Cork V Laois SFC Report

By Daragh Ó Conchúir

Cork 4-14

Laois 0-6

Cork followed up their annihilation of Dublin by dishing out another hefty beating to Laois as they moved within 60 minutes of claiming the county’s third TG4 All-Ireland SFC title in a row.

Mary Collins’ charges appear to be extremely focused on this target although they can surely expect to face a sterner examination of their credentials in the decider against Mayo or Tyrone than either Laois or Dublin have managed.

In fairness to the Leinster champions, they began with serious intent causing a lot of early problems to the much vaunted Cork defence. They failed to capitalise on a couple of good goal opportunities however, while at the other end, Valerie Mulcahy and co had no such problems.

Eimear Fitzpatrick blasted just over from close range for Laois in the opening minute when she should really have found the net but the O’Moores were very unlucky two minutes later when Ciara Walsh cleared off the line after Tracey Lawlor had flicked the ball cleverly over Cork goalkeeper Elaine Harte.

Cork were strangely subdued against an assured looking Laois outfit but they took full advantage of being left off the hook, Briege Corkery finally getting them off the mark with a ninth minute point at the end of a typically buccaneering run.

Harte spread herself well six minutes later to deny Angela Casey in a one-on-one situation and 30 seconds later, the ball was in the back of the Laois net, Deirdre O’Reilly slotting home from close range.

By the time Mulcahy fisted Corkery’s delivery to the net two minutes later, Cork were nine points clear.

Laois managed to maintain that gap to the interval (2-7 to 0-4) thanks to a brave save by Bernie Deegan from O’Reilly and a couple of Lawlor points but a devastating opening to the second half when Cork scored 2-1 within minutes of the resumption removed any doubt about the result.

Laura McMahon got the first goal, after a textbook move from deep, while Mulcahy followed an audacious dummy with a nonchalant finish soon after.

Laois kept plugging away and Harte was forced to dive smartly to her left to push away a ferocious Nóirín Kirwan drive but they only managed two second half points, from Martha Kirwan and Lawlor.

The Leesiders were in cruise control however and just kept the scoreboard ticking over courtesy of Nollaig Cleary, Juliet Murphy, Mary O’Connor and Amanda Murphy to record an emphatic win.

Cork: E Harte; C Walsh, A Walsh, Rena Buckley; L Barrett, B Stack, B Corkery 0-2; J Murphy 0-3(fs), N Kelly; G O’Flynn, L McMahon 1-0, N Cleary 0-3; V Mulcahy 2-2, M O’Connor 0-2, D O’Reilly 1-0. Subs: A Murphy 0-2 for N Kelly (ht); Rhona Buckley for O’Flynn (45); M Kelly for Mulcahy (55).

Laois: B Deegan; L Hyland, L Muckian, E McEvoy; A Casey, P Fogarty, A Quigley; M Casey, K O Reilly 0-1 (45); Martha Kirwan 0-1, N Kirwan, T Lawlor 0-3; G O’Connor, Mary Kirwan, E Fitzpatrick 0-1. Subs: M O’Grady for Quigley (39); A Moore for Casey (39); C Delaney for O’Connor (52).

Referee: D Corcoran (Mayo).