Cork camogie team get back to winning ways with victory over Down, but still lots to improve upon

Cork 3-19 

Down 1-10 

THE Cork performance may not have sent us home too excited, but Cork did what they had to do against visitors Down to Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday. 

Enforced changes for Cork was the omission of Hannah Looney who travelled with the footballers to Galway in what is the second clash of the codes this year with another one to come on July 1st. 

Orlaith Cahalane was also due to travel, but word came through during the game that she in fact broke her foot late in the week at football training. 

That’s another big blow to Cork. Despite the expectation that Cork would win over Down, with the injuries affecting Twomey’s squad he couldn’t afford to let all four players go.

Aoife O’Neill got her first championship start at left corner back with Meabh Cahalane moving to right half back, O’Neill replacing Looney. Aoife Healy switched to midfield and Sorcha McCartan came in for Orlaith Cahalane to the team that started against Galway a fortnight ago.

Cork led by 3-6 to 1-5 at half time but at the twenty fifth minute it was 1-4 apiece. 

Cork had been poor with 1-2 from play, all from the stick of Katrina Mackey. They had been guilty again of some poor wides. 

Cork in fact trailed the 2020 All-Ireland intermediate champions 1-3 to 0-3 on eighteen minutes when a free from Niamh Mallon lobbed into the square and Olivia Boyle kicked home. 

Cork’s first touch up front was letting them down. Unable to gather the ball coming at pace first time they lost a few chances to open Down up. When Cork sent in long deliveries, they were getting the better of their opponents. 

Attempting to walk the ball out of defence slowed down play too much. 

At one point Amy Lee came from goal and took a free sideways to her corner back, which was bizarre.

Mackey’s goal on twenty-two put the spurt into Cork that they needed. 

A great run down the middle by Fiona Keating, drawing defenders, left Mackey free and Keating’s pass found her. She billowed the net from close range. 

A Niamh Mallon free levelled the game at 1-4 but from there it was all Cork. 

Amy O’Connor pointed a free and she then found her mojo to take a good Sorcha McCartan pass to secure her trademark goal of rounding defenders and hitting the net. Cliona Healy pointed. 

Then Mackey again to the net after a Saoirse McCarthy pass. Now Cork were playing. When they played direct, they were better.

The start of the second half, Mallon pointed a free and for the next few minutes Cork didn’t get beyond their own ’45 due to short puckouts and play where they were overturned.

A stop / start game which was at times lifeless, referee Alan Hogg was far too soft with frees and showed poor use of the advantage rule.

Katrina Mackey was played deep in the second half, out on the 45. 

Cork’s primary goal scorer, their goals dried up, but they hit thirteen second half points from eight players which was a good return.

Down’s Niamh Mallon was as expected their scorer in chief with ten points, five from play with Doyle Down’s only other scorer on the day.

As the game moved towards it’s conclusion a couple of more goal chances were there for Cork, and they needed to take them with far tougher games ahead. 

They won’t overly be delighted with their performance, but they did what they had to do and play Clare in round 3 in Ennis in two weeks time.

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

Down: N Mallon 0-10 (0-5f), O Boyle 1-0.

CORK: A Lee; M Murphy, L Coppinger, A O’Neill; M Cahalane, L Treacy, I O’Regan; S McCarthy, A Healy; C Sigerson, F Keating, C Healy; A O’Connor, S McCartan, K Mackey.

Subs: P Mackey for M Cahalane (42), H Ryan for A O’Neill (49), E Murphy for C Healy and A Smith for S McCarthy (52), K Wall for S McCartan (54).

DOWN: C McGourty; I O’Hare, D Magee, A Savage; A Mallon, D Savage, R Smyth; D Colman, C McGilligan; B Savage, N Mallon, S L Graffin; C Fitzsimmons, L Clarke; O Boyle.

Subs: S Sands for A Savage (h/t), A McAleenan for C Fitzsimmons (38), C Coleman for D Coleman (43), S McGrath for A Mallon (52), C McConnell for B Savage (60).

Referee: A Hogg – Clare.