Cork booked their place in the 2024 TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship semi-finals at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh with an impressive victory.
Shane Ronayne's side overcame Munster rivals Waterford to reach the last four of the All-Ireland SFC for the ninth time in ten years.
Having lost to Waterford in the National League but overcoming the same opponents in the Munster Championship, Cork set up a semi-final meeting with either Dublin or Galway thanks to a terrific defensive effort and a third-quarter surge highlighted by a Hannah Looney goal.
There are tougher tests ahead but Ronayne’s side underlined their steady improvement with a superb overall team performance.
Waterford began without a single Ballymacarbry player in their starting fifteen including top scorer Kellyann Hogan who is away travelling.
Emma Murray fired the visitors in front but a dominant Cork responded positively with Aoife Healy, Emma Cleary, Laura O’Mahony and Abbie O’Mahony making it 0-04 to 0-01.
Waterford remained a threat however, as Emma Murray grabbed her second point before a swift move ended with Katie Murray netting a superb goal.
The Rebels, guilty of squandering numerous chances, changed ends 0-06 to 1-02 ahead after Máire O’Callaghan and Emma Cleary efforts helped steady nerves.
A third-quarter surge that yielded an unanswered 10-4 was the foundation for Cork’s eventual win.
Laura O’Mahony, Laura Cleary, Katie Quirke (two) points preceded a swift Cork move that ended with substitute Hannah Lonney firing into the net after 45 minutes.
Utilising a strengthening wind, Cork kept their opponents at arms length for the remainder of the quarter-final despite Clodagh Carroll’s late goal for the Déise.
Eimear Kiely and Clodagh Carroll exchanged scores prior to an Emma Fitzgerald free. Katie Quirke (free) kept Cork’s eight-point lead intact before Laura O’Mahony grabbed her third fisted point.
Hannah Power and Máire O’Callaghan were both yellow carded in the closing stages but it mattered little as Cork ran out convincing 1-17 to 2-04 winners and head into the penultimate round with plenty of momentum behind them.
Cork: S Murphy; M Duggan, S Kelly, S Leahy; A Healy (0-01), S Cronin, D Kelly; M O’Callaghan (c) (0-01), A O’Mahony (0-01); E Cleary (0-04), L O’Mahony (0-03), A McDonagh; A McAuliffe, K Quirke (0-03, 1f), R Leahy. Subs: H Looney (1-01) for A O’Mahony (40), E Kiely (0-01) for A McAuliffe (40), S McGoldrick (0-01) for S Cronin (47), A Ryan for A Healy (47), L McDonagh (0-01, 1f) for K Quirke (53).
Waterford: E O’Brien; C Murray, H Power (c), K McGrath; A Murray, A McNulty, E Murray (0-02); E Power, C Carroll (1-01); M Comeford, A Fitzgerald, N Power; E Fitzgerald (0-01, 1f), L McGregor, K Murray (1-00). Subs: C McCarthy for N Power (49), A Waring for K Mullen (51), L O’Shea for L McGregor (55).
Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow).
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