Cork 3-7

Waterford 3-18

GER McCARTHY REPORTS

CORK head to Killarney in need of a positive performance following a disappointing Munster LGFA senior football championship 11-point defeat to Waterford at Páirc Uí Rinn.

Consecutive losses to Tipperary and Waterford have taken the air out of Cork’s sails only weeks after claiming the Division 1 league title.

The Rebels’ final Munster round-robin position, following the completion of this weekend’s third round away to reigning champions Kerry, will dictate Cork’s All-Ireland group seeding.

‘We just have to go back to the drawing board for the Kerry match which is a bit meaningless to us now,’ Cork manager Joe Carroll told The Southern Star.

‘It is only maybe important for a final group position of third or fourth.

‘That won’t make any difference whether we are in either position because it’s going to be a difficult All-Ireland SFC group anyway depending on who you are in with.’

Fresh from defeating Tipperary, Munster champions Kerry await in Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney this Sunday (11.45am throw-in). Kerry kept their title defence hopes alive with a 1-6 to 0-7 away win against Tipp last weekend.

Máire O'Callaghan scored a goal against Waterford.

As Joe Carroll alluded to, Cork’s chances of making a Munster final are hanging by a thread. But an improved performance is a must, especially after last weekend’s 11-point loss.

‘Waterford were exceptionally good, especially in the second half when they ran through us,’ Carroll admitted.

‘We started taking a lot of wrong options after starting the game quite well. We got a goal early on and, even though we conceded a goal, we were still well in it. We gave away two very soft goals.

‘Turnovers, in our half of the field, ended up in the back of our net. I thought we gave them scores rather than they created them even though they did turn us over a lot. We did a lot of silly things from there to the finish.’

Kellyann Hogan opened the scoring at a rain-sodden Páirc Uí Rinn. The Rebels responded positively with Máire O’Callaghan’s goal after six minutes followed by a Katie Quirke free that was brought forward 50 metres.

Waterford have become a force both under Tomás Mac A tSaoir’s guidance. Three points behind, the Déise blitzed Cork for an unanswered 1-4. A goal from Clare Walsh, and Hogan (2) and Áine O’Neill (2) efforts pushed the visitors four clear after ten minutes.

Áine Terry O’Sullivan and Quirke reduced the deficit before the latter set up Leah Hallihan for Cork’s second goal.

Waterford refused to panic as Ruby Browne and Eve Power scores made it 1-8 to 2-3. One of numerous Waterford turnovers resulted in a terrific Katie Murray goal making it 2-9 to 2-3 at the interval.

The excellent Katie Murray fisted over the bar to restart the second period. Cork’s attempts to get back in the game saw Sadhbh McGoldrick and Rosie Corkery points answered by Bríd McMaugh and Clare Walsh scores.

Emma Cleary provided the spark for a Cork mini-revival with a cracking shot into the top corner after 37 minutes. Kellyann Hogan steadied Waterford nerves however, converting two frees to make it 2-14 to 3-5.

Hogan went one better after 44 minutes, walloping an unstoppable 20-yard rocket into the roof of the net. A converted Hogan (free) extended Waterford’s lead to ten before goalkeeper Katelyn Gardner denied Áine Terry O’Sullivan a goal.

Quirke grabbed a desperately-needed Cork score but Lauren McGregor, Emma Murray and Kellyann Hogan efforts completed Waterford’s rout prior to Ilen Rovers’ Emma Hurley kicking over a late consolation point.

‘I think we played well in spells of the first half until conceding that second goal,’ Caroll concluded.

‘There were times we played very good football.

‘3-18 is a huge score to be conceding though. We don’t want to concede that score every day because that won’t win any matches.’

‘If we can work on the things and try and shore it up a little bit at the back, because we conceded too much, we will give it everything we have got against Kerry.’

Scorers 

Cork: K Quirke 0-3 (2f); M O’Callaghan, L Hallihan, E Cleary 1-0 each; S McGoldrick 0-2; Á T O’Sullivan, E Hurley 0-1 each.

Waterford: K Hogan 1-8 (4f); K Murray 1-2; C Walsh 1-1; Á O’Neill 0-2; R Browne, E Power, B McMaugh, L McGregor, E Murray 0-1 each.

Cork: C Richmond; S Callanan, D Kiniry, S Kelly; A Corcoran, M Duggan, R Corkery; S McGoldrick, A O’Mahony; R Leahy, M O’Callaghan, E Cleary (captain); L Hallihan, K Quirke, Á T O’Sullivan.

Subs: K Redmond for A O’Mahony (47), R O’Regan for R Leahy (47), A Ring for M O’Callaghan (47), E Hurley for Á T O’Sullivan (54), K O’Driscoll for S McGoldrick (57).

Waterford: K Gardner; C Murray, L Mulcahy, R Browne; M Daly, R Casey, K McGrath; E Murray (captain), E Power; Á O’Neill, K Hogan, K Murray; B McMaugh, C Walsh, L McGregor.

Subs: C Fennell for M Daly (ht), L Cusack for R Browne (57), L Ní Harta for E Power (57), A McGrath for K Murray (58), O Kennedy for L Mulcahy (59).

Referee: S Mulvihill (Kerry).