Cork were like 'caged animals' in Thurles but must roar again to dethrone Galway at Croker

When asked, in the match programme, for one word to describe her teammates, Méabh Cahalane offered “relentless”. It certainly played out that way in an All-Ireland semi-final where Cork translated their first 13 shots for a magnificent first-half tally of 2-11.

By contrast, Tipperary captain Caoimhe McCarthy characterised her team as “resilient”. That showed, too, as the Premier clawed back 10 of the final 15 points, but still fell five short.

Cork’s class shone through as they were more easily and consistently able to score from play, totalling 2-14 to Tipp’s 0-9.

It was a full team effort. In the first half, goalkeeper Amy Lee and each of the full-back line, Izzy O’Regan, Libby Coppinger, and Cahalane, chipped in with an assist for a point on top of their defensive efforts.

Their midfield, as expected, was the engine room. For a 16th-minute point, both started on their own 45. 

Ashling Thompson, playing through a hamstring injury, swept up the sliotar and switched it to the opposite flank. Two passes later, Laura Hayes was coming forward to slot between the posts from under the New Stand.

The quality of the scoring was top-notch. A cluster of five points came from that pocket out by the left sideline. 

Their first pair had come on the run wide on the right.

They probed down the right for their third score, too. Méabh Murphy, Thompson, and Isobel Sheehan came surging out of defence before Orlaith Cahalane clipped a clever heads-up pass into the corner for Sorcha McCartan. 

Her reverse ball was well weighted for Amy O’Connor to take it on the run with a silky first touch, weaving past her marker and the Tipp sweeper with a smooth shimmy before stitching a perfect finish inside the far post.

The second goal originated with an O’Regan catch from the opposition puck-out. McCartan was again the target for Saoirse McCarthy’s ball in. She was out in front to sweep the sliotar back for O’Connor. The four-time All-Star’s angled delivery was aimed for Orlaith Cahalane, but she smartly let it run for the onrushing Millie Condon.

The Ballinascarthy workhorse was more commonly spotted covering on her own 21, but her spinner had too much for the keeper. Post-match, McCarthy hailed Condon for making “some statement”.

Their defence had to stand up in the second half. Their intensity was shown early doors as four Cork players, Coppinger, Méabh Murphy, Thompson, and corner-forward Orlaith Cahalane, who tracked the move all the way back to her own 21, forced Grace O’Brien to overcarry the sliotar.

A few minutes later, O’Brien was denied by a vital Lee save to preserve Cork’s lead.

The two players we haven’t mentioned in all that were two of the strongest contenders for Coppinger’s Player of the Match award. Wing-forward Emma Murphy was unmarkable in the first half with four points from play.

Ava Fitzgerald, meanwhile, must’ve been steeled by tagging Murphy in training. Assigned the task of pursuing Tipp’s breakout star Caoimhe Stakelum, Fitzgerald never gave her room to breathe and got a series of flicks on the ball for covering defenders to mop up.

Both subs were also impactful. Slotting back into the squad, Orlaith Mullins contributed the final pair of clinching points, with one teed up by Hayley Ryan.

For all the benefits of the camogie championship restructure, this was Cork's first game with real jeopardy since April. 

Coming off a four-week break, McCartan described them as being like “caged animals”. Their first-half sharpness proved they’re in a good spot, even if they had to grit their teeth against the wind. As the post-match soundtrack blared out, ‘I’m still standing’.

MEAN

It was an evening that emphasised the defensive solidity of Cork and Galway. The Rebels’ only goal conceded was a consolation strike in beating the Tribeswomen. Galway have yet to allow a goal in four championship games.

When their captain Aoife Donohue was asked for one word to sum up her team, she settled on “hardworking”. They kept the starting Kilkenny side to just one point and four shots from play. To close out the game, Sarah Healy deliberately pumped a couple of stoppage-time puck-outs over the Old Stand sideline to pin the Cats back inside their own half.

Where full-back Coppinger was named Player of the Match for Cork, Galway centre-back Ciara Hickey picked up their award.

That said, injuries to two-time Player of the Year Donohue, free-taking captain Carrie Dolan, Dervla Higgins, and Sabina Rabbitte will be concerns.

All told, Cork-Tipp provided the higher standard of camogie in front of a record 10,311 semi-final crowd at Semple Stadium. That marked a 45% increase on last year’s double-header at Nowlan Park.

Tipp’s resilience will be called upon again after their 10th semi-final loss since last reaching the final. Following their sixth consecutive semi-final success, Cork’s relentless edge will be needed for another fortnight.