Cork ladies footballers look to build on draw with Kildare

Cork will take on Galway in the second round of the Lidl Ladies Football League at Páirc Ui Rinn on Sunday, throw-in 2pm.

Right now, after last week’s games, Cork sit fourth in the table and that’s a position they would gladly take come the end of the league. Having regained their place in Division 1 they must now retain it and got off to a good start against Kildare.

That game ended all square and to Cork’s credit they had to show all their fighting qualities as well as skill levels to score late on to take a point.

Katie Quirke for the all-important late point to secure the draw, but there was far more to Cork’s game than just that score.

AJUSTMENT PERIOD

For some, it was their first taste of the top-flight and for others, it was a return to the top level. Either way, it will take a bit of adjusting for all to get used to the faster pace and physicality of Division 1.

They would have been earmarking the Kildare game as one they would hope to have picked up all three points in, but they have to move on quickly as they now face a side that beat them twice in the league last year.

Despite only drawing there were many positives to take from that game into Sunday’s clash with Galway.

Quirke has taken up where she left off last season and her five points, all frees, were crucial scores.

Melissa Duggan, one of the top defenders in the game, has showed she still has the appetite to drive forward and still has the killer instinct of being able to find the back of the net at crucial times.

Emma Cleary showed why she has been named captain and is one of the hardest-working players in the game. 

Alongside her in attack Grace Murphy showed she has as lot to offer as did others like Leah Hallihan, who has been knocking on the door for a starting spot for some time.

Abigail Ring impressed when she came on, hitting two points and Rachel O’Regan, on her first start, is another to watch.

But manager Joe Carroll and his squad will know that Galway are a big step up from Kildare. Cork gave away two goals against Kildare and he knows that’s something they can’t afford to do on Sunday.

Galway started with an impressive 0-16 to 0-8 win over Meath, a side never easy to beat, especially at home. Kate Slevin, Roisin Leonard, Niamh Divilly and Leanne Coen are just some of the players Cork will need to keep an eye on come Sunday.

Slevin scored seven points against Meath and will take some stopping to ensure she doesn’t do the same again.

After round one, the Tribeswomen sit second in the table, behind Waterford on scoring difference. The last time they met in the league it was the Division 2 final last year where Galway won by 2-8 to 1-5, pulling away from the Rebels in the second half.

LEARNING CURVE

Reflecting on their drawn game and looking ahead to Sunday, Carroll said: “We have a new team, there were a lot of learnings in it for our players and I was very, very pleased. We were three points down with six, seven minutes to go and we came from three down to be within touching distance of winning the match.

“So, we were delighted with that part of it. They showed great resolve just to stick at it.

“It’s not a 15-player game anymore. You have to use your bench and we are learning from that. There’s a lot of positives we will take out of that, but there are a lot of things we have to work on as well.

“We finished the first half strongly until we gave away the goal. We started the second half well and then gave away the second goal, which put us three down.

“I suppose it’s a good sign of a team that can come from three points down, twice, to get the draw.”