
played intercounty football since March, however they came out
trumps, resulting from hard work and great support play. The visitors
opened the scoring with a point from Tara Galvin and soon after
Mary White placed the ball in Kerry’s net having received a great
pass from Niamh Hickey. In defence Anna Walsh was superb as was
Blathnaid Wiseman, Elaine O’Riordan and Ciara Walsh. In midfield,
Síle O’Callaghan, daughter of manager Timmy O’Callaghan worked
tirelessly as did Ashling Barrett.

At the half Cork led 1-5 0-1 but it was Kerry who started better
in the second. However it was a short-lived comeback, as Tara
Galvin walked through the Kerry defence to add a goal and a point.
Super sub Grace O’Sullivan cracked home Corks third goal of the
night to seal it for the Leesiders. They play Tipperary next at
home on July 24 before playing Limerick away on July 28.

Scorers for Cork: T Galvin 1-2, M White and G O’Sullivan
1-0each, A Barrett and B Wiseman 0-2each, S O’Callaghan, C O’Driscoll
and N Hickey 0-1each.
Scorers for Kerry: AM O’Donoughue 0-4, E Sayers 0-1.
CORK: M O’Sullivan (C), C Moran, N Kelly, E O’Riordan,
C Walsh, B Wiseman, A Walsh, S O’Callaghan, A Barrett, E Twohig,
L McSweeney, T Galvin, C O’Driscoll, N Hickey, M White. Subs:
S Forde, G O’Sullivan, T O’Mullane, CA Stack, M O’Sullivan
KERRY: C O’Connor, J Murphy, A Hassett, H McKenna (C),
J Spillane, D Dennehy, L Flannery, M Donoughue, AJ Joy, S joy,
E Sayers, I Dowd, E Knightly, AM O’Donoughue, TA O.
Referee: B Mullane (Limerick)

Mary White (PRO, Cork Ladies Football)