Classy Cork overwhelm Waterford to secure first All-Ireland since 2018

Cork 5-13 Waterford 0-9

THE drought is finally over for Cork and they did it in style as they were crowned Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie champions at Croke Park on Sunday.

Having not won the title since 2018, with losses in the final over the last two seasons, there was a determination in this squad to put that right and they did so.

Led by the likes of Aoife Healy, Libby Coppinger, Katrina Mackey, and Hannah Looney, Cork were the better team from start to finish.

Add in captain Amy O’Connor, who led by example all through, and it was her three goals in the first five minutes of the second half that killed off any hope of a Waterford win.

Cork were simply awesome and there wasn’t a team in the country that would have beaten them at Croker as the hurt of the last two years was forgotten.

The game was hardly on when it had to stop due to an injury to Waterford’s Vikki Falconer, which saw her replaced by Iona Heffernan.

From the restart, Amy O’Connor picked up possession t slot over the bar for the game’s opening score.

In a low-scoring start it took until the ninth minute for the second score to come, with both sides having two wides in between.

It doubled Cork’s lead as Chole Sigerson pointed from a long-distance free.

Minutes later and Cork looked like they were through on goal but Sorcha McCartan was pulled down, resulting in a yellow card for Keely Corbett Barry.

O’Connor pointed the free and she added another to make it 0-4 to no score.

Waterford got off the mark 15 minutes in with Beth Carton fired over from distance to make it a three-point game.

O’Connor landed another free before Cork keeper Amy Lee had to keep her eye on the ball from free that dropped short as she cleared the danger.

Hannah Looney burst forward to increase the Rebels' lead before O’Connor got her first from play as they lead 0-7 to 0-1 after 22 minutes.

Three minutes later and Cork were further ahead when Katrina Mackey picked up the sliothar, took on the Waterford defence. She played an inch-perfect pass to Sorcha McCartan who batted the ball to the back of the net, to make it 1-7 to 0-1.

Carton landed another free for Waterford as they tried to get back in contention. Mackey and McCartan added points for Cork as the game headed for injury time.

Carton added a point from a free before Waterford were thrown a lifeline when they were somewhat controversially awarded a penalty.

But Carton put it wide to see the Rebels in a commanding 1-9 to 0-3 lead at half time.

Cork got the perfect start to the second half when Fiona Keating burst forward and played O’Connor in to raise Cork’s second green flag.

Within a minute O’Connor had her second goal, this time Mackey setting her up, to make it 3-9 to 0-3. And from the restart Mackey regained possession and played in O’Connor to complete her hat-trick and it was game over at this early stage, as the Rebels led 4-9 to 0-3.

Carton pulled a point back from a free for Waterford but it was a case of damage limitation for the Déise.

Niamh Rockett got their first point from play in the 39th minute, with Carton adding another.

O’Connor and Mackey kept the scoreboard ticking over at the other end and with 13 minutes left it was 4-11 to 0-7.

With 50 minutes on the clock, the fifth goal came when Orla Cronin played a simply sublime ball to Fiona Keating and she made it 5-11 to 0-7.

Long before this, it was simply a case of waiting for the final whistle to go to let the celebrations begin.

When it did it was sheer joy as Cork made up for losses in the last two finals to welcome the O’Duffy Cup back to Leeside for the first time since 2018.

Scorers for Cork: A O’Connor 3-7 (0-5 f), S McCartan 1-1, F Keating 1-0, K Mackey 0-2, C Sigerson (f), H Looney, O Cahalane 0-1 each.

Waterford: B Carton 0-7 (0-6 f), N Rockett, L Forrest 0-1 each.

CORK: A Lee (Na Piarsaigh); L Hayes (St Catherine’s), L Coppinger (St Colums), P Mackey (Douglas); M Cahalane (St Finbarr’s), L Treacy (Killeagh), I O’Regan (Ballygarvan); S McCarthy (Courcey Rovers), A Healy (Aghada); C Sigerson (Killeagh), F Keating (Courcey Rovers), H Looney (Killeagh); A O’Connor (St Vincent’s), K Mackey (Douglas), S McCartan (St Finbarr’s).

Subs: C Healy (Aghabullogue) for L Hayes (44), O Cronin (Enniskeane) for S McCartan (46), A Thompson (Milford) for S McCarthy (50), O Cahalane (St Finbarr’s) for C Sigerson (52), M Murphy (Ballinora) for P Mackey (53).

WATERFORD: B O’Regan; V Falconer, L Forrest, K Lynch; K Corbett Barry, C Carroll, M Power; O Hickey, A Flynn; M O’Brien, B Carton, L Bray; A Fitzgerald, N Rockett, R Walsh.

Subs: I Heffernan for V Falconer (3 inj), B Bowdren for M Power (ht), T Power for M O’Brien (40), C Griffin for C Carroll (42), S Fitzgerald for K Lynch (56).

Referee: John Dermody (Westmeath).