Cork dethrone Munster champions

Cork 2-14   Clare 1-8

The fifth meeting of Cork and Clare in senior camogie in the last 11 months resulted in victory for Cork.

 

Clare went into the Munster championship semi-final at Ballincollig as the provincial champions, having beaten Cork in the final last year. Two weeks ago, the teams clashed in the national league semi-final, a game Cork won after extra-time on their way to retaining the title at the expense of Wexford.

For both sides, there was a lot at stake, with Cork determined to confirm their league semi-final win and Clare anxious to defend the provincial crown.

Clare had a dream start when Susan Vaughan goaled in the third minute, following a Chloe Morey free down the left wing, which Ailish Considine collected and sent cross field for Vaughan to finish to the net.

Orla Cotter’s converted free in the sixth minute got Cork on the board but three unanswered points from the Banner – Chloe Morey with a free, Claire McMahon with a 45 and Deirdre Murphy from play – saw Clare ahead 1-3 to 0-1 midway through the first half.

Cork, playing into the breeze, regrouped and with points from Síle Burns, Katriona Mackey and Angela Walsh, Clare’s lead was reduced to two points. Both sides traded points in the remaining eight minutes of the half and Corkery had the last point of the half from a tight angle to leave Clare ahead by the minimum at the half-time break, 1-6 to 0-8.

Cork hit the ground running at the restart and with the wind at their backs, had three points in quick succession, Cotter with two frees and Julia White from play to leave Clare trailing by two. Morey with a free from 50 yards, split the posts to reduce the deficit to a solitary point.

The turning point in this game came when Cork won a free out on the wing. Orla Cotter’s shot dropped into the square, where Briege Corkery grabbed, turned and buried the ball in the Clare net. Cork added another goal just four minutes later, when Eimear O’Sullivan, having got past Clare’s full-back Marian O’Brien, gave Denise Lynch no chance. The remaining eight minutes were played out at the same frenetic pace but Clare just couldn’t get the goals they required to put themselves back in contention.

Cork: Aoife Murray; Pamela Mackey, Rena Buckley, Joanne O’Callaghan; Denise Cronin, Anna Geary, Caroline Sugrue; Orla Cotter (0-3), Aisling Thompson; Eimear O’Sullivan (1-0), Angela Walsh (0-1), Katriona Mackey (0-5); Síle Burns (0-3), Briege Corkery (1-1), Julia White (0-1).
Sub: Christine O’Neill for Walsh (55 mins).
Clare: Denise Lynch; Laura McMahon, Marian O’Brien, Carol O’Leary; Eimear Considine, Chloe Morey (0-2), Katie Cahill; Orlaith Duggan, Maire McGrath; Ailish Considine, Susan Vaughan (1-0), Niamh O’Dea; Naomi Carroll, Claire McMahon (0-5), Deirdre Murphy (0-1).
Subs: Kate Lynch for Ailish Considine, Sinead O’Loughlin for Cahill, Lisa Loughnane for Laura McMahon, Cushla Hehir for Duggan, Sinéad Tuohy for Claire McMahon.
Referee: Donie Browne, Limerick.