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Kilkenny booked his place in a fifth consecutive Liberty Insurance All-Ireland camouflage final with a two-point win over Cork in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Cork was a lightning bolt from a bottle early on, earning a free kick from the serve that Chloe Sigerson drove and in the eighth minute, they were leading by six, Gemma O’Connor, starting to lose the early stages of the competition. with a punctured lung, punching a goal after Katrina Mackey hit a single down the middle and fed the St Finbarr star.
Mackey found oceans of space through the center and that was a common theme in the first quarter as the rebels worked it patiently on defense, attracted players, and capitalized on the move by center forward Orla Cronin to bring Meighan Farrell to the flanks. .
Kilkenny was on the ropes and needed something. They appeared to be galvanized by a tenacious defense from Michelle Teehan, who dispossessed Laura Collins and was fouled out with the ball. Soon after, Mary O’Connell shot an impressive point from the left and Anne Dalton followed with an equally impressive score.
Mackey struck back after finding himself again in splendid isolation within 45 opponents, but Kilkenny shot four of the next five points, Gaule converting three free.
O’Connell added his second from the opposite flank to the first, as the constant rotation of Kilkenny’s attack seemed to cause confusion in Cork’s defense and only a few poor shots kept Brian Dowling’s side from getting closer.
Furthermore, their ability to gain a greater share of possession prevented the Rebels from finding the spaces so much, and the decision to persist with Farrell and Davina Tobin following Cronin and Amy O’Connor everywhere finally paid off.
However, they were really driving when Dalton took Gaule’s long-distance distance and dove into the far corner of the net in the 28th minute to take a lead that seemed unlikely when they came off the mark 16 minutes earlier.
The teams traded two points each and went 1-8 to 1-7 at halftime, a score Dowling must have been ecstatic given his teammates’ sleepy start.
It got even better for the Noresiders three minutes after the restart when Miriam Walsh timed her run from deep to a pass from Aoife Doyle perfectly, took the hit from Pamela Mackey and drove to the net.
To add salt to Cork’s wounds, who had started the half with a spikey free kick from Cronin, defense Mackey was forced out of the fray a short while later with a left shoulder or collarbone injury.
A free kick aimed by Gaule in the 43rd minute put four between the sides, but Kilkenny seemed to retreat into their shells and failed to score for 21 minutes, though Cork deserves credit for finding another gear.
Cronin blew a couple of good free-kick chances before Katrina Mackey signaled, but that was a denied scoring opportunity as Douglas’s sprinter faced the posts as she took possession just outside the semi-circle, with only Collette Dormer between her and the whites of Aoife Norris. eyes, and more significantly, Gemma O’Connor to her right. It was a two-on-one, but Mackey decided to tap.
Thompson and Sigerson, the latter with a fantastic score, reduced the margin to a minimum, but Cork could not tie when Kilkenny’s defense performed heroic deeds and Aoife Doyle drew a late foul for Gaule to bring their count to seven and bring them home.
Cork: A Lee, M Cahalane, L Treacy, L Coppinger, H Looney, P Mackey, L Hayes, K Mackey (0-02), A Thompson (0-02), A O’Connor, O Cronin (0-03, 3fs ), C Sigerson (0-04, 1f), L Collins, G O’Connor (1-00), S McCarthy.
Subs: N O’Callaghan for P Mackey inj (44), C Healy for Collins (49), J White for McCarthy (54)
Kilkenny: A Norris, G Walsh, C Dormer, M Teehan, C Phelan, M Farrell, D Tobin, A Farrell, A Dalton (1-01), A Doyle, L Murphy, D Gaule (0-06, 6fs), K Nolan , M Walsh (1 to 00), M O’Connell (0-02).
Subs: S Fitzgerald for Murphy (ht), N Deely for Teehan (49), K Doyle for O’Connell (55)
Referee: Owen Elliott (Antrim)
More to follow
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