Cork stroll past Kerry and into a 10th All-Ireland final in 11 years

LADIES FOOTBALL: Eamonn Ryan’s remarkable Cork side are through to a 10th TG4 All-Ireland senior football final in 11 years. The Rebelettes saw off Munster rivals Kerry by 13 points – 4-14 to 0-13 – at the Gaelic Grounds to set up a September 27 clash with Dublin or Armagh.

It will be Cork’s fifth successive final appearance as they go in search of a five-in-a-row. Four points ahead at half-time, 2-5 to 0-7, Cork upped the ante after the break to blow Kerry away.

Valerie Mulcahy bagged her second goal midway through the half and sub Eimear Scally netted the fourth goal late on.

And yet Kerry had been a point clear, 0-3 to 0-2, when Cork struck for their opening goal.

The Rebelettes pounced on Edel Murphy’s kickout to claim a vital score just moments after Mulcahy pulled a free wide. Captain Ciara O’Sullivan was alive to the restart and as Kerry cheaply lost possession, she placed Áine O’Sullivan for an open goal.

GOLF: Rory McIlroy (left) has returned to the top of the world rankings without swinging a club after Masters and US Open champion Jordan Spieth’s missed the cut at The Barclays on Friday.

Just two weeks at the summit, Spieth added a three-over 73 that included a one-stroke penalty for stepping on his ball in a hazard to his opening 74 to finish five shots from the cut.

Meanwhile, on the European Tour, Michael Hoey is in a tie for 10th place at the Czech Masters, nine-shots off the leader Thomas Pieters.

HOCKEY: Ireland’s men struck bronze in their best ever Euro Championship finish, coming twice from behind to beat England 4-2 in London. After Harry Martin (11) and Adam Dixon (23) gave the home side the lead, Shane O’Donoghue (13) and Alan Sothern (29) levelled from corners. Eugene Magee (39) put Ireland ahead and with 30 seconds left O’Donoghue netted.

CYCLING: Dan Martin’s promising Vuelta came to a shuddering crash yesterday as the third-placed Irishman was forced to retire after a big pile-up in the eighth stage. ‘Dan Martin has withdrawn from La Vuelta following a crash. Has been taken to the hospital,’ his team Cannondale-Garmin tweeted.

Trek Factory Racing rider Jasper Stuyven of Belgium won the stage.