Cork Ladies U14 Crush Meath Hopes

Rebels Rule Out Royal’s Final Hopes!

 

The scoreboard suggests Cork had an easy win over Meath U14s in a sun drenched Crettyard on Saturday afternoon but that is simply not true. The Meath u14s were unlucky in their concession of goals while also missing chances the other end. Fresh from their win over Dublin two weeks ago in the Leinster final, Meath had high hopes approaching this semi-final, however it wasn’t to be and it is the Rebels who will line out in the All Ireland Final.

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Action from Cork Ladies U14 All Ireland Semi Final victory over Meath.

Cork Ladies Under 14 were ahead within a minute and got their first goal on the resumption when Kate Dennehy found the back of the Royal net. Katie Quirke converted a free for the Rebels on three minutes to stretch Cork’s lead to five points. Battling spirit earned Meath a free, duly converted by Leinster Final Player of the Match, Emma Duggan, her first point of six for the afternoon. A goal mouth scramble on 13 mins gave Cork their second goal and it could have been much worse for the girls in green but for some exceptional saves by Meath keeper Megan Peters. Duggan added Meath’s second point from a free on 15 mins when Lauren Geraghty was fouled. The longer the half went on, the more the Royals got into it, Petra Reilly, Sarah Wall, Sorcha Gough, Leah Dennehy and Leah Reilly were all to the fore while the impressive Susie O’Rourke emphatically finished to the back of the net on 20 mins to leave just three points between the teams. The goal was a just reward for O’Rourke who covered every blade of grass on the pitch. Cork tagged on a further two points, with every Cork attack looking dangerous – Cork Captain Katie Quirke leading by example. Leah Devine gave Meath their third point on 25 mins but this was cancelled out a minute later as Cork struck again. Emma Duggan was unlucky to spurn two certain goal chances but she did grab her third point of the afternoon on 28 mins after super work from Leah Reilly and Orla McLoughlin.

 

Half Time; Meath 1-04, Cork 2-05.

 

Hopes for a comeback akin to the Leinster Final were dashed when the Cork Ladies got their third goal of the game on 34 mins. The teams traded scores on 34 and 38 mins with Emma Duggan pointing for the Royals from a free. The Royal defence were in resilient mood and they overturned several Cork attacks while the Meath forward line were unlucky not to see their efforts split the posts.  Orla Lally, Aoife Farrell and Sarah Wall showed great strength in dispossessing the Cork attack, while Petra Reilly dominated midfield alongside Kate McCarthy. A well worked point, finished by Emma Duggan on 51 mins left Meath with it all to do in the last ten minutes with the Royals now seven adrift. Cue the sucker punch goal, against the run of play, Cork attacked like lightning and somehow found a way through the Royal rearguard for their fourth goal on 53 mins. At this point, the vast majority of teams would throw in the towel, however there is something special about these u14s, they never know when the game is up and they always play to the final whistle. Duggan pointed her sixth of the afternoon on 55 mins before Leah Dennehy was rewarded for her work with a fine point on 57 mins. Orla Lally found herself in unusual territory when she converted a free on 58 mins but it was the Rebels who were to have the final say, a fifth goal in injury time to seal the win and a place in the All Ireland Final.

 

Full Time: Meath 1-09, Cork Ladies 5-08

 

Meath Team & Scorers: Megan Peters, Mary McDonagh, Orlagh Lally (0-01,f), Meabh Hanrahan, Sorcha Gough, Sarah Wall , Aoife Farrell, Petra Reilly, Kate McCarthy, Emma Duggan (0-06, 3f), Leah Reilly, Susie O’Rourke (1-00), Orla McLoughlin, Leah Devine (0-01), Lauren Geraghty.

 

Subs: Caitlin Hamilton for Hanrahan, Aine Cooke for Geraghty, Molly McNamara for McCarthy, Leah Dennehy (0-01) for Reilly, Aoife Lenehan for Duggan, Emily Jo White, Caitlin Hamilton, Marie Heffernan, Molly Maguire, Amy Bermingham, Katie Bermingham, Kathleen Yore, Aoife Lenehan, Aoife Toner, Marie McCarthy, Laura Furlong.

 

Cork Ladies: Sarah Murphy, Rachel Sheehan, Roisín Corkery, Ciara Lawlee, Clare Ahern, Ciara O’Callaghan, Ellie Jack, Áine Keating, Fahe Ahern, Jenny Murphy, Katie Quirke (C), Eve Mullins, Katie Dineen, Kate Dennehy, Fiona Keating.

 

Ref: Seamus Mulvihill (Kerry)

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