Cork cruise into decider

WOMEN'S FOOTBALL SEMI-FINAL Cork 4-18 Tyrone 0-11 : CORK REMAIN on course for a fourth successive TG4 All-Ireland women's senior football championship crown after crushing Tyrone on Saturday to set up a final date with Ulster champions Monaghan.

The Rebelettes were in devastating form at O'Connor Park in Tullamore, running out 19-point winners, but their day finished on a low point when All Star Valerie Mulcahy was sent off with just seconds left on the clock.

Mulcahy had scored 1-5 when she was issued with a straight red card, apparently for backchat. She left the field in tears, and a four-week suspension would see her miss the September 28th decider.

Tyrone hit the game's opening score, a first-minute point from Catríona McGahan, but Cork responded in devastating fashion as three minutes later, space opened up for full forward Amy O'Shea and she crashed a superb right-footed drive past Sinéad McVey with the Tyrone cover marked absent.

Just three minutes later, Mary O'Connor appeared to be kicking for a point but her effort looped over McVey and into the corner of the net for Cork's second goal.

The Tyrone netminder was unfortunate on the stroke of half-time as Mulcahy's blistering shot cannoned off the crossbar and hit McVey's back on the way in.

Leading by 10 points at half-time, 3-8 to 0-7, Cork were home and hosed and they opened the second half with five unanswered points to move 15 clear.

Three minutes from time, Cleary scored the goal her performance deserved, but Cork will wait anxiously to discover Mulcahy's fate.

SCORERS: Cork : N Cleary 1-6, V Mulcahy 1-5 (one point free), M O'Connor 1-2, A Murphy 0-3, A O'Shea 1-0, B Corkery, D O'Reilly 0-1 each; Tyrone : G Begley 0-6 (three frees), C Donnelly 0-2, C McGahan 0-2, E Gormley 0-1.

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times