Cork v Waterford: Ashling Thompson comes on to guide Rebels back to All-Ireland final

Cork 0-15 Waterford 0-10 

AFTER getting the fright of their lives Cork returned to the All-Ireland final after beating an admirable Waterford side in Croke Park. 

Waterford won’t want our admiration; they’ll be sickened that they were so close and feel that Cork were there for the taking. But experience won out. 

The contrast in composure in the closing 10 minutes was apparent. Cork had not only the experience of playing in Croke Park but the poise of realising you are minutes from an All-Ireland final. Eight points in a row reflect that.

Waterford brought their A-game to the pitch and didn’t let Cork dictate the tempo.

You couldn’t say that Waterford went defensive for this one. Cork pulled out their forwards, leaving just Amy O’Connor and Katrina Mackey inside, hoping to capitalise on speed. They were brilliantly marked by Keely Corbett-Barry and Mairead Power with Clodagh Carroll floating but equally their teammates weren’t feeding them the right ball either. I counted once in the first half that Cork delivered a ball into space advantage for them.

Cork were struggling all over the pitch, their distribution really letting them down. Both sides in fact were guilty of hitting the ball into open space where the opposition held the advantage.

Wind couldn’t be blamed as a factor for wayward shooting from both sides, Waterford having six wides to Cork’s five by the half time whistle.

Losing midfield, Ashling Thompson, who was cleared to play only four hours earlier from a two-game suspension, was sprung from the bench on 22 minutes for Katie O’Mahoney where Hannah Looney was also struggling to make an impact, looking to offload where she would have taken a shot 12 months ago. Reaching match perfection after missing the first six months of the year is a hard ask. 

And oh, did Cork need Thompson.

We’re not used to seeing Cork go 25 minutes without a point. They were trailing by five by the time Katrina Mackey got their first and it could have been seven had Roisin Kirwan struck off her right with the goal at her mercy. But she turned inside, and the advancing Amy Lee and Libby Coppinger forced her to strike over.

You still felt at half time that Cork would win the game. That was more to do with the belief that Cork are the better side rather than anything we were witnessing there and then on the pitch. But you felt that Waterford needed to push up a bit more if they wanted to put Cork away and that every opportunity needed to be taken.

Cork themselves needed to push up. They were sitting back and being bottled out.

Cork opened the second half with their seventh wide. Niamh Rockett scored from the resultant puck out. Chloe Sigerson pushed up into full-forward.

Small things started to go Cork’s way. A crucial interception by Thompson on 41 minutes led to Fiona Keating narrowing the gap to two. My Player of the Match Meabh Cahalane was doing brilliantly on Niamh Rockett, forcing another Waterford wide. Coppinger also stood up. 

Equally, the Waterford defence were doing brilliantly A lovely Waterford move, and Abby Flynn point gave Waterford a three-point advantage entering the last quarter With so many Cork players off form it was Sigerson that was substituted on 47 minutes for Emma Murphy. 

Murphy’s first touch led to a 45. O’Connor converted. It was down to one.

Over-elaboration stopped Waterford from stretching their lead to two again. And jitters led to them losing possession and gifting Amy O’Connor the leveller.

From there it was all Cork.

Scorers for Cork: A O’Connor 0-5 (0-3 f, 0-1 45), S McCartan 0-3 (0-1 f), K Mackey, F Keating 0-2 each, C Sigerson, C Healy, E Murphy 0-1 each.

Waterford: B Carton 0-4 (0-2 f), A Flynn 0-3, N Rockett 0-2, R Kirwan 0-1.  

CORK: A Lee; M Murphy, L Coppinger, M Cahalane; L Hayes, L Tracey, S McCarthy; K O’Mahoney, H Looney; K Mackey, F Keating, C Healy; A O’Connor, C Sigerson, S McCartan.

Subs: A Thompson for K O’Mahoney (22), E Murphy for C Sigerson (47), O Cahalane for C Healy (55), C O’Sullivan for M Murphy (64).

WATERFORD: B O’Regan; K Corbett-Barry, I Heffernan, M Power; O Hickey, C Carroll, A Landers; L Bray, C Griffin; A Flynn, B Carton, M O’Brien; R Walsh, R Kirwan, N Rockett.  

Subs: T Power for M O’Brien (46), S Lacey for R Kirwan (55).

Referee: Ray Kelly (Kildare).