Cork camogie team into league final after easing past Tipperary

Tipperary 0-7 Cork 1-12

It might have been bitterly cold and windy, but the action on the pitch was certainly hot as Cork took on Tipperary in the Very Camogie League Division 1A at The Ragg on Saturday afternoon.

This was a clash of the All-Ireland champions and the league winners and both sides were determined to lay down a marker ahead of the Munster and All-Ireland championships.

In the end it was the All-Ireland champions Cork, who came out on top, in a game they were the better side in all through.

The win means Cork are through to the league final with a game to spare and won’t have to worry about their clash with Galway next weekend now in that regard.

The Ragg is never an easy place to win and Cork would have known that travelling up and from the throw-in they showed the determination needed to win there.

Up front the likes of Clodagh Finn and Orlaith Cahalane had the Tipp defence under constant pressure and they found if difficult to cope with them. 

Add in others like Saoirse McCarthy and Kate Wall, who made sure that it was a difficult day for the Tipp defenders.

But when it was needed in the second half, with the wind howling into their faces, the Cork defence was simply magnificent.

They kept Tipp from scoring from play for the entire game, a stat that will keep any defender happy.

To mention anyone in particular would be unfair because as a unit they fought for every ball and didn’t give Tipp an inch, backed up by Aoife Healy and Ashling Thompson.

Cork made use of the strong wind in their favour just 20 seconds in when Orlaith Cahalane pointed but it took nine minutes for their second score to arrive.

This time Sorcha McCartan was on target from a free before Grace O’Brien replied for Tipp, to make it 0-2 to 0-1 after 11 minutes.

A great move, involving Saoirse McCarthy and Cahalane set up Finn for Cork’s third point as they were now playing the better camogie.

O’Brien pointed another free for Tipp, with Wall getting Cork’s fourth.

Finn added another and when Laura Hayes scored in the 23rd minute it was 0-6 to 0-2 in Cork’s favour.

Finn scored another before Cork got a goal. She won the all and played it to Cahalane and her found Katrina Mackey to give Laura Leenane no chance of saving.

Cahalane added a point with Mackey also scoring to see the Rebels lead by 1-9 to 0-2 at the break.

With the wind in their favour it was now a case of would Tipp be able to pull the lead back.

To the credit of the Cork defence they never did, with two early frees from O’Brien putting a small dent in the Rebels lead.

Mackey, and two more from Finn, had Cork in front by 1-12 to 0-4 after 40 minutes, before Tipp had their best chance to score from play.

Clodagh McIntyre burst forward and looked like scoring a goal but when the defence was beaten you have Amy Lee in goal and she saved magnificently to deny her what looked like a certain green flag.

Three late pointed frees from O’Brien narrowed the deficit, but in reality Cork were by far the better side on the day and move on to the league final in a few weeks time.

Scorers for Tipperary: G O’Brien 0-7 (0-6 f, 0-1 45).

Cork: K Mackey 1-2, C Finn 0-5, O Cahalane 0-2, S McCartan, K Wall, L Hayes 0-1 each.

TIPPERARY: L Leenane; J Bourke, C Quirke, N Costigan; C McCarthy, M Eviston, S Corcoran; C Hennessy, E Cunneen; K Ralph, R Howard, C McIntyre; C Treacy, C Maher, G O’Brien.

Subs: E Loughman for N Costigan (10 inj), N Treacy for E Cunneen (h-t), E Heffernan for K Ralph, J Kelly for C Maher (both 44), N Cunneen for C Treacy, S Madden for R Howard (both 57).

CORK: A Lee; M Murphy, M Cahalane, P Mackey; H Looney, L Treacy, L Hayes; A Healy, A Thompson; K Wall, C Finn, S McCarthy, K Mackey, S McCartan, C Finn.

Subs: A Fitzgerald for S McCartan (26 inj), E Murphy for K Wall (h-t), O Mullins for S McCarthy, A O’Connor for C Finn (both 55), C O’Sullivan for O Cahalane, A O’Neill for M Cahalane (both 58), M Condon for A Fitzgerald (61 blood sub).

Referee: Liz Dempsey, Kilkenny.