Cork ladies football: Talking points from the draw with Waterford
Cork's Hannah Looney and Waterford's Hannah Power and Aine O'Neill in action. Picture: Patrick Browne
It takes guts and no little skill to convert a difficult free with the result on the line six minutes into injury time in an inter-county match. That’s the scenario that faced Katie Quirke before the forward nervelessly fired over the crossbar to earn Cork a 2-9 to 2-9 draw.
The Bride Rovers player finished with five points and was a constant outlet, always looking for possession and converting whatever few chances came her way.
Clearly, Quirke is a confidence player and was boosted by finding the back of the net in Cork’s previous victory away to Mayo. Earning a starting berth against Waterford, Katie Quirke repaid her manager’s faith and was central to Cork leaving Kilkenny with a share of the spoils. Let’s hope the talented forward can maintain her early-season consistency.
Shane Ronayne is fielding a much-changed line-up in this year’s National League due to retirements and an influx of new players onto the Cork senior panel.
Seven points down and struggling to come to terms with a poor pitch, Cork did not allow their heads to drop and doggedly battled back to level matters on three separate occasions before the final whistle blew.
This is a necessary and welcome trait for such a changed Cork senior team in 2023.
Absentees from Cork’s squad in last Sunday’s clash with Waterford included Ciara and Doireann O’Sullivan, Máire O’Callaghan and Róisín Phelan. Slowly but surely, Shane Ronayne is adding depth to a panel that will need every player at their optimum come championship.
It is already disappointing that Waterford have to play their National League games in Kilkenny but the state of the Piltown pitch drew much criticism following last Sunday’s clash with Cork.
Free-flowing football was never an option on a playing surface used constantly in between Waterford’s Kerry and Cork encounters. It showed.
The Déise will not, and should not, apologise for looking for every advantage they can get but the poor quality of a pitch for a National League game involving two talented teams is not a good optic. The fact a perfect sand-based pitch was within walking distance of last Sunday’s league encounter only added to Shane Ronayne’s frustrations.
Maybe it's time Cork LGFA started thinking outside the box and began playing their inter-county fixtures in more rural areas of the county.
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