Kerry 1-16 Cork 0-08
A sensational second-half performance where they outscored Cork by 1-09 to 0-02 points propelled Kerry to the TG4 Munster senior football championship final at a sun-soaked Fitzgerald Stadium on Sunday.
Siofra O’Shea struck 1-03 and Niamh Ní Chonchúir 0-03 as they put a shell-shocked Cork outfit to the sword.
Kerry played with a strong breeze in the first half and threatened early when a lightning move involving Ní Chonchúir and O’Shea saw Caoimhe Redmond produce a great save from Leah McMahon, although the corner forward did follow up with a good point.
It was then Cork’s turn to slice open the Kerry defence and Mary Ellen Bolger got down smartly to save from Rachel Leahy although Emma Cleary did follow up to score the first of her two first half points.
Kerry popped over two points on the trot through Niamh Carmody and a Jadyn Lucey punch over. Katie Quirke replied for Cork, but Ní Chonchuir did the same for Kerry at the other end with a monster effort in the 15th minute.
Then Cork took over and started running at Kerry. Points followed from Emma Cleary, and two Quirke frees, although McMahon did force Richmond into her second good save in the 23rd minute.
Kerry rose again and with the wind strengthening hassled and harried Cork for all their worth, scoringthe final three points of the half. Lucey with her second, and Kerry’s first in 14 minutes, was followed by Ní Chonchúir and an Anna Galvin punch over to see the hosts take a 0-7 to 0-6 lead in at the half time break. A slender lead, it was felt,considering Cork would have the strong breeze for the second half.
The elements made no difference to the home side as they tagged on the first five points of the second half through the brilliant Ní Chonchúir, Emma Costello, and two O’Shea punch overs and substitute Danielle O’Leary with another, her side’s eighth on the trot.
Then, in the 46th minute came Kerry’s goal when O’Shea sliced through the Cork defence before confidently burying the ball to the back of the net.
Aishling O’Connell, O’Leary, O’Shea from a free and McMahon raised further white flags before Cork finally troubled the scoreboard operator with two Quirke frees in the 57th minute.
It was all mere consolation though as Kerry strolled home to victory.
Kerry: ME Bolger; R Rahilly, D Kearney, E Lynch; A O’Connell (0-01), E Costello (0-01), A Dillane; A Galvin (0-01), M O’Connell; N Carmody (0-01), N Ni Chonchúir (0-03), C Evans; J Lucey (0-02), L McMahon (0-02), S O’Shea (1-03, 1f).
Subs: E Ní Laighin for E Costello (13-17), D O’Leary (0-02) for J Lucey (ht), E Ní |Laighin for R Rahilly (half-time), L Boyle for E Costello (53), M O’Connor for N Carmody (57), N Quinn for C Evans (57).
Cork: C Richmond; M Duggan, S Callanan, S Kelly; A Corcoran, S McGoldrick, R Corkery (0-01); M O’Callaghan, A O’Mahony; R Leahy, K Redmond, E Cleary (0-02); L Hallihan, K Quirke (0-05, 4f), Á O’Sullivan.
Subs: G Murphy for M O’Callaghan (38), R O’Regan for E Cleary (46), A Ring for R Leahy (50), K O’Driscoll for K Redmond (51), E Hurley for L Hallihan (57).
Referee: David Grogan (Limerick).
Waterford 0-12 Tipperary 0-08
Waterford will meet Kerry in the decider after they recorded a hard-fought win over Tipperary at Cappoquin Logistics Fraher Field.
Waterford played with a strong wind at their backs in the first half and went to the dressing-rooms with a 0-05 to 0-03 advantage on the scoreboard.
The winners, who played without team captain Emma Murray who has moved to play with Geelong in this season's AFWL, opened the scoring with a brace of Kellyann Hogan frees.
The loss of Murray will be a big blow to Waterford as will the impending loss of Hogan, as with a full squad the Déise County would be a match for most as they showed in the Lild National League where they finished third for the second year in a row.
The visitors responded with a brace of similar scores from Kirsty Crotty Ryan, but Waterford were back in front midway through the opening half when Hogan kicked a point from just inside the out semi-circle and followed up with a free.
Brid McMaugh extended the Waterford lead with a good score from play, but Tipperary put themselves in a good position going into the second half when the lively Lauren Cunningham pointed from play in added time to leave two between the sides.
Cunnigham and Lauren McGregor swapped scores on the restart, before Ryan levelled matters when she put over a free from the edge of the out semi-circle.
McGregor, Eve Power, Clare Walsh, Hogan and Ruby Browne all added points for the home side to put them five in front.
Ana-Rose Kennedy pulled a point back for Tipperary in added time and the same player drew and excellent save by Katelyn Gardner who tipped the ball round the post for a 45.
Waterford: K Gardner; C Murray, L Mulcahy, R Browne (0-01); A McGrath, R Casey, K McGrath; C Fennell, E Power (0-01); Á O’Neill, K Hogan (0-05, 4f), K Murray (0-01); C Walsh (0-01), B McMaugh (0-01), L McGregor (0-02).
Subs: M Daly for C Fennell (ht), L Cusack for A McGrath (36), L Ni hArta for C Walsh (54), H McGrath for L McGregor (61), A Warring for B McMaugh (65).
Tipperary: L Fitzpatrick; T Hoare, M Curley, E Cronin; K Cashman, N Martin, S English; L Morrissey, AR Kennedy (0-01); C English, L Cunningham (0-02), H Spillane; K Crotty Ryan (0-04, 2f, 1tpf), A McGuigan, E Morrissey.
Subs: E Buckley for N Martin (26), N Shelly for E Morrissey (44), Aoibhe O’Shea (0-01) for C English (45), Ava Ryan for H Spillane (49), K Downey for L Morrissey (54),
Referee: C McCarthy (Cork).
Tyrone 1-10 Armagh 0-08
Tyrone defeated Armagh by five points at O'Neill's Healy Park to secure top spot in the TG4 Ulster Senior Championship round-robin before the same two counties meet in the final in a couple of weeks.
Armagh were first on the board, with Kelly Mallon pointing seconds after the throw-in, but the first half belonged to Tyrone.
They hit back by raising a green flag at the other end, as Maeve Maxwell drilled the ball into the back of the net after fielding Aoife Horisk's delivery.
Niamh O'Neill and Niamh Reel traded points, before Tyrone's Aoife Quinn paid off a slick handpassing move by fisting over.
The Red Hand County had another goal chance when Katie Rose Muldoon got in one on one, but she was denied by Orchard goalkeeper Cailin Traynor.
Emma Conroy and Mallon (free) traded the next two scores, before a Elle McNamee point for the hosts was answered by a Sarah Quigley two-pointer for Armagh.
Tyrone responded immediately however, with O'Neill driving forward, playing a one-two with Maxwell and slotting over. A pointed free from Horisk had them 1-7 to 0-5 to the good at half-time.
It took 12 minutes until the first score of the second half, with both sides struggling with accuracy in front of the posts. Armagh hit two wides and dropped a shot short during this period, whilst Tyrone hit three wides, saw a Horisk shot pushed onto the bar by Traynor and Maxwell's rebound blocked on the line by Maeve Ferguson.
Red Hand midfielder Meabh Mallon broke the scoreless spell with a superb point from distance. The game was in its fourth quarter before Armagh finally opened their second half tally, with Reel knocking over a close range free.
Tyrone managed their lead very well in the closing stages by patiently probing on the attack and finishing off a prolonged period of possession with a Maxwell point.
Armagh kept fighting and got late scores from Maeve Lennon and Eimear McConaghy, but it was not enough and Tyrone put the icing on the cake with one final point from Horisk.
The two sides will lock horns once more in the TG4 Ulster Senior Football Championship final in two weeks' time.
Tyrone: A Coyle; C Coltan, J Barrett (capt.), G McKenna; K.R. Muldoon, C Campbell, E McCanny; M Mallon (0-01), A Quinn (0-01); E McNamee (0-01), A Horisk (0-02, 1f), E Conroy (0-01); N O'Neill (0-02), M Maxwell (1-01), C McNamee (0-01).
Subs: E McCrossan for O'Neill (HT), C McCallion for McKenna (HT), C McCoubrey for Campbell (HT), A McHugh for E McNamee (47).
Armagh: C Traynor; M Ferguson, L Kavanagh, C Towe (capt.); Elsie Druse, A Donnelly, E Reid; M Loughran, S Quigley (0-02, 1tp); N Reel (0-02, 1f), E Lavery, L Marsden; E Cassidy, E McGeown, K Mallon (0-02, 1f).
Subs: E McConaghy (0-01) for Mallon (HT), C Nugent for Cassidy (HT), M Lennon (0-01) for Lavery (43), B Carragher for Loughran (50), C Henderson for McGeown (50).
