Kerry 1-14 Cork 1-10
Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh struck for 1-04 and Danielle O'Leary notched 0-04 as Kerry beat Cork 1-14 to 1-10 to seal their place in the TG4 Munster Senior Championship final.
Tipperary’s 4-05 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 through Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh and Daire Kiely.
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 with 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 Ní Mhuircheartaigh blasting over after Danielle O’Leary did the spadework.
The sides were now level at 0-04 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 score.
O’Leary pointed once more for Kerry in the 27th minute and a minute later Ní Mhuircheartaigh struck for Kerry’s goal after a brilliant through pass from Carmody to put Kerry 1-06 to 0-05 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.
Kerry put on the afterburners at the start of the second half and hit four scores on the trot from Ní Mhuircheartaigh, Carmody, the hard-working Anna Galvin and Danielle O’Leary with a lovely individual effort to push the hosts 1-10 to 0-07 ahead six minutes in.
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 1-08 with 12 left to play.
The sides traded scores down the stretch and despite Kerry losing Ní Mhuircheartaigh and Kayleigh Cronin near the finish, a O’Leary free sealed Kerry’s place in the Munster final.
Scorers - Kerry: L Ní Mhuircheartaigh 1-4 (2f), D O’Leary 0-4 (1f),A Galvin 0-2, N Carmody 0-2, N Ní Chonchúir 0-1 , A O’Connell 0-1. Cork: L McDonagh 0-4 (2f), S McGoldrick 0-2, M Duggan 1-00, 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 H/T, A Dillane for C O’Brien , L Scanlon for M O’Connell (both 41), E Dineen for N Carmody, H O’Donoghue for K Brosnan (both 48)
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 H/T, L Coppinger for K Smith, E Jack for L Hallihan, R Corkery for K O’Driscoll, A Healy for A McDonagh (all 44).
Referee: David Grogan (Tipperary).
Tipperary 4-05 Waterford 0-11
Late goals from Emma Morrissey and Emer McCarthy saw Tipperary shake off Waterford to keep their Munster final hopes alive at a rainy Bansha.
These two neighbours were level five times before the Premier scored 2-03 without reply in the final quarter. Towering midfielder Anna-Rose Kennedy was the Premier's star performer with 2-01 from play. The Aherlow number nine found the top corner twice in the first half. Emma Morrissey and Aishling Moloney came alive in the closing stages.
A yellow card to defender Eve Power and a shoulder injury to attacker Bríd McMaugh hurt Waterford in that last quarter. Power shadowed Moloney throughout. Pat Sullivan's side also took the field without the injured Clare Walsh. Captain Kellyann Hogan kicked seven points for the Déise (six frees) while Alannah McNulty battled hard in defence. They are out of provincial final contention ahead of a trip to Kerry.
The teams were level three times in the opening half. The rain arrived just as Conor McCarthy threw in the ball. With just 30 seconds on his stopwatch, Anna-Rose Kennedy planted the ball in the top left corner of the Waterford net. The Déise dragged themselves back into the game. A fisted effort from Annie Fitzgerald and three Kellyann Hogan points (two frees) edged them 0-4 to 1-0 ahead by the end of the first quarter.
Neassa Towey levelled before Premier netminder Lauren Fitzpatrick saved from her Ballymacarbry club mate Kellyann Hogan. On 21 minutes, Emma Morrissey supplied Kennedy and she belted the ball into the top right corner past Evelyn O'Brien on this occasion. The visitors recovered again. Ellen Bolger and Hogan (free) tied the scores at the break (2-01 to 0-07).
In a scrappy third quarter, two Hogan frees helped the away team into a slender advantage (0-09 to 2-02). Eve Power got her marching orders for ten minutes and Tipp took charge. Emma Morrissey and Aishling Moloney combined from a quick free before Morrissey equalised. All-Star Moloney then floated over the lead point from 30 metres. A Moloney catch then led to a Kennedy point.
With four minutes left, a Morrissey point attempt landed in the corner of the Waterford cobwebs. Two minutes later, Emer McCarthy's shot slipped under Evelyn O'Brien (4-05 to 0-09). Restored to fifteen players, Emma Murray and Alannah McNulty knocked over consolation points for the Déise. Tipp will face Cork in the final round.
Scorers - Tipperary: AR Kennedy 2-01, E Morrissey 1-02 (1f), E McCarthy 1-00, N Towey, A Moloney 0-01 each. Waterford: K Hogan 0-07 (6fs), A McNulty, E Murray, E Bolger, A Fitzgerald 0-01 each.
Tipperary: L Fitzpatrick; E Kelly, L Spillane, E Cronin; C O'Dwyer, M Curley, S English; L Morrissey, AR Kennedy; E Morrissey, A McGuigan, A Moloney; N Towey, K Downey, E McCarthy.
Sub: M Creedon for Towey (44).
Waterford: E O'Brien; K McGrath, H Power, A McNulty; N Power, E Murray, A O'Neill; M O'Brien, E Power; A Fitzgerald, K Hogan, A Murray; B McMaugh, E Bolger, K Murray.
Subs: L McGregor for Bolger (HT), A Brazil for M O'Brien (50), C Murray for McMaugh (52), L O'Shea for Fitzgerald (59), A Waring for N Power (61).
Referee: C McCarthy (Cork)
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