Cork 2-17
Tipperary 0-10
HOLDERS CORK SET up a rematch of last year’s All-Ireland decider against Kilkenny in the last four in a fortnight’s time thanks to a convincing victory over Munster rivals Tipperary on away soil of Semple Stadium this afternoon.
Despite a large turnover of players this season, the Rebels maintained their impressive record in the competition that has seen them contest 15 of the last 20 All-Ireland finals by completing a provincial and All-Ireland championship double over their hosts.
While the final margin was eventually 13 points, Cork certainly didn’t have it all their own way after Tipperary stormed into a 0-6 to 0-1 lead by the end of the opening quarter.
With free-taker Cait Devane in accurate form, the home side blitzed their opponents early on but ultimately wouldn’t be able to maintain that intensity as the defending champions inevitably rallied.
With Orla Cotter and Julia White leading the way, Cork set about toppling Tipperary’s advantage, finally cutting it to just the minimum by the 21st minute.
Devane kept the home side in front, however, until Cork fired the opening goal of the game in timely fashion just before the break when Katriona Mackey cut in from the left corner before offloading to Amy O’Connor to billow the net at 1-6 to 0-8.
Tipperary’s best chance of redemption came in the opening minute of the new half when Cait Devane cleverly teed up the ball for the overlapping Caoimhe Maher, only to see her shot come off the head of goalkeeper Aoife Murray for a ’45 that Devane would convert.
That miss would be fully magnified only three minutes later when Mackey raided for Cork’s second goal down the other end to push 2-7 to 0-9 clear.
Cork would never look back from that juncture as they would outscore their opponents by 0-10 to 0-01 for the remainder of the tie, helped by the dismissal of Tipperary’s Brid Quinn in the 40th minute.
Briege Corkery and Mackey picked off some excellent scores while captain Ashling Thompson swept up at the back as Cork could afford to loose Gemma O’Connor to a second yellow and still finish strongly in front of the Kilkenny management.
Scorers for Cork: Katriona Mackey 1-4; Amy O’Connor 1-2; Orla Cotter 0-4 (1f); Julia White, Orla Cronin, Briege Corkery 0-2 each; Ashling Thompson 0-1
Scorers for Tipperary: Cait Devane 0-7 (6f, 1’45); Gemma Grace, Megan Ryan, Mairead Teehan 0-1 each
Cork
1. Aoife Murray (Cloughduv)
4. Leanne O’Sullivan (Glen Rovers)
3. Laura Treacy (Killeagh)
17. Maria Walsh (Milford)
7. Maebh Cahalane (St Finbarr’s)
6. Gemma O’Connor (St Finbarr’s)
2. Pamela Mackey (Douglas)
9. Ashling Thompson (Milford)
10. Orla Cotter (St Catherine’s)
24. Julia White (Douglas)
11. Orla Cronin (Enniskeane)
12. Hannah Looney (Killeagh)
15. Katriona Mackey (Douglas)
13. Briege Corkery (Cloughduv)
14. Amy O’Connor (St Vincent’s)
Sub
27. Jennifer Hosford (Glen Rovers) for Cronin (59)
Tipperary
1. Orla McEniry (Cahir)
4. Louise McLoughlin (Silvermines)
3. Anne Eviston (Drom & Inch)
2. Ciannait Walsh (Éire Óg Annacarthy)
5. Aoife McGrath (Drom & Inch)
6. Mary Ryan (Moneygall)
7. Brid Quinn (Silvermines)
8. Caoimhe Maher (Burgess/Duharra)
9. Julie Ann Bourke (Toomevara)
12. Gemma Grace (Burgess/Duharra)
11. Megan Ryan (St Cronan’s)
10. Mairead Teehan (Moneygall)
13. Sarah Fryday (Clonoulty-Rossmore)
14. Cait Devane (Clonoulty-Rossmore)
15. Nicole Walsh (Borrisoleigh)
Subs
17. Roisin Cahill (Kilruane McDonaghs) for Maher (36)
23. Keely Lenihan (Newport) for Bourke (36)
19. Ereena Fryday (Clonoulty-Rossmore) for S. Fryday (40)
30. Joanne Ryan (Drom & Inch) for Walsh (43)
25. Shauna Quirke (Éire Óg Annacarthy) for Grace (56)
Referee: Ray Kelly (Kildare)