Cork 0-14
Galway 1-10
EAMONN RYAN’S CORK retained their Tesco Ladies National Football League Division 1 crown in Portlaoise on Saturday evening, as dual star Rena Buckley’s late point sealed victory in a thrilling replay.
Buckley struck from distance with two minutes remaining on the clock to secure a third successive League title for the Rebelettes, who consistently find a way to dig out a result.
Remarkably, this is Cork’s ninth League success since and including 2005, with Galway left to ponder on another big day defeat as they were denied a first Division 1 win.
The Tribeswomen will feel they missed their chance at Parnell Park a week previously but they were ahead in the 52nd minute when Annette Clarke, who missed a penalty in the first game, put over a super point.
But in a fixture that was level four times in the second half, Galway lost influential captain Geraldine Conneally to a yellow card, and the sin-bin, with nine minutes remaining.
And Cork, despite registering 14 wides, took advantage as Valerie Mulcahy’s seventh point hauled them level, before Buckley fired over the winner.
Cork led by 0-10 to 1-5 at half-time, coming from behind after Patricia Gleeson’s 26th-minute goal handed Galway a 1-5 to 0-7 advantage.
But Cork looked the better team throughout and from the start, it was clear that the Leesiders were anxious to shut down the Galway attack.
Geraldine O’Flynn was placed at full-back against Tracey Leonard, scorer of six points from play in the drawn game.
Former Footballer of the Year O’Flynn was screened by Roisín O’Sullivan, operating at centre back for Cork, and Galway found it difficult to cut through the heavy traffic.
But when they did, they picked their way through the red rearguard brilliantly for Gleeson’s goal, lashed high into the net past Martina O’Brien.
Cork’s response was immediate as Mulcahy kicked her fifth point of the half, and her second from play, to level proceedings.
Aisling Hutchings kicked her third point from play to edge Cork again before Galway went close to a second goal.
Edel Concannon’s attempted point bounced back into play and after Louise Ward beat O’Brien in an aerial duel on the rebound, Briege Corkery was on hand to sweep up the loose ball in her own goalmouth, as Galway screamed for a penalty.
Corkery was soon making her mark at the other end of the pitch, kicking the final score of the half to hand Cork a two-point half-time lead.
Leonard had opened the scoring with a free in the second minute but Cork kicked the next four scores to establish an early three-point lead.
Leonard bagged her only point of the half from play to keep Galway in touch but two quickfire points from Hutchings handed Cork their biggest lead of the half, 0-6 to 0-2.
Galway responded with three of the next four scores on offer, before Gleeson drilled home that excellent goal four minutes before the break.
Scorers for Cork: V Mulcahy 0-7 (5f), A Hutchings 0-3, R Buckley 0-2, B Corkery & E Scally 0-1 each.
Scorers for Galway: P Gleeson 1-0, T Leonard (1f) & A Clarke (1f) 0-3 each, B Hannon, L Ward, C Concannon & M Hoey 0-1 each.
CORK: M O’Brien; M Ambrose, G O’Flynn, R Phelan; V Foley, R O’Sullivan, B Stack; R Buckley, B Corkery; C O’Sullivan, A Hutchings, A Walsh; D O’Sullivan, V Mulcahy, O Finn.
Subs: E Scally for Finn (h.t.), R Ní Bhuachalla for D O’Sullivan (44), A Barrett for Ambrose (47), O Farmer for Walsh (51).
GALWAY: J Connolly; Á Seoighe, E Flaherty, S Gormally; N Ward, N Connolly, S Burke; L Ward, P Gleeson; B Hannon, A Clarke, O Divilly; G Conneally, T Leonard, C Concannon.
Subs: M Hoey for N Connolly (21), L Joyce for Concannon (49), C Cormican for Divilly (58), R Leonard for Hannon (60).
Referee: M Farrelly (Cavan).
