Cork ladies get NFL title defence off and running with easy win over depleted Kerry
Kerry 0-9 Cork 2-17
DEFENDING League champions Cork got their title defence underway with a comfortable and expected win over a depleted Kerry that was never likely to cause an upset at the north Kerry venue of Knocknagoshel last Sunday.
Neither panel had done a whole lot of training over the winter period and while that was fairly evident in Kerry’s performance, Cork’s experience shone through regardless and they will be well pleased with scoring 2-17, whatever about the quality of the opposition.
Nevertheless, Cork manager Ephie Fitzgerald said he was concerned coming down to play Kerry in the first game of the year, with so many unknowns regarding both teams.
“We have very little done over the last couple of months,” he said. “I was fearful coming down here today to be honest but fair play to the girls they got things going after a while. We have one or two players to come back but nothing major. I’m delighted to get out with the win – we have Monaghan at home next week so that will be another good test for us”.
Playing this Cork team is always a difficult task but when you’re short a large number of your established players then the job becomes twice as hard. That’s the position Kerry found themselves, and while Cork were expected to win this game, and win it well, Kerry can take huge encouragement from their overall performance.
Without a number of regulars, and with All Star Lorraine Scanlon on basketball duty, manager Graham Shine put out a largely unfamiliar looking side who acquitted themselves quite well after starting the game in nervous fashion.
Kerry’s old failing of losing possession from their own restarts would haunt them again, and the concession of a goal and six points from kick outs hurt them badly.
Cork looked the better side in the early stages and led by 0-5 to 0-1 on the quarter hour mark as Kerry struggled to get their hands on any meaningful possession.
Orla Finn, who scored five points, opened the scoring for Cork before Ní Mhuircheartaigh equalised from a free kick.
Cork took over thereafter, and points were added from Finn (2), Doireann and Brid O’Sullivan as the overworked Kerry defence struggled with their opponent’s running game. Kerry needed a response, and with Desmond and Aisling O’Connell excelling in the backline, Sarah Houlihan and Brid Ryan added two points on the bounce to bring Kerry to within two points. The Kerry comeback was brief though, as Cork put over two more from an Eimear Scally free kick and another from play by Finn.
Kerry attacked again, and the industrious Andrea Murphy put her name on the scoreboard on the stroke of half time, after another excellent cameo from debutant Brid Ryan, to leave the score at 0-7 to 0-3.
Whatever hope Kerry had of launching a challenge in the second half was eradicated when Cork scored 1-3 in the first five minutes. The goal came from corner forward Aine O’Sullivan after Kerry failed to gain possession from their own kickout following a point from Orla Finn.
In general Kerry were finding it difficult to penetrate the Cork defence, and a lot of decent attacking forays broke down at the inopportune moment. Cork were finding it much easier to score, and the game began to take a somewhat inevitable pattern.
The reigning League champions put over another six points to finish out the game, with the pick of them a lovely curling effort from Doireann O’Sullivan. While Cork weren’t motoring at anywhere near there full capacity, it was obvious that they were a step ahead of Kerry at nearly every juncture.
In the last minute Cork added a second goal when Finn played Brid O’Sullivan in to score. KERRY: Laura Fitzgerald, Eilis Lynch, Deirdre Kearney, Aisling O’Connell, Deirdre Geaney, Aislinn Desmond, Kate Sullivan, Emma Dineen, Eilish O’Leary, Fiadhna Tangney, Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh (0-2f), Andrea Murphy (0-1), Sarah Houlihan (05f), Brid Ryan (0-1), Aoife Geaney. Subs: Amanda Brosnan for F Tangney (40), Ciara Murphy for E Dineen (40), Laoise Coughlan for A O’Connell (40), Amy Foley for A Murphy (44), Clodagh O’Connor for D Geaney (52), Brid Sears for E O’Leary (56).
CORK: Martina O Brien, Aisling Kelleher, Marie Ambrose, Emma Spillane, Maire O’Callaghan, Beatrice Casey, Shauna Kelly, Melissa Duggan, Aishling Hutchings, Brid O’Sullivan (1-2), Doireann O’Sullivan (0-3), Orlagh Farmer (0-1), Aine O’Sullivan (1-1), Eimear Scally (0-3, 1f), Orla Finn (05). Subs: Eimear Meeney for B Casey (40), Libby Coppinger (0-2) for A O’Sullivan (44), A Barrett for A Kelleher (45), Laura Cleary for O Farmer (45).
REFEREE: Nialll McCormack (Laois)