Goals key as Cork reach All-Ireland ladies football quarter-final against Dublin

Mayo 1-10 Cork 3-8

Cork are through to the quarter-finals of the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Football Championship after their win over Mayo at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park.

But the players' first concern afterwards was for Shauna Kelly, who picked up a serious injury in the first half that saw her stretchered off.

Overall Cork were the better side, but will also know they will need to improve on this showing if they are to advance any further in the championship.

They were drawn away to Dublin in the All-Ireland quarter-final on July 5-6, and it'll be the winners of Galway v Waterford on July 19 if they progress. 

The other side of the draws sees holders Kerry against Kildare and then Meath or Tipp.

Cork took the lead after just 20 seconds when Hannah Looney picked up the ball from the throw-in.

She drove forward to find Maire O’Callaghan and she blasted to the roof of the net, to make it 1-0 to no score.

But Mayo had the strong wind at their backs and soon hit back when Sinead Walsh pointed from a free.

She added a second after four minutes, from another free, as Mayo were definitely getting the early 50-50 decisions from the referee.

Looney pointed at the other end for Cork, with Walsh getting Mayo’s third, from another soft free.

With 15 minutes gone the sides were level when Ava McDonnell got Mayo’s first point from play, having come on after four minutes for the injured Erin Murray.

Three minutes later and Mayo took the lead for the first time, when Sherin El Massry pointed, to make it 0-5 to 1-1.

But Cork kept plugging away, which wasn’t easy against the strong wind, as Katie Quirke set up Looney for her second point to level it.

Cork were soon back in front though when a shot from distance by Quirke deceived the keeper and found the top corner of the net, to make it 2-2 to 0-5 after 22 minutes.

Quirke added a point from a free as Mayo were finding it difficult to deal with Cork’s running game.

McDonnell pointed for Mayo before they came close to raising a green flag.

A mix-up in a Cork kickout let Walsh in but Sarah Murphy dived to block her effort, along with Shauna Cronin and Shauna Kelly.

But an accidental clash between the Cork players saw Kelly come out the worst of it and she had to be stretchered off the pitch with a serious facial injury.

This led to a long stoppage while Kelly was treated before Emma Cleary came on to replace her.

In the remaining few minutes of the first half both sides failed to add to their tally as Cork led by 2-3 to 0-6 at half-time, with it all still to do after the break.

Despite playing against the wind Mayo started the better of the two sides with Aoife Geraghty putting two between the sides.

Cork then had a great chance to get their third goal, when Quirke played the ball to Laura O’Mahony.

She found Aine O’Sullivan but her shot, similar to the one she scored against Kerry a week earlier, went just wide this time. With 38 minutes gone, Cork got their first score after the resumption, when O’Sullivan made up for her goal miss to point.

Mayo had a goal chance of their own, when Geraghty was thought but Cronin blocked superbly to deny her.

However a minute later Mayo burst forward again and this time the attacker was fouled by Cronin. She was sin-binned for the tackle, which meant Cork were down to 14 for 10 minutes.

Walsh pointed the free, with O’Sullivan replying for Cork a the other end.

Another Walsh free put two between the sides, before O’Sullivan made it three in a row from her, to put Cork 2-6 to 0-9 up with 15 minutes left.

A point from Laura O’Mahony put four between the sides as Cork has coped well being down to 14.

Cork had one foot in the quarter-finals with seven minutes left when O’Sullivan set up Quirke for Cork’s third goal to put seven between them, 3-7 to 0-9.

Walsh pulled a point back before Gough found the back of the net for Mayo, to put only three points between.

They had the ball in the net again but it was ruled out for a square ball. Cork worked the ball down the pitch for Laura O’Mahony to score the insurance point to see her side run out winners.

Scorers for Mayo: S Walsh 0-6 (0-5 f), A Gough 1-0, A McDonnell 0-2, S El Massry, A Geraghty 0-1 each.

Cork: K Quirke 2-1 (0-1 f), A O’Sullivan 0-3, L O’Mahony, H Looney 0-2 each, M O’Callaghan 1-0.

MAYO: J Gawalkiewicz; L Wallace, N O’Malley, C Durkin; D Caldwell, E Brennan, S El Massry; H Reape, S Lally; L Hanley, S Walsh, A Geraghty; E Murray, C Keane, K Sullivan.

Subs: A McDonnell for E Murray, (4 inj), A Gough for K Sullivan (44), C Whyte for L Hanley (52), B Hession for E Brennan (53),

CORK: S Murphy; S Kelly, S Leahy, M Duggan; A Corcoran, S Cronin, R Corkery; M O’Callaghan, A Healy; A O’Mahony, L O’Mahony, K Horgan; A O’Sullivan, H Looney, K Quirke.

Subs: E Cleary for S Kelly (26 inj), A Ring for R Corkery (47), S McGoldrick for K Horgan (52), L Hallihan for A O’Mahony (54).

Referee: Gus Chapman, Sligo.