Cork 4-8

Meath 2-12

GER McCARTHY REPORTS

IT wasn’t the target at the outset of the campaign, but Cork are now planning for the Lidl NFL Division 1 decider after securing their final spot with one game to spare.

The Rebels, in their first season back in the top tier, will meet Galway in the league final.

The two counties promoted from Division 2 will face off in the Division 1 final on Saturday, April 11th. Both Cork and Galway rubber-stamped their league final berths with hard-earned victories, the Rebels seeing off Meath to remain undefeated.

Joe Carroll’s in-form side made it five wins and a draw from six outings by besting Meath, while Galway had six points to spare over Dublin on the same afternoon.

Beara’s Áine Terry O’Sullivan (1-3) and Bride Rovers’ Katie Quirke (2-2) provided the bulk of the Rebels' scoring in a four-point victory. That result confirmed Cork’s league final berth with a game to spare, ahead of their trip to Dublin this weekend.

‘Áine Terry’s great inside – she’s such a lovely  kicker of the ball and has good awareness. She has that experience,’ Cork selector Valerie Mulcahy said.

From a West Cork perspective, Dohenys’ Melissa Duggan started and finished at corner-back. Kinsale’s Kate Redmond, Clonakilty’s Siobhán Callanan and Ilen Rovers’ Emma Hurley were introduced in the closing minutes.

Cork boss Carroll, his management team and players deserve huge credit for cementing a league final place in their first season back in the top tier.

‘We are absolutely thrilled to be there,’ Carroll told The Southern Star.

‘I suppose we didn’t set out to be in any league final at the start of the year. Now that it has come our way, we are delighted. It is going to be a great learning curve for a very young squad.

‘The squad is gelling with every passing game. All that has come through hard work. The players have worked fierce hard since we brought them in.’

Aimee Corcoran scored a goal against Meath.

The Cork manager also took time to praise his backroom team for their off-field efforts.

‘I have been lucky to have an absolutely outstanding management team – strength and conditioning coaches, nutritionists and psychology coaches who are all new this year,’ Carroll said.

‘Along with the coaches who were here last year, they have gelled together. The players have also gelled and bought into everything we are doing.’

Cork dominated the opening quarter at MTU on Saturday, using a patient approach to prise open Meath’s defence. Áine Terry O’Sullivan twice went close to a goal, firing one shot centimetres over the crossbar and seeing a chipped effort saved by a scrambling Robyn Murray following the goalkeeper’s wayward kick-out.

O’Sullivan kicked Cork’s first three points and Aoife Healy made it 0-4 to 0-0 before Emma Duggan’s free opened Meath’s account.

The Rebels continued to press and led 1-4 to 0-1 at the end of the first quarter when Katie Quirke fired home from close range.

Having been in control, Cork allowed Meath back into the contest, with Marian Farrelly, Megan Thynne and Rachel Casserly all raising white flags. Áine Terry O’Sullivan was denied a goal by an Áine Sheridan block before Aoife Healy stretched Cork’s advantage to four.

A malfunctioning kick-out proved costly, however, as Meath capitalised on three consecutive restarts. Emma Duggan (two frees) and Rachel Casserly added scores to leave it 1-5 to 0-7 at the interval.

Duggan landed another free immediately after the restart to level matters.

Just when the game looked to be slipping from Cork’s grasp, Aimee Corcoran slalomed through and found the bottom corner after 36 minutes. Additional scores from Leah Hallihan and Katie Quirke (free) handed Cork a commanding 2-7 to 0-8 lead with less than a quarter of the game remaining.

Ciara Smyth and Quirke (free) exchanged points before the Rebels were penalised for a jersey pull in front of goal. Emma Duggan smashed the resulting close-range free to the net with ten minutes remaining.

It was anyone’s game at this stage until Cork’s forward line underlined their class in the closing minutes. First, Áine Terry O’Sullivan palmed into an empty net and then Katie Quirke finished a swift move for her second goal.

Marian Farrelly’s late goal proved a mere consolation for a Meath side still in danger of relegation to Division 2.

In contrast, Cork, who travel to Dublin this Sunday, will relish a Division 1 final appearance against old rivals Galway.

OUR STAR: Katie Quirke was in fine form but Beara’s Áine Terry O’Sullivan looked back to her best and contributed 1-3 of Cork’s winning total.

Scorers

Cork: K Quirke 2-2 (2f); Á T O’Sullivan 1-3; A Corcoran 1-0; A Healy 0-2; L Hallihan 0-1.

Meath: E Duggan 1-5 (5f); M Farrelly 1-1; M Thynne, R Casserly 0-2 each; C Smyth, Nallogly 0-1 each.

Cork: C Redmond (Glanmire); M Duggan (Dohenys), D Kiniry (Lisgoold), S Kelly (Araglen Desmonds Buí); A Corcoran (Erin’s Own), S McGoldrick (Éire Óg), R Corkery (Naomh Abán); A Healy (St Colman’s), A O’Mahony (Glanmire); R Leahy (Aghada), G Ní Mhurchú (Naomh Abán), E Cleary (Éire Óg); Á T O’Sullivan (Beara), K Quirke (Bride Rovers), L Hallihan (Bride Rovers).

Subs: C Hughes (St Val’s) for D Kiniry (33), R O’Regan (Carrigaline) for L Hallihan (52), K Redmond (Kinsale) for G Ní Mhurchú (52), S Callanan (Clonakilty) for R Corkery (57), A Ring (Aghada) for Á T O’Sullivan (57), E Hurley (Ilen Rovers) for R Leahy (60), C McCarthy (St Val’s) for K Quirke (62).

Meath: R Murray; K Kealy, Á Sheridan, A Farrell; C Lawlor, O Gore, K Bermingham; O Sheehy, M Thynne; M Farrelly, C Smyth, N Gallogly; E Duggan, L Woods, R Casserly.

Subs: M Byrne for L Woods (41), S Murphy for R Casserly (41), M K Lynch for O Gore (42), C Millington for C Lawlor (47), O Finnegan for O Sheehy (47), Ó Smith for A Farrell (51).

Referee: S Mulvihill (Kerry).