Skibb teen Allie Tobin captains Cork minor footballers to major win
Cork 5-18
Kerry 1-5
NOEL HORGAN REPORTS
A POWER-PACKED second-half performance paved the way for Cork’s emphatic victory over Kerry in the LGFA Munster minor A championship final at Mallow on Saturday.
That the Leeside girls would run out winners by 25 points couldn’t have been anticipated at the interval, as the teams were tied at 1-5 apiece and Kerry had finished the first half with momentum.
Denied another score in the second quarter after Sarah O’Connor had pushed them seven points ahead in the 17th minute, it seemed as if Cork would have their work cut out to regain the initiative on the resumption.
They got back on track within four minutes of the turnover, however, when an Éabha O’Donovan point was followed by a goal from inspirational centre-forward Laura Walsh.
Cork forward Kate Carey, pictured holding the cup, celebrates the Munster success with family and friends; from left, Ray Cahalane, Yvonne Cahalane, Anne McNamara, Denise O'Driscoll, Paddy O'Driscoll, Martin Carey (Kate’s father), Eimear Carey (Kate’s sister), Hannah Cahalane, Ruby Cahalane, John McNamara and Josephine Carey (Kate’s mother).
Walsh quickly stretched the gap to five points before Kerry were reduced to 14 players for a ten-minute spell after corner-forward Mary Kate Smith was sin-binned. That was the signal for Cork to click smoothly into top gear, leaving Kerry trailing in their wake with an awesome exhibition of attacking football, highlighted by the excellence of Walsh, O’Donovan and full-forward Kate Carey.
Midfielder Saoirse Cunningham and wing-back Eimear Walsh were others to make especially generous contributions to a vibrant display that clearly pleased Cork coach Martin Crummy.
‘We’re absolutely delighted, in fairness to the girls they’ve put a lot of work in since early January and they were rewarded for that today,’ he said, adding he wasn’t concerned after Cork had relinquished a sizeable lead before half-time.
‘There was no panic, we just got the girls to reset in the dressingroom, asked them to stick to the game-plan, which they hadn’t done in the second quarter. You could see what they gave us in the second half, they were brilliant,’ Crummy acknowledged.
Cork started the game impressively as well, and were full value for their advantage after a misplaced Kerry kick-out saw O’Donovan Rossa footballer Éabha O’Donovan and Ilen Rovers’ Kate Carey combine to create the opening for a Laura Walsh goal that made it 1-4 to 0-1 with 15 minutes gone.
Ilen Rovers' Kate Carey celebrates with the cup.
Just when Cork looked capable of building up an unassailable lead before half time, Muireann Teahan scored a morale-boosting goal for Kerry in the 22nd minute. Three unanswered points followed to earn the visitors parity and send them in at half-time with their tails up.
After feeding Sarah O’Connor from a short free, Éabha O’Donovan took a return pass to draw first blood for Cork on the restart – a score that was especially significant for a couple of reasons. As well as ending Cork’s 17-minute barren spell, it was the first flag raised by O’Donovan, who, subdued for much of the first half, proceeded to go from strength to strength in the wake of it.
The Skibbereen teenager finished with a tally of 1-6 from play, bagging Cork’s third goal after wing-back Rachel Breen made an incisive run from deep to set her up in the 39th minute. That made it 3-7 to 1-5, and Cork piled on the punishment as the second-half aged, with Kate Carey, following good work by Eimear Walsh, and substitute Ella Burns adding further goals as Kerry’s resistance crumbled.
The Cork defence didn’t concede a score after the interval, testimony to their near total dominance, which ensured that Kerry’s top player Muireann Teahan was forced to exist on scraps. Teahan’s input was also limited of course by the tenacity displayed by Cork skipper and full-back Allie Tobin in the second half. In the end, O’Donovan Rossa footballer Tobin lifted the cup as these young Rebels showed they’re the best in Munster, and by some distance.
Scorers
Cork: L Walsh 2-8 (4f); E O’Donovan 1-6; K Carey 1-3; E Burns 1-0; S O’Connor 0-1.
Kerry: M Teahan 1-3 (2f); Lori O’Connor, P O’Donovan 0-1 each.
Cork: Andrea Toye (St Michael’s); Orlaith Drummy (Erins Own), Allie Tobin (O’Donovan Rossa), Aisling O’Sullivan (Donoughmore); Eimear Walsh (Mourneabbey), Maisie McRae (Aghada), Rachel Breen (Mourneabbey: Saoirse Cunningham (Erin’s Own), Johanna Foskin (Bishopstown); Saoirse O’Connor (Ballincollig), Laura Walsh (Mourneabbey), Ava McAuliffe(Midleton); Éabha O’Donovan (O’Donovan Rossa), Kate Carey (Ilen Rovers), Aisling Leahy (St Michael’s).
Subs: Aoibhe Sheehan (Douglas) for Leahy (42), Megan Barrett (Erin's Own) for O’Sullivan (51), Gemma Young (Eire Óg) for Drummy (52), Ella Burns (Grenagh) for O’Connor (54), Maisie O’Callaghan (Kinsale) for Breen (57).
Kerry: A O’Shaughnessy; S Colleran, M Mulvihill, R Daly; JL O’Connor, L O’Sullivan, S Randles; A O’Donoghue, P O’Donovan; K Riordan, H NicGearailt, Lucy O’Connor; Lori O’Connor, M Teahan, MK Smith.
Subs: R Cahill for Colleran (44), D Healy for Randles (44), S Palmer for O’Donovan (49), S Harkin for Daly (53), A McCarthy for NicGearailt (53).
Referee: D Grogan.
