Laura leads the way for Cork on home soil

Cork 4-12

Kerry 3-6

LAURA O’Mahony scored 1-1 on her home pitch in Skibbereen as Cork minors made it through to the Munster minor ladies football final on Easter Monday.

O’Mahony – who won an All-Ireland minor title with Cork last season – goaled for the Rebels in the first half of their clash with Kerry, with both teams knowing a place in the provincial final awaited the winner.

It was Kerry who led at half-time by 3-4 to 2-5 but Cork didn’t panic, and it was the Rebels that bossed the second half, keeping Kerry to two points while they added 2-7 to ease into the Munster final.

Mourneabbey’s Ellie Jack and Bride Rovers’ Katie Quirke scored the second-half goals for Cork, who know that they could yet face the Kingdom in the provincial final provided they get past the challenge of Tipperary in a semi-final this Saturday.

There was plenty of West Cork interest in the county squad on Monday with Clare O’Shea from Beara, Kinsale’s Georgia Gould and Jenny Murphy, Bantry Blues’ Rachel Murphy and O’Donovan Rossa’s Laura O’Mahony all starting for John Cleary’s side. Bantry’s Eve Murphy came on as a second-half sub while another Bantry player, Lucy Coakley, is on the panel.

Cork’s top scorers against Kerry were Ellie Jack (1-4, 2f), Laura O’Mahony (1-1), Fiona Keating (1-0) and Katie Quirke (1-0).