Late goals see Cork suffer first camogie league defeat to Tipperary

Cork 1-10 Tipperary 2-10

CORK lost their first game of the Very Division 1 camogie league as two late goals at Páirc Uí Rinn ensured Tipperary travelled home with the points in the bag.

Credit to Tipp they made Cork work all through and were the better side on the day, particularly in the first half, helped by the strong wind.

But credit to Cork they upped their game in the second half, with Laura Hayes, Sorcha McCartan and Libby Coppinger in top form for the Rebels.

They also had the added bonus of welcoming back Laura Tracey from injury for her first outing of the season.

But the late goals were killer blows for the Rebels, coming in the 59th minute and in injury time giving Cork no real chance to recover.

Clodagh McIntyre opened the scoring for Tipperary after three minutes after she intercepted a Cork pass.

Cork had a number of wides before Mary Bourke picked herself up after being injured to double Tipperary’s lead, with 11 minutes gone.

Cork eventually got off the mark after 13 minutes when Orlaith Mullins scored from distance, to make it 0-2 to 0-1, in a low-scoring start.

Cork had a chance to equalise but a free from Amy O’Connor dropped short and was half-cleared. She got on the breaking ball again and found Hayes in front of goal.

But her effort was well saved by Nicole Walsh before O’Connor scored from the resulting 45 to see the sides level.

Caoimhe Maher, who was playing in a sweeper role for Tipp, burst forward to put them back in front, before Cork again missed a chance to draw level, with their fifth wide.

Sorcha McCartan got Cork’s third point, from a free, to see the sides level for the third time, with Cork again missing chances to go in front as a number of shots dropped short as they played against the slight wind.

Caoimhe McCarthy put Tipp back in front and Roisin Howard stretched their lead to two with 28 minutes gone.

A free from Eimear McGrath made it double scores before Cork had Molly Lynch to thank when she saved superbly to deny McGrath a goal.

Neither side added to their tally before half time as the visitors led by 0-6 to 0-3 at the break.

Amy O’Connor pulled a point back for Cork at the start of the second half and two minutes in they went in front for the first time.

O’Connor picked up a puc out and played the ball into the danger zone. Unfortunately for Walsh, she dropped it onto the post and it went over the line, to make it 1-4 to 0-6.

A McGrath free had the sides level again before O’Connor put the Rebels back in front, as they were not playing much better camogie than their first-half display.

Clodagh Finn, not long on as a sub, increased Cork’s lead, to make it 1-6 to 0-7 with 42 minutes gone.

Two from O’Connor, with McGrath and Maher replying made it 1-8 to 0-9 with two minutes to go.

A mistake by the Cork defence saw Howard play McGrath in to blast to the back of the net and the same played picked up the ball to add a point, as Tipp now led by 1-10 to 1-8.

Niamh Tracey’s injury time goal ensured there was no chance of Cork getting back on level terms as the Rebels now face Clare in two weeks.

Scorers for Cork: A O’Connor 1-6 (0-3 f, 0-1 45), S McCartan 0-2 f, O Mullins, C Finn 0-1 each.

Tipperary: E McGrath 1-4 (0-3 f), N Tracey 1-0, C Maher 0-2, C McIntyre, N Bourke, C McCarthy, R Howard 0-1 each.

CORK: M Lynch; M Murphy, L Coppinger, A Barrett; I O’Regan, A Thompson, M Cahalane; H Looney, L Hayes; C Healy, F Keating, E Murphy; A O’Connor, O Mullins, S McCartan.

Subs: K Mackey for C Healy, L Tracey for A Barrett (both ht), C Finn for O Mullins (38), N O’Callaghan for E Murphy (48),

TIPPERARY: N Walsh; K Blair, M Eviston, E Loughman; C McCarthy, E Cunneen, C McIntyre; T Ryan, C Hennessy; R Howard, C Maher, G Moloney; M Bourke, E McGrath, E Heffernan.

Subs: K Kennedy for E Heffernan (ht), N Tracey for G Moloney (44), C Perdue for M Bourke (48), C Maher for C Hennessy (52), E Carey for C McIntyre (58).

Referee: Barry Nea, Westmeath.