Cork Camogie: Superb team display as St Catherine's knock out Sars
Eimear O’Brien, St Catherine's, makes a clearance against Ella Woods, Sarsfields, in the SE Systems Cork County Senior Camogie Championship quarter-final at Castle Road. Picture: Larry Cummins
St Catherine’s are through to the semi-final of the SE Systems Cork Senior Camogie Championship following their win over Sarsfields at Castle Road on Saturday.
This was a superb team performance for the winners, who battled for every ball as if their lives depended on it. They were led by their Cork star Laura Hayes, but plenty of others stood out for them. Ally Mulkerrins, Eimear O’Brien, Aoife Hurley and Meabh Fitzgerald were also outstanding.
Sars were without the Mullins sisters – Orlaith and Clare – with the former out of the county through college and the latter injured. Clare did come on late in the game, but it was obvious that she wasn’t fully fit.
Kate Fennessy opened the scoring for Sars from a free and from the restart they regained possession to see Rachael Roche add their second. With eight minutes gone they stretched their lead further when they were quickest to react after the ball came back off the post.
Fennessy gained possession and she set up Maeve McCarthy to find the back of the net, to make it 1-2 to no score.
Ava Fitzgerald added another point before Catherine’s got off the mark after 13 minutes. Former Cork star Orla Cotter pointed from a free, with Ally Mulkerrins getting their second as they started to come more into the game.
Fennessy pointed from a free for Sars, after 19 minutes, but this proved to be their last score of the half.
Another Cotter free reduced the gap and when she pointed from a 45 it was 1-4 to 0-4.
Just before half time she scored from another free to put only two between them at the break, 1-4 to 0-5.
Fennessy got the first score of the second half, but with 33 minutes gone the sides were level. Cotter set up Mulkerrins to goal for Catherine’s, with Hurley adding a point to put them in front for the first time – 1-6 to 1-5.
As expected Sars responded with Fennessy scoring from another free to level it.
She hit two more frees and a 45 to put her side three in front again after 45 minutes. Mulkerrins pulled a point back for Catherine’s to put two between them.
With 50 minutes gone Catherine’s were awarded a penalty for a foul on Fitzgerald and Hayes made no mistake, to make it 2-7 to 1-9.
Hurley added a point, with Hollie Herlihy replying for Sars. Cotter kept two between them before Catherine’s had keeper, Yvonne O’Neill, to thank when she saved superbly to deny Lucy Allen a goal.
Fennessy pointed from the 45 but Cotter scored from a free in injury time to seal the win for Catherine’s and their passage to the semi-final.
O Cotter 0-6 (0-5 f, 0-1 45), A Mulkerrins 1-2, L Hayes 1-0 pen, A Hurley 0-2.
K Fennessy 0-8 (0-6 f, 0-2 45), M McCarthy 1-0, R Roche, A Fitzgerald, H Herlihy 0-1 each.
Y O’Neill; F Sheehan, C Motherway, M Murphy; C Hayes, L Hayes, F Neville; E O’Brien, M O’Keeffe; T Murphy, O Cotter, A Hurley; N O’Regan, A Mulkerrins, M Fitzgerald.
C Galvin for T Murphy (57).
M Lynch; C Lynch, S Hurley, L Dunlea; T Elliott, O McAllen, K Barry; R Roche, A Fitzgerald; L Allen, H Herlihy, C O’Donovan; K Fennessy, M McCarthy, E Woods.
M Sheehan for L Dunlea (h-t), C Mullins for C O’Donovan (51).
Cathal Egan, Glen Rovers.
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