Munster LGFA Senior Football Championship Round 2
Kerry 1-14 Cork 1-10
Dan Kearney report from Brosna
The lethal Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh struck for 1-4 and Danielle O’Leary notched four points as Kerry sealed their place in the Munster Final in the TG4 Munster Senior Championship Round 2 encounter played in Brosna.
Tipperary’s 4-5 to 0-11 victory over Waterford means that the winners of the Cork v Tipperary clash next Saturday in Mallow will decide who joins Kerry in the decider.
The sides exchanged early scores with Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh accurate with 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 two points on the trot with the dangerous Lydia McDonagh pointing her own free and Abigail Ring registering one from play in the ninth 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 level at 0-4 apiece with 20 minutes played when 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 stylish 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 goa line clearance from Lydia McDonagh although Sadhbh McGoldrick did point the rebound from range.
Lydia McDonagh added a free for Cork at the death but it was Kerry that took a slender 1-6 to 0-7 lead in at half time.
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 six 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 three behind, 1-11 to 1-8, with 12 minutes 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 and joint managers Darragh Long and Declan Quill will be happy after a good day’s work.
Kerry scorers: L Ní Mhuircheartaigh 1-4 (0-2 frees), D O’Leary 0-4 (0-1 free), A Galvin 0-2, N Carmody 0-2, N Ní Chonchúir 0-1, A O’Connell 0-1.
Cork scorers: L McDonagh 0-4 (0-2 frees), S McGoldrick 0-2, M Duggan 1-0, D Kiely 0-1, A O’Mahony 0-1, A Healy 0-1, A Ring 0-1.
Kerry: C Butler, E Lynch, D Kearney, C O’Brien, A O’Connell, K Cronin, C Murphy, M O’Connell, C Lynch, A Galvin, N Carmody, A Harrington, K Brosnan, L Ní Mhuircheartaigh, D O’Leary.
Subs: N Ní Chonchúir for A Harrington; A Dillane for C O’Brien; L Scanlon for M O’Connell; E Dineen for N Carmody, H O’Donoghue for K Brosnan.
Cork: S Murphy, M Duggan, D Kiniry, A Ryan, S Leahy, S McGoldrick, D Kiely, K O’Driscoll, A O’Mahony, E Cleary, A Ring, A McDonagh, K Smith, A McDonagh, L Hallihan.
Subs: H Looney for A Ring; L Coppinger for K Smith; E Jack for L Hallihan; R Corkery for K O’Driscoll; A Healy for A McDonagh.
Referee: David Grogan (Tipperary).
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