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Melissa Duggan and Ciara O’Sullivan scored goals in the first half as Cork qualified for a TG4 All-Ireland senior final against the champions Dublin following this comprehensive performance against Galway.
With the game switched from Parnell Park to Croke Park on short notice due to an unplayable field at Donnycarney Stadium, it was Cork who led the first half and Duggan’s goal in the seventh minute put them on their way to victory.
Tracey Leonard did her best to keep Galway in touch, but when Ciara O’Sullivan smashed through the middle to score Cork’s second goal 12 minutes into the interval, Galway had a long way back.
Orla Finn kicked nine points for Ephie Fitzgerald’s team, who were never in danger of losing this game, despite the efforts of Mairéad Seoighe and substitute Andrea Trill for Galway.
Galway took the lead in the second minute when Tracey Leonard scored from free, having missed a similar effort 30 seconds earlier.
Cork soon tied with Finn scoring his first free goal, but with seven minutes to go they took the lead. It came through in a combination many would not have expected, as a brilliant career from full-back Erika O’Shea, who started in her own half, played in another Duggan half and she calmly entered the net.
Leonard retired a point from another free, but two touchdowns by Ciara O’Sullivan and another free Finn sent Cork ahead 1-3 to 0-2 at the breakwater.
A minute after the restart, Cork scored his second goal as the pressure on the Galway exits began to kick in. Áine Terry O’Sullivan gained possession and played with Ciara O’Sullivan to make it 2-3 to 0-2, with Cork dominating at this stage.
A great point from afar from Seoighe cut the deficit, with Finn responding from another free at the other end for Cork.
Seoighe pointed again, another long distance effort, to put it 2-4 at 0-4, but right at the whistle, Finn got his fourth free to see Cork in control at halftime as they led by seven points. .
Ciara O’Sullivan increased Cork’s lead early in the second half, but two free runs by Leonard reduced the deficit again.
But Cork was still in control and points from Áine Terry O’Sullivan and Duggan meant they were still well cleared with 37 minutes to go.
Leonard, with his first in the game, and halftime substitute Trill kept Galway’s tally in motion, but with Eimear Kiely also on target for Cork, the gap was not narrowing.
Olivia Divilly and Finn traded points, but with 13 minutes remaining, Galway took another hit when Sinead Burke was sent off for a tackle on Libby Coppinger.
While Trill took aim at Galway again, there was not going to be a miraculous comeback, while the final points of Finn, Sadhbh O’Leary and Marie O’Callaghan left Cork with no comfortable winners as they now face a final against Dublin on December 20.
cork: M O’Brien; E Meaney, R Phelan, S Kelly; M Duggan 1-1, A Hutchings, E O’Shea; M O’Callaghan 0-1, H Looney; E Kiely 0-1, C O’Sullivan 1-2, O Finn 0-9 (8f); Á O’Sullivan 0-1, D O’Sullivan 0-1, S Noonan.
Subs: L Coppinger by A O’Sullivan (42), D Kiely by E Kiely (50), S O’Leary 0-1 by Noonan (55), O Farmer by D O’Sullivan (56), M Cahalane by Duggan ( 58).
Galway: L Murphy; S Gormally, S Lynch, S Burke; L Coen, C Cooney, N Ward; A Davoren, L Ward; O Divilly 0-1, M Glynn, L Noone; M Seoighe 0-3, T Leonard 0-6 (5f), L Hannon.
Subs: S Molloy for Gormally (ht), A Trill 0-2 for Davoren (ht), S Fahy for Coen (44), A Morrissey 0-1 for Hannon (48), A McDonogh for Seoighe (51).
Referee: Seamus Mulvihill (Kerry).
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