GALWAY 2-8
CORK 1-5
GER McCARTHY REPORTS
JOE Carroll admits Cork will have ‘nightmares’ about the two goals they conceded as they missed out on Lidl National Football League Division 2 glory at Croke Park.
Having already gained promotion back to Division 1 Cork wanted to go up as champions, but they were overpowered by a Galway team that had a 100 percent league record, including a win against the Rebels early in the campaign.
Galway were full value for this Division 2 final triumph, as Cork’s willingness to foul close to their own goal was punished by Róisín Leonard who converted five frees. Leonard and Lynsey Noone’s second-half goals were also well finished and created by forcing turnovers deep in Rebel territory.
As for Cork, Joe Carroll will be disappointed with his team’s second-half showing, a 30-minute period that yielded two scores. The Cork manager watched his team build a 1-3 to 0-3 interval lead, defend well and hold Galway scoreless from open play at the short whistle. Unfortunately, Cork failed to match Galway’s second-half intensity. They also coughed up two sloppy goals that tipped the balance in the Connachy side’s favour.
‘We were very pleased with the first-half performance, felt maybe we should have been up a bit more because we gave them a few scores out of our own, but we just lost our way,’ Joe Carroll explained.
‘We gave away a goal and a point in the first 90 seconds of the second half and that really turned the match. When we had Aoife Healy sin-binned, that made it very difficult for us. We kept fighting, but we never looked like we were going to score after that.’
Cork's Hannah Looney under pressure against Galway's Nicola Ward.
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In terms of the bigger picture, promotion back to Division 1 is ample reward for the new Cork manager and his backroom team’s hard work. Losing only twice (both to Galway) in Division 2 since taking over late last year underlines that point. Yet, Saturday’s performance showed Cork have a huge amount of work to do if the likes of Kerry, Armagh or Dublin are to be overcome before the summer ends.
West Cork’s Melissa Duggan (Dohenys) produced her usual all-action display. Cork’s forward line contained Laura O’Mahony (O’Donovan Rossa) who scored a fisted point and Libby Coppinger (St Colum’s) who also featured prominently despite being closely marshalled. Beara’s Áine Terry O’Sullivan was sprung from the bench early in the second period.
Katie Quirke gave Cork the perfect start by netting a goal inside three minutes. Following that, the Cork defence was in excellent form, repeatedly blocking and denying a succession of Galway attacks. Two Quirke frees and a Laura O’Mahony point were offset by three Róisín Leonard frees as Cork led by a goal at the break, 1-3 to 0-3.
By the time the second half was 90 seconds old, a revitalised Galway had accumulated 1-1. Ailbhe Davoren scored her county’s first point from open play immediately after the resumption. Next, Lynsey Noone capitalised on a Gawlay turnover near the Cork goal, evaded a defender and fired into the bottom corner.
A much more open game saw Emma Cleary and Róisín Leonard (free) exchange scores prior to the Rebels being punished for a second defensive lapse. Katie Quirke landed a free but Galway struck back within a minute. Kate Slevin dispossessed Cork goalkeeper Sarah Murphy and fed Róisin Leonard who instantly found the back of the net.
Olivia Divilly added a point and any chance of Cork staging a late comeback was stymied once Aoife Healy was harshly yellow carded 12 minutes from full time. The Connacht side sealed a deserved Division 2 title-winning display with Hannah Noone and Róisín Leonard raising white flags in the closing minutes.
‘The two goals we conceded, when we look back in the video, we will have nightmares about them,’ Joe Carroll admitted.
‘We had the ball in our own possession, in both cases, and gave it away. We got caught on the back foot a small bit. That was very disappointing because I thought our defence, in particular, played very well.’
Scorers
Galway: R Leonard 1-5 (5f); L Noone 1-0; A Davoren, O Divilly, H Noone 0-1 each.
Cork: K Quirke 1-3 (3f); L O’Mahony, E Cleary 0-1 each.
Galway: D Gower; A Ní Cheallaigh, S Ní Loingsigh, K Geraghty (captain); H Noone, N Ward, C Trill; L Ward, S Divilly; O Divilly, S Hynes, A Davoren; L Noone, R Leonard, K Slevin.
Subs: L Coen for S Hynes (41); E Noone for A Davoren (41); K Thompson for L Noone (43); B Quinn for C Trill (51); C Cooney for K Slevin (57).
Cork: S Murphy; D Kiniry, S Kelly, M Duggan; A Healy, S Leahy (captain), R Corkery; E O’Shea, A O’Mahony; A Corcoran, L O’Mahony, E Cleary; H Looney, L Coppinger, K Quirke.
Subs: S Cronin for A Corcoran (38); Á Terry O’Sullivan for L Coppinger (42); A Ring for L O’Mahony (48); L Hallihan for E Cleary (57); A Ryan for H Looney (58).
Referee: Philip Conway (Armagh).
