Cork 2-14 Waterford 0-8

IT'S two out of three for Cork senior ladies footballers as they retained their Munster football championship title yesterday evening in Dungarvan.

Having won the league title a few weeks ago, they added the Munster title with a well-deserved win over the Deise and once the celebrations die down they will turn their attention to the All-Ireland series.

Cork had a number of impressive displays with Saoirse Noonan, Orla Finn and Eimear Scally tormenting the Waterford defence and at the back, the likes of Player of the Game, Melissa Duggan, made it difficult for the Déise attack.

Waterford had the strong wind in the first half and they made it count early on when Maria Delahunty opened the scoring and she added a second when she scored from a free, a magnificent effort from out near the sideline.

Cork took a bit of time to settle and they were off the mark five minutes in when Niamh Cotter played a one-two with Lippy Coppinger for the former to point.

Three minutes later and there were back on level terms when Orla Finn pointed from a free, but Waterford broke straight down the pitch and Chloe Fennell scored to restore their lead.

Cork were unlucky not to get a goal when Noonan burst forward and she went to play Scally in, but a Waterford defender got a touch to the ball to deny her the goalscoring chance.

Kellyann Hogan increased Waterford's lead before the Rebels hit the front, this time Noonan making no mistake from in front of goal.

A well-worked move, involving Shauna Kelly and Aishling Hutchings played her in and she found the back of the net to make it 1-2 to 0-4, with 16 minutes gone.

Credit to Waterford they hit back, with a free from Delahunty and she added another from the restart to put her side in front again, 0-6 to 1-2.

Eimear Kiely had Cork back on level terms, with Katie Murray replying at the other end, shooting over the bar when really she should have gone for goal.

But the Rebels finished the half strongly with Finn equalising and then Noonan on target to put them in front.

A magnificent burst out of defence by Melissa Duggan set up Daire Kiely for the last score of the half as the Rebels led 1-6 to 0-7 at half-time and with the wind at their backs in the second-half it was going to be a tough task for Waterford.

Now with the wind, Cork made it count with Finn, Noonan and Cotter all pointing in the first four minutes of the second half. A minute later and Waterford were unlucky not to goal when Katie Murray burst forward and her shot came back off the post and from a resulting free Delahunty hit the crossbar.

Daire Kiely added a point for Cork and with 41 minutes gone any hope of a Waterford comeback were dashed when Noonan got her second goal of the tie, set up by Coppinger.

Coppinger added a point, with Finn also on target, to make it 2-12 to 0-7, with 54 minutes gone. Delahunty got their first score of the second-half a minute later, with Ciara O'Sullivan and Noonan replying.

Delahunty got the final score but really it didn't matter as this one was well over as a contest by that stage.

Scorers for Cork: S Noonan 2-3, O Finn 0-4 (2f), N Cotter, D Kiely 0-2 each, E Kiely, L Coppinger, C O'Sullivan 0-1 each.

Waterford: M Delahunty 0-6 (4f), C Fennell, K Hogan, K Murray 0-1 each

CORK: M O’Brien; H Looney, E Meaney, M Duggan; S Kelly, A Hutchings, E Kiely; L Coppinger, O Farmer; D Kiely, N Cotter, C O’Sullivan; E Scally, S Noonan, O Finn.

Subs: M O'Callaghan for O Farmer (ht), A O'Sullivan for N Cotter (42), E Spillane for D Kiely (42), R Ni Bhuachalla for L Coppinger (44), C O'Shea for E Kiely (58).

WATERFORD: R Landers; Kate McGrath, C McGrath, M Wall; R Tobin, Karen McGrath, S Dunphy; E Murray, K Murray; K.A. Hogan, C Fennell, M Delahunty; E Fennell, M Ryan, A Wall.

Subs: L McGregor for Efennell (44), B Valuntaite for R Tobin (58).

Ref: Seamus Mulvihill, Kerry.