Cork blitz Tipp with early goals to advance

TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship

Cork 8-12

Tipperary 2-3

By Ger McCarthy

Cork went on a goalscoring rampage to confidently march into the TG4 All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals following a one-sided defeat of Tipperary in Clonakilty.

Seven different players found the net for Cork as Tipperary were blown away by an early goal blitz from Shane Ronayne’s side.

The Rebels put the memory of a disappointing Galway defeat behind them and hit Tipperary for eight goals en route to claiming a place in the last eight of this year’s senior championship.

It was a real show of strength from Cork as they got their championship campaign firmly back on track.

Five goals inside the opening quarter did the damage as Eimear Kiely, Máire O’Callaghan, Orlaith Cahalane, Anna Ryan and Daire Kiely (penalty) found the net.

Overcoming the loss of Eimear Kiely to injury, Cork led 5-8 to 1-3 at the break with a brace of points from Emma Morrissey brace and 1-1 from Aishling Moloney all Tipperary had to show.

The loss of Ciara O’Sullivan to a red card and Anna Ryan for a 10-minute sin-binning saw Cork reduced to 13 players after the restart.

And when Moloney got in for her second goal for Tipperary, there was a hint of a revival from the visitors in Clonakilty.

But Cork regrouped and easily saw out the victory and their safe passage to the quarter-finals of this season’s race for the TG4 All-Ireland title.

Second half substitutes Dara Kiniry and Bríd O’Sullivan found the net and Anna Ryan got her second goal of the game as Cork pushed for home and wrapped up an emphatic victory.

Scorers for Cork: A Ryan 2-0, D Kiely 1-1 (1-0 pen), H Looney 0-4, E Kiely, M O’Callaghan, O Cahalane, D Kiniry, B O’Sullivan 1-0 each, D O’Sullivan 0-3 (0-2 frees), A Ring, E Cleary, C O’Sullivan, L O’Mahony 0-1 each.

Tipperary: A Moloney 2-1 (1-0 free), E Morrissey 0-2.

 CORK: M O’Sullivan; M Duggan, E Meaney, R Phelan; A Ryan, S Kelly, L O’Mahony; M O’Callaghan (capt.), H Looney; D Kiely, E Cleary, C O’Sullivan; O Cahalane, D O’Sullivan, E Kiely. Subs: A Ring for E Kiely (16, inj), B O’Sullivan for Cleary (46, inj), D Kiniry for Cahalane (52), A O’Mahony for Ryan (52, inj).

 TIPPERARY: L Fitzpatrick; E Kelly, L Spillane; E Cronin; M Curley (capt.), L Morrissey, C O’Dwyer; E Morrissey, L Dillon; S English, K Downey, C English; A McGuigan, N Martin, A Moloney.  Subs: A Delaney for C English (37), S Ryan for L Morrissey (40), N Spillane for Dillon (42), E O’Sullivan for Downey (42).

Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow).