Rebelettes push Kerry hard

Kerry 1-14 Cork 1-10

Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh struck for 1-4 and Danielle O’Leary for 0-4 as Kerry sealed their place in the Munster final at Brosna GAA in Saturday’s TG4 Munster Senior Championship Round 2.

Tipperary’s 4-5 to 0-11 victory over Waterford means that the winners of Cork v Tipperary next Saturday in Mallow will decide who joins Kerry in the final.

The sides exchanged early scores with Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh from a free and Daire Kiely with a long range effort for Cork that hopped off the hard Brosna surface and over the bar.

Cork, playing with the aid of a stiff breeze then hit 2 points on the trot with the dangerous Lydia

McDonagh pointing her own free and Abigail Ring, with one from play in the 9th minute.

Kerry threatened the Cork goal but overcooked the final pass before Anna Galvin hit a fine score following a strong Aishling O’Connell run at the heart of the Cork defence.

Lydia McDonagh took on the Kerry defence and slotted a fine score, but then it was Kerry’s turn to finally make some headway with Niamh Carmody splitting the posts and Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh blasting over after Danielle O’Leary did the spadework. The sides were now level at 0-4 apiece with 20 minutes played and

Kerry started to take a stranglehold on the contest. A scorching run from Mary O’Connell saw the final pass overcooked once more, before Danielle O’Leary and the brilliant Lydia McDonagh exchanged scores.

O’Leary pointed once more for Kerry in the 27th minute and a minute later Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh struck for Kerry’s goal after a brilliant through pass from Niamh Carmody, to put Kerry 1-6 to 0-5 ahead.

Cork refused to lie down and Eilis Lynch was forced into a brilliant goal line clearance from Lydia McDonagh, although Sadhbh McGoldrick did point the rebound from range.

Lydia McDonagh added a free for Cork at the death and it was Kerry that took a slender 1-6 to 0-7 lead in at half-time.

KINGDOM PULL CLEAR

Kerry put on the afterburners at the start of the second half and hit 4 scores on the trot from Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh, Niamh Carmody, the hard working Anna Galvin and Danielle O’Leary with a lovely individual effort, to push the hosts 1-10 to 0-7 ahead 6 minutes in.

Danielle O’Leary struck another fine score for Kerry, but then Melissa Duggan went on a mesmerising run and capped it off with a goal to leave Cork just 3 behind, 1-11 to 1-8 with 12 left to play.

The sides traded scores down the stretch and despite Kerry losing Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh and Kayleigh Cronin near the finish, a Danielle O’Leary free sealed Kerry’s place in the Munster final.

Cork: S Murphy; M Duggan 1-0, D Kiniry, A Ryan; S Leahy, S McGoldrick 0-2, D Kiely 0-1, K O’Driscoll, A O’Mahony 0-1; E Cleary, A Ring 0-1, A McDonagh; K Smith, L McDonagh 0-4 (2f), L Hallihan. Subs: H Looney for A Ring H/ T, L Coppinger for K Smith, E Jack for L Hallihan, R Corkery for K O’Driscoll, A Healy (0-1) for A McDonagh (all 44).

Referee: David Grogan (Tipperary).