GAELIC GAMES/WOMEN'S SFC QUARTER-FINALS:CORK WILL meet Laois in the semi-finals of the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Senior Football Championship following their excellent come-from-behind victory over reigning champions Dublin in their quarter-final on Saturday.
The Rebels, who won the All-Ireland five times in a row from 2005 to ’09, trailed by 3-10 to 2-7 with 16 minutes left but scored seven points without reply to book their place in the semis.
It was a win that left manager Eamonn Ryan once again hailing the character of his players.
“It was an amazing victory,” he said. “We had one like that against Mayo in the semi-final the first year we won the All-Ireland when we got three late points, but today I honestly thought we were gone.
“We used up a fair bit of luck today, but the one thing I’d say in mitigation was that we were six weeks without a game. The pleasing thing was that we outlasted them because all the talk was that they’d outlast us.”
The long lay-off since the Munster final win over Kerry caught up with Cork early on, as Dublin led by 0-5 to 0-1 and 0-7 to 0-3.
However, Maireád Kelly’s 29th-minute goal kick-started Cork, who had earlier lost Valerie Mulcahy to a sin-binning, and at half-time they led by 1-6 to 0-8.
Two Dublin goals in the first two minutes of the second half, from Noelle Healy and Sinead Aherne, turned things around, though one of those was cancelled out immediately by Cork’s Rhona Ní Bhuachalla.
When Mulcahy missed a penalty and Dublin’s Lyndsey Davey goaled immediately after, the game looked up for Cork, six points down and struggling. Three from Mulcahy gave them an avenue back into things, though, and they came at Dublin in waves, eventually wearing them down, Juliet Murphy’s fifth point putting them ahead in the 57th minute for a 2-14 to 3-10 win.
On the other side of the draw, Monaghan, hugely impressive in seeing off Meath by 2-13 to 0-8 in the first game at Birr on Saturday, will play Kerry.
The Ulster champions were always in control, Niamh Kindlon and Caitríona McConnell on target early on before Therese McNally’s goal gave them a cushion.
By half-time the lead was 1-7 to 0-3, the McAnespie twins, Ciara and Aoife impressing, and despite the best efforts of Meath, the pattern continued in the second half, Caoimhe Mohan scoring a second goal to embellish a good performance.
All-Ireland semi-final draw: Cork v Laois, Monaghan v Kerry.
Hallissey's extra-time brace sees Cork take the title
Cork 1-12 Kildare 0-13:TWO extra-time points from Kevin Hallissey clinched a 16th All-Ireland junior football championship crown for Cork at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
After the Leesiders and opponents Kildare had traded points in the first period of extra-time, Éire Óg forward Hallissey kept his nerve to land points from play in the 76th and 80th minutes of an entertaining, if error-strewn, encounter.
Cork recovered from falling 0-2 to 0-7 behind in the first half with a crucial 1-1 before the break.
Full-forward Andrew O’Brien scored a 28th minute goal that ended an 18-minute barren spell on the scoreboard for the winners.
Kildare’s Tommy Moolick sent the game into extra-time with a 59th minute point, before captain Ciarán Kelly sent an injury-time effort wide of the posts.
The Lilywhites, appearing in their first All-Ireland JFC final since 1970, finished with a tally of 14 wides. Cork were even more profligate with a total of 19 wides.
Cork kicked the opening two scores of the match but Kildare reeled off seven unanswered points during an impressive 11-minute spell to gain firm control on proceedings.
But Cork’s response before the break was absolutely crucial and kept them in touch at the midway point, trailing by just a single point, 1-3 to 0-7.
CORK: T O’Connor; E Wiseman, O O’Mahony, K Harrington; S Kiely (0-1), R O’Sullivan, AJ O’Connor; A O’Sullivan (0-1), D O’Donovan (0-1, 45); T Clancy, C Keane, B Coughlan; K Hallissey (0-5, 0-1 free), A O’Brien (1-0), L Shorten (0-4, 0-2 frees). Subs: B Daly for O’Mahony (37 mins), M Dilworth for Keane (43 mins), P Gayer for O’Connor (51 mins), C Keane for Dilworth (70 mins), P Daley for Clancy (70+3 mins), AJ O’Connor for O’Sullivan (77 mins).
KILDARE: R Eyres; D McEvoy, K Fitzpatrick, R Walsh (0-1); M Kelly, J Doyle, T Archibald (0-1); P Dunne, E Carew; C Murphy (0-4, 0-1 free), T Moolick (0-1), C Kelly (0-2); D Mulhall (0-3), P Meagher, J Gately. Subs: D Campbell for Gately (44 mins), J Comerford for Kelly, J Lambe for Meagher (both 50 mins), E Hyland for Mulhall (55 mins), M Fitzharris (0-1) for Carew (60+2 mins), C Bolton for Lambe, P Meagher for Archibald (both 60 mins), E Carew for Murphy (70 mins), D Mulhall for Campbell (78 mins), D Barker for Doyle (79 mins).
Referee: D O’Mahoney (Tipperary).
