Clinical Cork blast past Galway into All-Ireland camogie semi-finals

Cork 2-16 Galway 1-7 
CHAMPIONS Cork are through to the last four of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Camogie championship thanks to a convincing victory over Galway.

SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh hosted the Rebels’ final All-Ireland Group 2 fixture in which Ger Manley’s side maintained their unblemished record. The added bonus of Saturday’s defeat over 2021 All-Ireland champions Galway is that Cork now avoids the quarter-finals and progress directly to the last four.

In a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland semi-final, won 0-15 to 2-6 by Cork, Saturday’s game began amid light rain. Cliona Healy opened the scoring inside the first minute. Carrie Dolan (free) replied before Fiona Keating split the posts to restore Cork’s advantage.

Galway’s Carrie Dolan fired over another free during an early period neither side shirked a tackle. Chances kept coming as Orlaith Cahlane watched her goalbound effort saved by Sarah Healy to conclude an entertaining opening 10 minutes A scrappy spell saw both teams waste possession until Amy O’Connor (free) made it 0-3 to 0-2.

Ciara Hickey floated over Galway’s first score from play after 16 minutes. Their opponents responded with Laura Hayes bursting forward to raise a white flag. A second O’Connor free handed Cork a two-point cushion soon after.

Laura Hayes’ second score extended her team’s advantage prior to a major turning point after 22 minutes. Saoirse McCarthy setup Katrina Mackey and the Cork full-forward kicked the sliotar into the net to make it 1-6 to 0-3.

Galway struggled to respond, and Ashling Thompson made them pay with a fine score. Ailish O’Reilly’s point was Galway’s first in over ten minutes before Amy O’Connor and Orlaith Cahalane efforts handed the Rebels a 1-9 to 0-4 lead.

Then, on the stroke of half-time, Galway’s Carrie Dolan wriggled free and found the net from a tight angle. Another Dolan free left the visitors four points behind at the break.

The second half was barely 20 seconds old when Aoife Healy fed Amy O’Connor and the corner-forward fired into the net for a crucial Cork goal. Next, a Katrina Mackey point and O’Connor free edged the hosts 2-11 to 1-5 clear. Cliona Healy made it a ten-point game as Galway searched for the first score of the second period.

Amy O’Connor took her total to 1-5 before Niamh Mallon got Galway back on the scoreboard after 50 minutes. Cork’s commanding lead afforded the All-Ireland champions a comfortable cushion heading into the closing stages. Saoirse McCarthy became Cork’s eighth different scorer as Niamh Hiland added Galway’s seventh point.

Aoife Healy was rewarded with a deserved point for an all-action display as the game petered out. Hayley Ryan fired over Cork’s final score.

In the end, the Rebels ran out deserving winners and Ger Manley’s side are hitting form at just the right time ahead of their trip to Croke Park for an All-Ireland semi-final.

Scorers for Cork: A O’Connor 1-5 (0-4 f), K Mackey 1-1, L Hayes, C Healy 0-2 each, F Keating, A Thompson, O Cahalane, S McCarthy, A Healy, H Ryan 0-1 each.

Galway: C Dolan 1-3 (0-3 f), C Hickey, A O’Reilly, N Mallon, N Hiland 0-1 each.

CORK: A Lee; M Murphy, I O’Regan, P Mackey; H Looney, L Treacy, L Hayes (vice-captain); A Thompson, A Healy; S McCarthy, F Keating, C Healy; A O’Connor, K Mackey, O Cahalane.

Subs: S McCartan for O Cahalane (43), C O’Sullivan for C Healy (46), H Ryan for S McCarthy (53), C Finn for K Mackey (53), N O’Callaghan for M Murphy (56), E Murphy for A O’Connor (63).

GALWAY: S Healy; R Hanniffy, R Black (captain), D Higgins; AM Starr, A Keane, C Hickey; O Rabbitte, N Hanniffy; C Dolan, A Hesnan, S Rabbitte; N Mallon, O McGrath, A O’Reilly.

Subs: N Kilkenny for S Rabbitte (37), N McPeake for N Hanniffy (37), N Hiland for O McGrath (37), A Kelly for R Black (54), K Manning for C Hickey (54).

Referee: Liz Dempsey (Kilkenny).