Cork ladies footballers cruise past Laois in championship opener

Laois 1-5 Cork 6-13

Cork brushed the challenge of Laois aside in their opening group game of the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship at O’Moore Park, Portlaoise.

The Rebels were always expected to win this game and by half-time it was well and truly over as a contest as they led by 3-9 to 1-0, and it could have been more.

From start to finish they dominated and never looked in any danger.
Cork boss Shane Ronayne has opted for three changes in personnel, as Shauna Kelly, Sadhbh McGoldrick and Lydia McDonagh come in for Dara Kiniry, Sarah Leahy, and Lydia McDonagh. He also made one late change with Ava
McCauliffe starting instead of Shauna Cronin.

This was her debut for Cork, just shy of her 17th birthday, and the Midleton player showed she has much to offer Cork going forward as she scored two goals.

It’s been a tough season to date for Laois, who were relegated from Division 2 before losing all three group games in the Leinster senior championship and it got no better for them against Cork.

Cork got on top from the outset, proving successful in finding gaps in the Laois defence and securing 1-4 in the opening 10 minutes. A Katie Quirke free opened the scoring followed by Sadhbh McGoldrick raising the white flag and Emma Cleary pointing two in a row. Cork were awarded a penalty when an Eimear Barry pass went astray and was collected by

McCauliffe who was brought down in the square and Daire Kiely stepped up and found the back of the Net.

Amy McDonagh added another point for Cork while McCauliffe raised their second green flag. Mo Nerney fired home past Sarah Murphy earning Laois’ only score of the half.

Cork added four more points courtesy of Cleary, Abbie O’Mahony and Laura O’Mahony, and Quirke (free), before Quirke found their third goal of the contest in the 32nd minute of the first half to lead by 3-9 to 1-0.

In the opening 10 minutes of second half, Kiely got Cork’s 10th point and McAuliffe got her second goal while Nerney pointed a free and Aoibhe Byron kicked Laois’ first score from play. But Hannah Looney and Rachel Leahy rattled the Laois net within minutes of one another. Nerney kicked her second free and Quirke replied with her first from play.

Sisters Daire and Eimear Kiely added a further two points to their sides tally while Nerney pointed her third of the contest followed by a Katie Donoghue free for a 23-point win.

They now take on Galway next Saturday at MTU, throw-in 1pm, and if Cork win they will qualify from the group in top spot.

Scorers for Laois:


M Nerney 1-3 (0-2 f), A Byron and K Donoghue (1f) 0-1 each.

Cork:
A McCauliffe 2-0, K Quirke 1-3 (0-2 f), D Kiely 1-2 (1-0 pen), H Looney and R Leahy 1-0 each, E Cleary 0-3, L O’Mahony, A O’Mahony, A McDonagh, S McGoldrick and E Kiely 0-1 each.

LAOIS:


E Barry; S Farrelly, C Dunne, G Lalor; A Moore, M Cotter, A Gorman; K Jacob, A Moran; K Donoghue, A Fitzpatrick, L Kearney; M Nerney, E Lacey, G Moran.

Subs: C Malone for K Jacob (23), A Byron for A Fitzpatrick (h-t), A Ryle for M Cotter (42), A Cummins for G Lalor and A Walsh for L Kearney (both 50), and R Reddin for C Malone (64).

CORK: S Murphy; M Duggan, S Kelly, A Ryan; S McGoldrick, A Healy, D Kiely; M O’Callaghan, A O’Mahony; E Cleary, L O’Mahony, A McDonagh; A McCauliffe, K Quirke, R Leahy.

Subs: S Cronin for A Ryan (h-t), K Smith for A Healy and H Looney for M O’Callaghan (both 35), L Hallihan for R Leahy (45), and E Kiely for Quirke (47).

Referee:


Jonathan Murphy, Carlow.