Cork book final date with Kerry

ALL-IRELAND LADIES SFC Cork 2-15 Monaghan 0-12:CORK ADVANCED to an All-Ireland final meeting with neighbours Kerry with a well deserved victory at St Brendan's Park, Birr, on Saturday.

As manager Eamonn Ryan said, his players love a challenge – and Monaghan’s league final win proved a good motivation.

Ryan reflected: “The league final was a factor in that obviously when you’re beaten, the doubts set in that you’re on the way down and Monaghan are an up and coming team. That was a huge challenge – to meet that head on, and we did. That was very satisfying.”

Cork led 1-9 to 0-6 at half-time and it was a devastating scoring blitz before the break that put the holders in a real comfort zone.

Monaghan, with the aid of the breeze in the first half, led by 0-5 to 0-4 in the 18th minute but Cork went on a run of 1-5 without reply to cruise into a seven-point lead, with Rhona Ní Bhuachalla netting eight minutes before the break.

Monaghan opened the second half with three unanswered points to reduce the deficit to just three points but Cork hit back with three successive scores of their own and from there on they kept Monaghan comfortably at arm’s length.

Gallant Monaghan’s faint hopes of a comeback were snuffed out when Nollaig Cleary pounced from close range for Cork’s second goal.

CORK: E Harte; AM Walsh, B Stack, D O'Reilly; B Corkery (0-2), R Buckley, G O'Flynn; J Murphy (0-4, 0-2 frees), N Kelly; O Farmer, C O'Sullivan, D O'Sullivan; N Cleary (1-2), V Mulcahy (0-5, 0-3 frees), R Ní Bhuachalla (1-0). Subs: L McMahon for Farmer (42 mins), O Finn (0-2) for Ní Bhuachalla (50 mins), Angela Walsh for C O'Sullivan (51 mins), A Hutchings for Kelly (54 mins), Annie Walsh for Cleary (58 mins).

MONAGHAN: L Martin; G McNally, S Courtney, C Reilly; T McNally, N Fahy, A McAnespie; A Casey, E McElroy; C McAnespie (0-1), L McEnaney (0-1), C Mohan (0-1); C McConnell (0-4, 0-2 frees), N Kindlon (0-4, frees), C Courtney. Subs: E McCarron (0-1) for McElroy (25 mins).

Referee: J Niland(Sligo).