Kerry far too good for a poor Cork side in ladies football league clash in Tralee

Kerry 2-14 

Cork 0-7 

KERRY'S undefeated run atop Lidl LGFA National Football League Division 1 continued with victory over Munster rivals Cork in Austin Stack Park on Monday afternoon.

A third consecutive league success was built on an impressive second quarter surge in which Kerry held Cork scoreless and kicked five unanswered points.

Holding the Rebels to seven points, the Kingdom ran out the most convincing of winners.

Admirably, the home side began with Mary Ellen Bolger lining out in goal despite her mother Annette passing away the previous weekend.

Positioned at full-forward, Katie Quirke converted the game’s opening free. Kerry responded, hitting a post from a long-range attempt prior to Niamh Carmody (free) replying.

Hannah O’Donoghue curled over a delightful effort to hand the hosts their first lead. Katie Quirke completed an evenly fought opening 10-minute spell with the Bride Rovers player’s second free.

Niether side made much headway during a scrappy period until Laura O’Mahony marked her return to the senior side with a well-taken point.

That was Kerry’s cue to up the tempo as the National League champions reeled off five unanswered points.

A brace of Niamh Carmody frees sandwiched an Emma Dineen effort to make it 0-5 to 0-3 heading towards the interval.

This was a period Sarah Murphy’s kickouts came under increasing pressure. Another turnover in possession from a Cork restart resulted in Niamh Ní Chonchúir making it a four-point game.

Cork’s inability to get out of their half saw Kerry continue to press and Hannah O’Donoghue made it 0-7 to 0-3 at the short whistle.

Both teams were guilty of coughing up possession at the start of a second half Cork moved Libby Copinger into their forward line.

Kerry’s sixth consecutive score came via Emma Dineen but Katie Quirke replied with her side’s first point in over 20 minutes.

Dual star Danielle O’Leary restored Kerry’s five-point advantage and only a succession of wides prevented the hosts from moving further ahead.

Quirke’s third free kept Cork in touch and Kerry needed a superb Mary Ellen Bolger stop to deny Máire O’Callaghan a goal.

Lorraine Scanlon kicked the leaders tenth point before a deluge of substitutions included the introduction of Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh.

Unsurprisingly, the 2023 Footballer of the Year was quickly on the scoresheet, kicking a point and landing a free.

Cork’s cause wasn’t helped by a yellow card brandished to Shauna Cronin as Danielle O’Leary pushed her team eight points in front shortly before the end.

A pair of Katie Quirke frees offered brief respite before Cork’s defence was opened up and Hannah O’Donoghue scored a terrific goal and added another point. An injury-time Danielle O’Leary goal rubbed salt in Cork’s wounds.

Scorers for Kerry: H O’Donoghue 1-3, D O’Leary 1-2, N Carmody 0-3 (0-3 f), E Dineen, L Ní Mhuircheartaigh (0-1 f) 0-2 each, N Ní Chonchúir, L Scanlon 0-1 each.

Cork: K Quirke 0-6 (0-5 f), L O’Mahony 0-1.

KERRY: M.E. Bolger; E Lynch, D Kearney, C O’Brien; A O’Connell, C Lynch, C McCarthy; A Harrington, M O’Connell; N Carmody (captain), N Ní Chonchúir, A Galvin; K Brosnan, E Dineen, H O’Donoghue.

Subs: D O’Leary for K Brosnan (23), L Scanlon for M O’Donnell (ht), C Murphy for C McCarthy (43), L Ní Mhuircheartaigh for N Ní Chonchúir (45), A Ryan for L O’Mahony (49), E Hurley for D Kiely (51), J Gill for N Carmody (55), F O’Donoghue for D Kearney (57), B O’Connor for A O’Connell (57), R Smith for A Harrington (60), E O’Connor for A Galvin (60), J Lucey for E Dineen (60).

CORK: S Murphy; L Coppinger, S Leahy, D Kiniry; M Duggan, M O’Callaghan (captain), K Redmond; A McDonagh, S Cronin; D Kiely, H Looney, L O’Mahony; S O’Leary, K Quirke, E Cleary.

Subs: E Jack for A McDonagh (42), R Corkery for E Cleary (42), L McDonagh for S O’Leary (45), A O’Mahony for H Looney (45).

Referee: Paul McCaughey (Westmeath).