Cork 0-18

Galway 1-8

CHATTING to this paper ahead of Cork’s Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie championship opener, manager Ger Manley was confident fans would see a more familiar-looking Rebels’ performance.

He was proved right.

After struggles in the national league and the Munster championship – given the huge player turnover, that was understandable – Cork showed their class with a superb away win against last year’s All-Ireland champions Galway in Athenry.

This is the result that shows the Rebels will be a force to be reckoned with in the All-Ireland series.

‘This was my first time in five years winning a game up there, whether in the league or championship, so it’s a big result for us,’ Manley told The Southern Star.

‘Our work-rate was phenomenal, which you have to have against Galway.

‘The girls’ attitude was spot on. They were very tuned in all week and, to be fair, training has been going well for the last couple of weeks. The players drove it on themselves.’

Cork's Saoirse McCarthy and Ciara O’Sullivan celebrate the win. (Photo: James Lawlor/INPHO)

This was the performance that showed Cork have not gone away. The return of Amy O’Connor is a huge boost, and she chipped in with 0-4, while player of the match Saoirse McCarthy highlighted why she is one of the best players in the country. Cork’s leaders led, with defender Libby Coppinger proving why she is one of the game’s best.

‘Saoirse, Laura Hayes, Amy O’Connor, Orla Cahalane and Libby Coppinger, the spine of the team was excellent,’ Manley said.

‘Maeve Murphy was very good, and the newer girls, Ava Fitzgerald and Isobelle Sheehan were outstanding as well.

‘Izzy O’Regan is only back from a cruciate injury in the last couple of months. She got a few games in the league, but she’s still building back up. Saoirse only came into the last game or two of the league, while Laura Hayes missed the first three league games.

‘Ashling Thompson is coming back too, so we’re getting bodies back.’

Galway's Shannon Corcoran is tackled by Cork's Libby Coppinger and Millie Condon. (Photo: James Lawlor/INPHO)

On Saoirse McCarthy, who scored 0-6, Manley added: ‘Saoirse is a serious machine when she’s going well and she was excellent again on Saturday. She’s one of those players who takes two or three people to manage. Aoife Donohue is the same for Galway.

‘Players like that are hard to match because of their athleticism. Saoirse was huge for us. She was unbelievably good on Saturday.’

This was a new-look Cork team, in keeping with what fans saw during the league. Just eight of the 15 players who started last year’s All-Ireland final lined out in this rematch, five of them forwards, but Cork purred from the start.

Laura Hayes opened the scoring while Saoirse McCarthy shot two of her six points as Cork hit four of the first five points. With the wind at their backs, the Rebels pushed on to lead by 0-13 to 0-4 at the interval.

Amy O’Connor added two frees early in the second half to stretch the lead to double figures.

Even though Niamh McPeake pulled a point back, there were still ten between the sides, 0-16 to 0-6, going into the last ten minutes.

Laura Hayes and Isobelle Sheehan celebrate the win. (Photo: James Lawlor/INPHO)

Galway goalkeeper Sarah Healy had already made one superb save to deny Orlaith Cahalane a goal and she delivered another world-class stop to repel a McCarthy strike. Caoimhe Kelly grabbed a late Galway goal, but Newcestown’s Ciara O’Sullivan rounded off the scoring for Cork, becoming the eighth Rebel to get on the scoresheet as she did so.

‘It’s a huge result and I’m taking nothing away from it,’ Manley said.

‘We knew going to Galway would be difficult. They’re very hard to beat up there. The scoreline might make it look comfortable, but it was a very competitive game physically. There were plenty of hard hits going in.

‘I’ve been saying it all along, whatever 15 we put out will be strong. You need the experience of playing matches as well. The league didn’t go great for us and we had no matches after the league final or the Munster championship, but that didn’t really matter. The girls were very focused.

‘I’ve been saying for years that there are probably girls in our squad who would be on most county teams, and Galway are probably similar. They were missing a few names and will likely get some of them back.

‘It’s great and it speaks to the competitiveness in the squad. We’ve a few more coming back as well, so there’s definitely competition for places.’

Cork are back in action this Sunday with an away trip to take on Tipperary in Semple Stadium (3.30pm, live on the Camogie Association's YouTube channel). In Group 1, all four teams are already guaranteed a place in the knock-out round, but Cork want to build momentum against a team that knocked them out of the Munster championship in April.

‘Tipperary are going very well this year. They’re a sleeping giant, really. They have some exceptionally good players,’ Manley said.

‘They were very good when we played them in the Munster championship and in the league.

‘It’s going to be a different test. I think we’re in a better place now, but it’s another away game and home venue is always worth four or five points, whether it’s Páirc Uí Rinn, Páirc Uí Chaoimh or MTU.’

Scorers 

Galway: A O’Reilly 1-0; A Keane 0-3f; A Barry (f), N McPeake 0-2 each; A Donohue 0-1.

Cork: S McCarthy 0-6 (4f); A O’Connor 0-4 (3f); L Hayes, S McCartan 0-2 each; I Sheehan, A Fitzgerald, O Cahalane, C O’Sullivan 0-1 each.

Galway: S Healy; R Hanniffy, R Black, D Higgins; K Manning, C Hickey, KA Porter; A Keane, A Hesnan; N Mallon, N McPeake, A Donohue; S Corcoran, M Dillon, K Madden.

Subs: A O’Reilly for N Mallon (30), C Dolan for K Madden (35), A Barry for A Donohue, C Kelly for A Keane (both 51).

Cork: A Lee (Na Piarsaigh); I O’Regan (Ballygarvan), L Coppinger (St Colum’s), A Egan (St Finbarr’s); A Fitzgerald (Sarsfields), M Murphy (Ballinora), I Sheehan (Éire Óg); M Condon (Ballinascarthy), L Hayes (St Catherine’s); H Ryan (Blackrock), S McCarthy (Courcey Rovers), E Murphy (Glen Rovers); S McCartan (St Finbarr’s), O Cahalane (St Finbarr’s), A O’Connor (St Vincent’s).

Subs: R Murphy (Ballinora) for H Ryan (51), C O’Sullivan (Newcestown) for M Condon (58).

Referee: Liz Dempsey (Kilkenny).