Last-gasp Sadbh McGoldrick winner sends Cork into Munster senior football final

Cork 0-11

Tipperary 0-10

ANTHONY NEWMAN REPORTS

SADBH McGoldrick was the hero for Cork as she got the winning point in the last minute to see her side progress to the TG4 Munster senior ladies football championship final.

Tipperary looked like they had the game won in Mallow when Angela McGuigan pointed but the title-holders worked the ball down the pitch for Katie Quirke to equalise.

From the restart Cork won the ball back and McGoldrick hit the winning point with the last score of the game to go through.

Cork got off to the perfect start when Quirke got their first point in the second minute and Maire O’Callaghan doubled their advantage after seven minutes. Another Quirke point increased Cork’s lead and Tipperary had only themselves to blame for not being on level terms as they had five wides to this point.

Another Quirke free put the Rebels further in front and when she hit her fourth, after 11 minutes. They led by 0-5 to no score. Again, Tipperary were guilty of terrible wides and by half time they had 10 to their name.

They did eventually get off the mark after 17 minutes when Emma Morrissey scored. Aishling Moloney got their second from a free and just before half time Katelyn Downey to their third as despite all the wides they only trailed by two at the break, 0-5 to 0-4.

Lydia McDonagh increased Cork’s lead at the start of the second half, with Quirke adding another to make it 0-7 to 0-3.

With 36 minutes gone Quirke pointed another free to put five between the sides as Cork looked comfortable. But credit to Tipperary they responded in style and showed their win over Waterford a week ago was not a lucky one. Morrissey hit two in a row to make it 0-5 to 0-8,  before Moloney had the Cork lead down to two.

Quirke replied for the Rebels, but again Tipperary showed their class, with Morrissey on target again. She hit another from a free and suddenly there was only one between the sides. With 52 minutes gone Morrissey scored from another free and the sides were level and all to play for at that stage.

Both sides failed to score until the final minute when Angela McGuigan looked like she had hit the winning score for Tipperary. But credit to Cork they kept their composure and worked the ball up the pitch for Quirke to score from a free.

They won the ball back from the restart and McGoldrick hit the all-important score to secure Cork’s passage to the Munster final, where they will meet Kerry on May 18.

Scorers - Cork: K Quirke 0-8 (6f), M O’Callaghan L McDonagh, S McGoldrick 0-1 each. Tipperary: E Morrissey 0-6 (3f), A Moloney 0-2 (1f), K Downey, A McGuigan 0-1 each.

CORK: C Richmond; M Duggan, D Kiniry, A Ryan; S Leahy, A Healy, D Kiely; M O’Callaghan, K O’Driscoll; A O’Mahony, K Quirke, A McDonagh; L Coppinger, L O’Mahony, E Cleary. Subs: L McDonagh for L O’Mahony (25, inj), R Leahy for L Coppinger (30, inj), S Kelly for A O’Mahony, S McGoldrick for D Kiely (both 45), K Smith for K O’Driscoll (48).

TIPPERARY: L Fitzpatrick; E Kelly, L Spillane, E Cronin; C O’Dwyer, M Curley, S English; L Morrissey, AR Kennedy; E Morrissey, A McGuigan, A Moloney; M Creedon, K Downey, E McCarthy. Sub: C English for E McCarthy (55).

Referee:  Seamus Mulvihill, Kerry.