THOU shall not pass – that seems to be the approach of the Cork senior camogie team that hasn’t conceded a goal since June 29th, 2024.
Incredibly, these relentless Rebels have not left in a goal in their seven games this season, which followed clean sheets against Dublin and Galway in the 2024 All-Ireland semi-final and final respectively.
Galway’s Carrie Dolan was the last player to score a goal against Cork when she rattled the back of the net on the stroke of half-time in an All-Ireland group game in late June last season.
Since then Cork have not conceded a goal in nine and a half games, or almost 600 minutes of action, across three different competitions: All-Ireland championship, Division 1 national league and, most recently, Munster championship. In this period, Galway (three times), Dublin (twice), Kilkenny, Waterford, Tipperary and Clare have all failed to raise a green flag against the Rebels. They won eight of those nine games, and the one they lost to Galway in the league didn’t matter as Cork has already qualified for the final.
‘It (not conceding a goal) is something that was picked up on after the Tipp game,’ Cork captain Méabh Cahalane told this paper ahead of the league final win (0-21 to 0-10) against Galway last month.
‘Amy Lee in goal and all our defenders work so hard, and you have the work-rate around our middle third and with our forwards is huge. No-one can come out with the ball easily against us, our defence starts up at number 15. It’s helping us at the back because we know if we don’t concede a goal that we have the forwards who can score goals.’
The back-to-back All-Ireland champions are the team to beat, and hit the ground running this season by winning the Division 1A league title for the first time in 12 years. The recent Munster semi-final hammering of Clare sends Cork into the provincial decider against Waterford on Saturday, May 10th in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg in Ennis.
There’s a settled look to the Cork defence that breeds confidence. It’s packed full of All Stars, from goalkeeper Amy Lee who has started in all seven games this year to Pamela Mackey who has played in six. Meabh Murphy has been an ever present this season. Six-time All-Ireland winner Laura Treacy is one of the best in the business. The returning two-time All-Star Libby Coppinger, who missed the 2024 championship through injury, bolsters the full-back line even more. Laura Hayes is the current Camogie Senior Player of the Year. Meábh Cahalane is another key defender, with boss Ger Manley hailing the current Cork captain as a ‘brilliant leader’ after the Rebels’ 2024 All-Ireland final win. There is quality and experience and authority in every position in the Cork defence – and it’s why these Rebels look to be the best in the business right now.
‘It really is that defensive core that you need to win these big games. We need the scores up front, no doubt, but it is the work rate behind, and the work the girls put in since I've been here,’ Ger Manley explained after Cork’s 2024 All-Ireland final triumph.
This Cork defence gives the team the platform to win games, and allows the forwards the chance to get the scores that really matter. Long may that continue.
