The Galway Senior Camogie ended Cork’s unbeaten run in Division 1A of the Very Camogie League with a 1-11 to 1-10 win in Páric Uí Chaoimh on Sunday.
With Tipperary having lost to Kilkenny on Saturday, holders Galway needed a win or a draw against Cork to secure their place in the League final. And in a close contest throughout, Galway made it over the line in their bid to make back-to-back league titles, helped by strong performances in defence by Dervla Higgins and Rachael Hanniffy, and the experience of Galway’s top scorer in the league to date, Carrie Dolan, and Ailish O’Reilly.
Dolan started Galway's tally with an opening free in the fourth minute before Amy O’Connor replied with a point from play, before a second Dolan free and O’Reilly point was answered by Sorcha McCartan with a well-taken score from play from the reset.
Galway then struck three points without reply through Dolan before the Cork defence got on top scoring the final four points through Saoirse McCarthy and Amy O’Connor to bring the sides level at half-time.
Galway needed a big second-half performance, but it was Cork's Fiona Keating who struck first to give them the lead for the first time.
However, hard-working Shannon Corcoran scored Galway’s first score in 19 minutes with a well-taken point from play before McCartan and Dolan swapped frees to leave the sides deadlocked.
A well-worked short puck out from Cork found Méabh Cahalane, who delivered a superb ball into Emma Murphy and she made no mistake in sticking the ball into the back of the Galway net and to give Cork a three point lead.
Galway, looking rattled, needed a big finish, and on the 48th minute, Galway got the break they needed. When a ball was dropped short into Molly Lynch in the Cork goal, her touch let her down, and O’Reilly managed to block the clearance before striking the ball to the back of the Cork net.
The sides remained level after Dolan and Cliona Healy exchanged scores, but Galway battled hard and were rewarded with two Dolan frees. Cork answered with one from Chloe Sigerson, but it was too late to halt Galway's progress into the league final on the April 15/16 where these two protagonists meet again.
GALWAY: F Ryan; S Healy, R Black, D Higgins; K A Porter, E Helebert, R Hanniffy; A Donoghue, C Hickey; S Rabbitte, C Dolan, N Hanniffy; S Corcoran, A O’Reilly, A Keane. Subs: S Gardiner for C Hickey (h-t ), N McPeake for S Corcoran (49 ), J Hughes for S Rabbitte (63 ).
CORK: M Lynch; A O’Neill, L Coppinger, M Cahalane; H Looney, L Tracey, I O’Regan; S McCarthy, L Hayes; S McCartan, F Keating, E Murphy; A O’Connor C Finn, C Healy. Subs: O Cronin for C Finn (43 ), H Ryan for E Murphy (45 ), C Sigerson for L Hayes (51 ), M Murphy for A O’Neill (54 ).
Referee: Liz Dempsey (Kilkenny ).
