Róisín Leonard and Ailbhe Davoren struck crucial first half goals for the Galway ladies against Cork in the All-Ireland senior football semi-final at Glenisk O’Connor Park. Galway will now return to the final for the first time since 2019, where they will face Kerry.
Despite the impressive Katie Quirke amassing a personal tally of 0-7 for their Munster counterparts, clinical finishes from Leonard and Davoren in the 14th and 27th minutes helped Daniel Moynihan’s charges to match their male counterparts in reaching an All-Ireland SFC final.
Playing with the aid of a breeze in the first half, Galway raced two points clear inside the opening five minutes courtesy of points from Olivia Divilly (free ) and Leonard.
Yet Cork found themselves back on level terms with a brace of place-ball strikes from Quirke and subsequently edged in front when corner-forward Ava McAuliffe pointed from a tight angle on 10 minutes. However, having gone agonisingly close to raising a green flag moments earlier, Corofin ace Leonard bagged a goal from a penalty after the raiding Charlotte Cooney had been fouled by Cork defender Aoife Healy.
Shane Ronayne’s Leesiders responded to this set-back with another two-point salvo by dead-ball specialist Quirke, but following a majestic point from Leonard, Leanne Coen picked out Galway skipper Davoren for a smooth finish to the opposition net.
Although Leonard converted a tricky free on the stroke of half-time to offer the Tribeswomen a 2-4 to 0-5 interval lead, Cork brought the gap down to three on 38 minutes. This was thanks to two exceptional points from play by Bride Rovers attacker Quirke.
Divilly and Cork wing-forward Emma Cleary then proceeded to trade points, before Leonard knocked over another free off the ground to give Galway, who were measured and composed in possession throughout the second period, a four-point advantage inside the final quarter.
The reliable Leonard then brought her tally up to 1-5 with yet another place-ball effort nine minutes from time. And while Quirke and Laura O’Mahony kicked points for Cork in a tense finale, Galway held out for a hard-earned triumph in the end.
