Cork make it two from two in TG4 Munster ladies football Senior B championship
Cork's Rose Murphy turns away from the challenge of Tipperary's Louise McGrath during their Munster LGFA Senior B Championship match at Carrigaline. Picture: Howard Crowdy
Cork made it two from two in the TG4 Munster Senior B football championship after a hard-fought win over Tipperary at Carrigaline on Saturday.
The Tipp A side defeated Cork a week ago, and it took a battling performance from the Rebels to ensure the same didn’t happen again.
It could have gone either way right to the end, with two late frees from Holly Quirke helping get Cork over the line.
It will be a huge confidence boost for them as they head to Clare next week to take on the side who are favourites to lift the title at the end of May.
Cork got off to the perfect start when they found the back of the net in the second minute, thanks to Rose Murphy.
A superb pass from Nicola Sheehan put her through, and she gave Dearbhla Morrissey no chance of saving.
Issy Carr replied from a free for Tipp, before Cork got their second goal of the half.
A long ball in from Murphy deceived the Tipp defence as she got her and Cork’s second goal, to make it 2-0 to 0-1.
Another Carr free reduced the deficit, and the same player was on target again, to make it 2-0 to 0-3 with 15 minutes played.
Amy McDonagh got Cork’s first point, and she added a second to increase the Rebels' lead, 2-2 to 0-3.
Tipp were back in contention when Roisin Daly played Helen Cleere in for a goal, to put two between the sides, 2-2 to 1-3.
Cliona Dooley replied for Cork, with Eimear O’Sullivan denying Tipp a second goal, when she saved well from Ellie Franklin.
Murphy got the last score of the half to see the Rebels leading by 2-4 to 1-3.
Eabha Hogan and Carr scored early in the second half to put two between the sides, before Cork had their third goal opportunity.
This time Morrissey saved superbly to deny Sadhbh Beausang what looked like a certain goal.
Murphy pointed for Cork to put three between the sides with 42 minutes gone, with Hazel Brennan and Carr replying for Tipp, to make it 2-5 to 1-7.
Quirke then landed two frees for the Rebels to put three between the sides with only five minutes to go.
But two late frees from Carr made it a nervous finish as Cork hung on for the win.
R Murphy 2-2, H Quirke (2f), A McDonagh 0-2 each, C Dooley 0-1.
I Carr 0-7 (5f), H Cleere 1-0, H Brennan, E Hogan 0-1 each.
E O'Sullivan; N Kennedy, E Cooney, E Tarrant; A O'Sullivan, M Beausang, K O'Donovan; A McDonagh, R Murphy; S Beausang, N Sheehan, A McTaggart; S Pattwell, H Quirke, C Dooley.
M Leahy for C Dooley (ht), E McGrath for A O’Sullivan, S Ni Laoire for S Beausang (both 42), A Shannon for S Pattwell (48), M Collins for N Sheehan (54).
D Morrissey; E Franklin, L McGrath, M Cronin; A Campion, C O'Connor, H Cleere; A O'Dwyer, S O'Carroll; H Brennan, N O'Donovan, I Carr; L Heffernan, É Hogan, R Daly.
E Summer for L Heffernan, A O’Mahoney for R Daly (both 37), N Ryan for N O’Donovan (44), H Walsh for H Cleere (48), N Spillane for A O’Dwyer (50 inj).
John Purcell, Kerry.
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