Cork ladies footballers lose to Kerry despite fightback at Cloughduv

Cork 0-10 Kerry 1-13

Cork lost out to Kerry in their opening TG4 Munster Championship group game at Cloughduv on Saturday.

But huge credit is due to the Rebels for their second-half fightback as they took the game to Kerry, led by the likes of Shanna Kelly, Shauna Cronin, Melissa Duggan and Erika O’Shea.

They started without their three dual players and the introduction of Aoife Healy and Libby Coppinger, after 24 minutes, was also key to Cork’s fightback, both outstanding after their introduction.

But Kerry aren’t the All-Ireland and Munster champions for nothing and were just that bit too strong for Cork on the day.

Kerry took the lead four minutes in when Siofra O’Shea set up Danielle O’Leary for the game’s opening goal.

O’Leary added a point from the restart as the kingdom were using the strong in their favour to their advantage.

O’Shea added another and with 10 minutes gone they were 1-3 to no score up, with Katie Brosnan also scoring.

Lydia McDonagh got Cork off the mark, but Kerry kept driving forward as Caoimhe Evans increased their lead.

Rachel Dwyer, O’Shea and O’Leary all added points as the defending champions led by 1-7 to 0-1.

Katie Quirke got Cork’s second point from a free, with O’Shea replying at the other end to keep them well ahead.

A great run from Melissa Duggan saw her score Cork’s third point, with O’Shea again replying for the visitors.

Evans and O’Leary both scored before half time to see Kerry well in control at the break, leading by 1-11 to 0-3.

All credit to Cork they took the game to Kerry in the second half and now with the strong wind at their backs it was their turn to drive forward in search of scores.

Quirke got their first from a free with Abigail Ring also on target as Kerry were finding it hard to get out of their own half.

Two more from Quirke, one a free, made it 0-7 to 1-11 after 40 minutes as Kerry had yet to get a shot off since the restart.

Emma Cleary added another and Quirke pointed a free to close the gap further, making it 0-9 to 1-11.

O’Shea got Kerry’s first score of the second half, after 48 minutes, from a free, before Cork thought they had a penalty.

Aoife Healy was fouled but after consulting with his umpires the referee awarded a free, which Quirke duly scored to put five between the sides.

O’Shea rounded off the scoring from another free to see Kerry get their title defence off to a winninig start.

Scorers for Cork: K Quirke 0-6 (0-5 f), L McDonagh, M Duggan, A Ring, E Cleary 0-1 each.

Kerry: D O’Leary 1-3, S O’Shea 0-6 (0-4 f), C Evans 0-2, K Brosnan, R Dwyer 0-1 each.

CORK: S Murphy; D Kiniry, S Kelly, M Duggan; E O’Shea, S Cronin, R Corkery; A Corcoran, S McGoldrick; A O’Mahony, L O’Mahony, E Cleary; A Ring, L McDonagh, K Quirke.

Subs: A Healy for S McGoldrick, L Coppinger for A Corcoran (both 26), L Hallihan for L McDonagh (41), C O’Shea for R Corkery, H Looney for L O’Mahony (both 52).

KERRY: ME Bolger; F O’Donoghue, D Kearney, E Lynch; A O’Connell, N Broderick, A Dillane; M O’Connell, A Galvin; C Evans, N Ní Chonchúir, K Brosnan; D O’Leary, R Dwyer, S O’Shea.

Subs: N Carmody for R Dwyer, C Lynch for N Broderick (both ht), J Lucey for K Brosnan (41), R Rahilly for C Evans (52), L Boyle for D O’Leary (60).

Referee: Patrick Smith, Waterford.