All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Semi-Final
Waterford 0-10
Cork 0-15
Waterford’s dreams of a first final appearance in 77 years were shattered by a second-half revival from Cork in the All-Ireland Camogie Championship Semi-Final.
The Déise held their opponents scoreless for the first 24 minutes, but eight unanswered points late in the second half proved as the difference as Cork move on to the decider.
Both teams lined-out as expected, despite injury concerns for Déise forward Abby Flynn and a successful late appeal against a previous red card from the Rebel’s Aisling Thompson.
Waterford started the game brightly, and opened the scoring on two minutes - a trademark delivery from Lorraine Bray picking out Beth Carton who twisted past three Rebel players before splitting the uprights.
Derek Lyons’ side defended with aplomb in the opening exchanges, with Clodagh Carroll and Lorraine Bray seemingly covering every blade of the Croke Park pitch.
Waterford did have further scoring opportunities, Roisín Kirwan breaking in behind but she was well closed down by Laura Treacy.
Their opponents struggled to create any clear cut scoring opportunities, with many of their efforts dropping short as well as five wides coming inside the opening twelve minutes. This was all music to Waterford’s ears, as a Beth Carton free saw them take a two point lead coming into the tail end of the opening quarter.
A brilliant book from Rachael Walsh on the surging Katrina Mackey typified the intensity of the early Déise effort, and they were buoyed on by a very vocal travelling support.
A golden opportunity presented itself to Kirwan on 17 minutes as a long ball swept over the Cork defence into Carton, she played in the St. Anne’s attacker, who was instantly closed down by the onrushing Amy Lee - and with the goal at her mercy, she struck her effort narrowly over the bar - giving the Déise a three point advantage.
It was Carton’s turn to make the scoreboard yet again on 19 minutes - and what an incredible score it proved to be. Finding the sliotar in the middle of the field, Laura Treacy attempted to stand her up but was spun inside out before the De La Salle ace split the posts with perfection. Waterford 0-4 Cork 0-0 with 20 minutes gone.
Matthew Twomey cut a beleaguered and bewildered figure on the sideline and let his frustrations be known, as he substituted off Katie O’Mahoney and brought in the talismanic Aisling Thompson on 22 minutes.
Give or take less than 30 seconds, and Thompson left her mark on Niamh Rockett - a free in for the Déise from close range, and of course Carton made no mistake to grab her fourth point of the game.
Cork finally got off the mark when Mackey spun her way past Keeley Corbett-Barry and found the radar from distance. Found in space by Thompson, the Douglas forward was the bright spark for the Rebels in the first half.
Sorcha McCartan looked to have cut the deficit to three but HawkEye was consulted, and confirmed such to make it 5-2. A Thompson inspired Cork looked re-energised and came into the ascendancy as the half wore on.
Niamh Rockett came out the field in a more frequented search of the sliotar, as full forward Kirwan was being well shackled by the experience of Libby Coppinger.
Abby Flynn was penalised for bringing down Saoirse McCarthy, and was duly punished as Chloe Sigerson pointed an outstanding effort from distance.
Flynn redeemed herself almost instantly though, as she was found near the right flank and obliged to restore the three point cushion.
Captain Lorraine Bray made a surging run as the half drew to a close but shot wide, but it mattered little as a superb pick-up and swerving effort from Niamh Rockett right at the death made it Waterford 0-7 Cork 0-3 at the break - Derek Lyons the far happier of the opposing pair in the dugout.
Waterford began the second half as they finished the first, with a Niamh Rockett point as she was picked out again by the brilliant Bray. Mairead O’Brien then fired wide but the Déise still maintained a five point margin.
Aisling Thompson was again the heartbeat of the Rebels and she picked out Mackey who responded with her second point of the game and it was two points in quick succession as Hannah Looney picked out Cliona Healy who did likewise. All of a sudden, the gap was three again.
Abby Flynn looked as if she was carrying a knock, but her talent remained undeniable, a poor Cork ball swept up by Orla Hickey on 34 minutes and Flynn punished it with a sweet strike over her left shoulder - her second of the afternoon.
Hickey was booked for a foul on Amy O’Connor, and the St. Vincent’s star popped over the requisite free to make it 9-6 on 39 minutes.
A brilliant turnover inspired by Thompson dispossessed Lorraine Bray, and Cork worked it down the field to Fiona Keating for her first point which reduced arrears to two. Mairead O’Brien made a fantastic hook on Amy O’Connor, and soon Bray made her mark on the scoreboard having been picked out by Rockett for Waterford’s first score in 9 minutes.
With a three point lead heading into the final quarter, Waterford were under no illusions that Cork were gaining momentum. Hannah Looney was hauled down by Keeley Corbett-Barry when bearing down on goal and Amy O’Connor tapped it over for her second of the afternoon.
Brianna O’Regan was then called into action for the first time all afternoon, and she responded to the call with a great stop at her near post to deny substitute Emma Murphy a seemingly certain goal, as well as denying her the rebound.
Amy O’Connor’s third of the second half made it a one point affair going into the final ten minutes, and there was plenty of nail biting among the Déise contingent present in Dublin.
A free from Amy Lee failed to be cleared by Clara Griffin, and Saoirse McCarthy then picked out O’Connor for her fourth of the day - level for the first time on 53 minutes with the sides on ten apiece.
Emma Murphy was bright in her cameo - and the Glen Rovers forward made a telling mark when she gave Cork the lead for the first time on 57 minutes. Beth Carton looked to make the instant response, but her effort was agonisingly wide as time ran out for the Déise.
Fiona Keating picked out Sorcha McCartan seconds later for Cork’s fifth unanswered point, and all of a sudden - having dominated large parts of the game, it was Waterford up against it and in desperate need of a goal.
Three minutes of added time were announced as Waterford moved to throw the kitchen sink in search of the elusive green flag. It wasn’t forthcoming however, as another McCartan point proved the death knell for Waterford.
Amy O’Connor added a late fifth point for her own tally, before Fiona Keating notched her second - eight unanswered scores proving the difference on this occasion.
An excellent campaign comes to an end for the Déise, who will no doubt be back in Croke Park sooner rather than later.
Waterford: Brianna O’Regan; Keeley Corbett-Barry, Iona Heffernan, Mairead Power; Orla Hickey, Clodagh Carroll, Aoife Landers; Lorraine Bray, Clara Griffin; Abby Flynn, Beth Carton, Mairead O’Brien; Rachael Walsh, Roisín Kirwan, Niamh Rockett
Subs: Tara Power for Mairead O’Brien (46); Sarah Lacey for Roisin Kirwan (53)
Scorers: Beth Carton (0-4, 2f); Abby Flynn & Niamh Rockett (0-2 each); Roisin Kirwan & Lorraine Bray (0-1 each)
Cork: Amy Lee; Meabh Murphy, Libby Coppinger, Meabh Cahalane; Laura Hayes, Laura Treacy, Saoirse McCarthy; Katie O’Mahoney, Hannah Looney; Katrina Mackey, Fiona Keating, Cliona Healy; Amy O’Connor, Chloe Sigerson, Sorcha McCartan
Subs: Aisling Thompson for Katie O’Mahoney (22); Emma Murphy for Chloe Sigerson (47); Orla Cahalane for Cliona Healy (55)
Scorers: Amy O’Connor (0-5); Sorcha McCartan (0-3) Fiona Keating & Katrina Mackey (0-2 each); Cliona Healy and Chloe Sigerson (0-1 each)
Referee: Ray Kelly (Kildare)
