Cork 4-17
Roscommon 2-9
KIERAN McCARTHY REPORTS
EMMA Cleary’s smile afterwards told its own story. The Cork forward had just scored 2-1 as the Rebels powered to a 14-point win over Roscommon and moved a step closer to an instant return to Lidl NFL Division 1.
It’s now four wins in five Division 2 games for Joe Carroll’s side who are in control of their own destiny: beat Clare at home next and Cork will be promoted with a game to spare, as well as in the league final against Galway.
Contrast this with last season’s Division 1 campaign when Cork lost six of their seven games and were relegated.
A campaign in Division 2 offered the Rebels the chance to make winning a habit – and they have grabbed it, with relegation-threatened Roscommon the latest to suffer.
‘Last year’s league was difficult with six losses,’ Cleary admitted, ‘but this year when we beat Westmeath comprehensively in our opener, we were all just buzzing after it. This time last year it was loss after loss, so it’s nice to be winning games. Nothing beats that winning feeling, you bounce into training and we want to keep that going.’
Cork didn’t have to hit top gear at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday afternoon, and the concession of two first-half goals will rankle, as a six-point lead in the first half was trimmed to just one, but then the Rebels showed their ruthless streak. Both Emma Cleary and Libby Coppinger, who had struck goals in the opening exchanges, rattled the back of the net again as Cork finished the first half with four goals and a seven-point lead, 4-6 to 2-5. It’s 11 goals in five games for the division’s top scorers.
‘Over the last few years maybe we haven’t been that efficient up front – that is something we are really trying to drive home this year,’ said two-goal hero Emma Cleary.
‘Even the last day against Monaghan (Cork won 1-9 to 1-3) we weren’t happy with our scoring rate, but we put up a good score today.
‘It can be tougher when you go away to a team up the country with a tight pitch, but we know we need to be ruthless every day and that is something the management is trying to drive home.’
Cork's Emma Cleary scored 2-1 against Roscommon.
Dual star Libby Coppinger was certainly ruthless in the game’s first attack, finishing off a move instigated from Maire O’Callaghan with a goal inside 16 seconds. Scores from Abigail Ring and Katie Quirke extended the lead before Roscommon’s Aisling Hanly pulled a goal back for the Connacht side. Cork’s reply was instant, Emma Cleary rolling a penalty to the net, with Abbie O’Mahony adding a point, as the home side led 2-3 to 1-0.
It wasn’t all plain sailing in the opening half and management won’t be happy with Roscommon’s purple patch that cut the gap to one point, 2-6 to 2-5. Cork shot-stopper Sarah Murphy won’t want to watch a replay of Roscommon’s second goal as she didn’t deal with Laura Mannion's effort from distance, and it dropped into the net. The Cork defence was opened up too easily in the first half, too, but tightened up in the second period and only conceded four points.
The Rebels added 11 points in the second half and the spread of scorers was impressive. Emma Cleary, Katie Quirke, Roisin Ní Chorcora, Abigail Ring, Laura O’Mahony, Aimee Corcoran and Leah Hallihan all scored, as the Rebels posted their biggest score of the league yet (4-17).
‘We are happy with a lot of aspects of it, but know there is a lot to improve on as well – we were disappointed with some of the scores we conceded but we have two games left to improve on that,’ Emma Cleary added.
‘We have put ourselves in a good position now. We had a slip up against Galway, but we are back on track. We are happy with where we are with two games to go and hopefully we can keep on improving and see where that leaves us.’
This Cork team is a work in progress, and the signs are encouraging, with Erika O’Shea (missing through injury) and dual player Hannah Looney to come back into the team. Momentum is building, and confidence in a young group is on the rise, and as Emma Cleary says ‘nothing beats that winning feeling’. The bigger battles are down the line, but this was another step in the right direction.
Scorers
Cork: Emma Cleary 2-1 (1-0 pen); Libby Coppinger 2-0; Katie Quirke 0-6 (4f); Abigail Ring 0-4; Aimee Corcoran 0-2 each; Abbie O’Mahony, Roisin Ní Chorcora, Laura O’Mahony, Leah Hallihan 0-1 each.
Roscommon: Laura Mannion 1-5 (3f); Aisling Hanly 1-1 (1f); Caoimhe Lennon, Ella Thompson, Marian Nolan 0-1 each.
Cork: Sarah Murphy; Melissa Duggan, Shauna Kelly, Anna Ryan; Emma Cleary, Sarah Leahy, Roisin Ní Chorcora; Maire O’Callaghan, Shauna Cronin; Abbie O’Mahony, Abigail Ring, Aimee Corcoran; Laura O’Mahony, Libby Coppinger, Katie Quirke.
Subs: Siobhan Callanan for S Cronin (ht), Amy McDonagh for A Ryan (44), Emma Hurley for A Corcoran (53), Oralith Roche for L Coppinger (53), Sadhbh McGoldrick for R Ní Chorcora (56), Katie Horgan for S Kelly (56), Leah Hallihan for A Ring (59), Laura Cleary for E Cleary (60).
Roscommon: H Cummins; R Brady, E Irwin, M McKeon; O O’Neill, S Wynne, L O’Rourke; A Curran, N Watson; S McGuinness, L Mannion; C Gregg; A Hanly, E Thompson, C Lennon.
Subs: N Feeney for O O’Neill (24, inj), S Timmon for N Feeney (34), C Cregg for McGuinness (49), R Lennon for C Lennon (49), A Malone for Watson (41), M Nolan for Hanly (46), M Kelly for Brady (48), A O’Meara for O’Rourke (51), L Shanagher for Lennon (54).
Referee: Barry Redmond (Wexford).
