Noonan double gives Cork 13th TG4 Munster Senior Crown

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TG4 MUNSTER LADIES SFC FINAL

Cork 2-14

Waterford 0-9

By Tomás McCarthy

Cork’s super sub could prove Cork’s super starter in 2019. Full forward Saoirse Noonan fired 2-3 from play in Fraher Field as the Rebelettes captured back-to-back TG4 Munster Ladies SFC titles and their 13th in total.

The Nemo Rangers star netted six championship goals off the bench last summer but her claims for a starting berth are becoming hard for Ephie Fitzgerald to ignore. She shot 1-2 against Kerry in the previous round and was Cork’s go-to forward again in a convincing final win. Melissa Duggan, Aishling Hutchings, Daire Kiely, Niamh Cotter and Orla Finn also featured prominently for the victors.

Waterford started brightly but rued two missed goal chances from Katie Murray in either half. Maria Delahunty sent over five points while Karen McGrath and Mairead Wall were strong at the back.

The home side, who haven’t won a provincial title since 2002, played with a stiff wind at first and Maria Delahunty kicked their opener after just 45 seconds. Michelle Ryan then flicked over a Delahunty free, while Niamh Cotter got Cork off the mark in the fifth minute before Orla Finn levelled from a free. Chloe Fennell and Kelly Ann Hogan restored Waterford’s two-point advantage.

Waterford manager Ciaran Curran packed 12 players inside their 45 to curtail Cork and it paid off when Karen McGrath made a vital intercept as Saoirse Noonan advanced on goal. The Rebelettes broke through the blanket on the quarter hour however, as Aishling Hutchings put Noonan in the clear and she slipped the ball past Rosie Landers for a 1-2 to 0-4 advantage.

A Delahunty double edged the Déise county back in front, before Delahunty then sent Katie Murray in one on one with Martina O’Brien but she blazed over the bar, which kept Waterford a point ahead.

Cork’s deadly inside duo ensured a narrow half-time lead though. Noonan set up Finn to level matters for the fourth time. Then Noonan shrugged off two Waterford backs to increase her tally to 1-1. It was then Daire Kiely’s turn to capitalise from a Cork counter attack to make it 1-6 to 0-7 at the break.

Finn, Noonan and Cotter extended Cork’s lead to five, four minutes into the second period. At the other end, Katie Murray struck the post with the goal at her mercy. The shot crashed off the inside of the post and somehow stayed out.

On 41 minutes, a slick passing move involving Cotter and Libby Coppinger was palmed to the net by the unmarked Noonan, which put Cork 2-11 to 0-7 ahead.

Finn, Ciara O’Sullivan and Noonan put the icing on the cake and a couple of late frees from Delahunty only softened Cork’s winning margin.

Scorers – Cork: S Noonan 2-3, O Finn 0-4 (2f), D Kiely 0-2, N Cotter 0-2, E Kiely 0-1, C O’Sullivan 0-1, L Coppinger 0-1.

Waterford: M Delahunty 0-5 (3f), K Murray 0-1, KA Hogan 0-1, C Fennell 0-1, M Ryan 0-1.

Cork: M O’Brien; H Looney, E Meaney, M Duggan; S Kelly, A Hutchings, E Kiely; N Cotter, O Farmer; C O’Sullivan, E Scally, D Kiely; L Coppinger, S Noonan, O Finn.

Subs: M O’Callaghan for Farmer (h-t), A O’Sullivan for Cotter (43), E Spillane for D Kiely (43), R Ní Bhuachalla for Coppinger (45) C O’Shea for Kelly (55).

Waterford: R Landers; Kate McGrath, C McGrath, M Wall; R Tobin, Karen McGrath, S Dunphy; E Murray, K Murray; K.A. Hogan, C Fennell, M Delahunty; E Fennell, M Ryan, A Wall.

Subs: L McGregor for E Fennell (44), B Valuntaite for Tobin (53).

Referee: S Mulvihill (Kerry).

This weekends Inter County Fixtures

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We wish our County teams who are in action this weekend the very best of luck
  1. Cork U21 team v Kerry tomorrow, Friday, 14th June in Glenflesk at 7:30pm
  2. Cork U14 team in the U14 All Ireland semi final v Kildare in Sean Treacy Park, Tipperary Town on Saturday, 15th June at 2:45pm
  3. Cork Senior team in the Munster Senior Final v Waterford in Fraher Park, Dungarvan on Sunday, 16th June at 6:30pm

Best wishes for exams and some tips

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Some basic tips

  1. Get plenty of rest and relax for an hour after studying before going to sleep.
  2. Eat a good breakfast and take plenty of fluids.
  3. Arrive at least 30 mins before exam time.
  4. Read through the paper a couple of times to ensure you are answering the question correctly.
  5. Manage your time around each question.
  6. Once exam is over don’t dwell on how you have done, move your focus to the next exam.
  7. Remember don’t panic and we look forward to welcoming you back after the exams.

 

Cork Teacher and Wellbeing Expert Alan White gives his Top Tips

https://www.rsvplive.ie/life/leaving-cert-exam-tips-teacher-16251923

 

Clinical Cork ease past Kerry

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Cork 3-16

Kerry 0-9

By Rory Noonan

CORK EASED PAST Kerry to reach the TG4 Munster senior ladies football final in a game they controlled from start to finish at Pairc Ui Rinn.

Kerry battled gamely early on and defended well but it was clear from the early stages that they had a battle on their hands.

And once Cork got their first goal after 26 minutes Kerry had to commit more to attack but it the home side who dominated and pulled away to score 3-10 in the second-half.

Scores were hard to come by early on as both defences were on top and the opening point didn’t come until the 14th minute when Cork’s Orla Finn pointed a free.

It was a slow start to the tie, with the first score coming 14 minutes in when Orla Finn pointed from a free.

Cork had a goal chance just before that opening score when Eimear Scally played in Saoirse Noonan, but her effort went narrowly wide. Finn, Cork’s only points scorer in the opening half, added a second point in the 17th minute with Kerry packing out their defence.

The first point from play came in the 19th minute when Finn was on target again and she got her fourth, to make it 0-4 to 0-0 with 22 minutes gone.

Kerry eventually got off the mark a minute later when Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh pointed from a free for what was their only score of the half. Finn added another free before Cork got their first goal with Noonan starting and finishing the move.

She played the ball to Scally who then played Finn in, but her effort hit the post. Noonan was quickest to react to the breaking ball as Cork now led 1-5 to 0-1.

On the stroke of half-time Finn got her sixth point to see her side lead 1-6 to 0-1 at half-time, leaving Kerry with an uphill task after the break. Finn and Noonan increased Cork’s lead with Aoife O’Callaghan replying for Kerry.

And 42 minutes gone Cork got their second goal, when Libby Coppinger caught a long ball in from Ciara O’Sullivan to turn and blast to the back of the net to make it 2-9 to 0-3.

Rhona Ni Bhuachalla, Finn and Aine O’Sullivan all pointed for Cork, with Ní Mhuircheartaigh replying for Kerry. With time running out Cork led 2-16 to 0-9, but they weren’t finished yet.

In the last minute a superbly worked move, involving several players, saw O’Sullivan get their third goal to round off an easy win for Cork. 

Scorers – Cork: O Finn 0-9 (7f), S Noonan 1-2, L Coppinger, A O’Sullivan 1-1 each, R Ni Bhuachalla 0-2, E Kiely 0-1.

Kerry: L Ní Mhuircheartaigh 0-5 (5f), A O’Callaghan 0-2, N Carmody, L Scanlon 0-1 each.

CORK: M O’Brien; C O’Shea, E Meaney, M Duggan; S Kelly, A Hutchings, E Kiely; O Farmer, M O’Callaghan; C O’Sullivan, N Cotter, D Kiely; E Scally, S Noonan, O Finn.

Subs: L Coppinger for D Kiely (ht), H Looney for C O’Shea (39), R Ni Bhucahalla for S Noonan (45), A O’Sullivan for N Cotter (47), L O’Mahony for O Farmer (52).

KERRY: L Fitzgerald; T Breen, L Coughlan, C O’Brien; K Cronin, A O’Connell, C Murphy; L Scanlon, N Carmody; S Houlihan, A Brosnan, A Galvin; L Ní Mhuircheartaigh, B Ryan, A Foley.

Subs: A O’Callaghan for A Galvin (ht), A O’Reilly for B Ryan (49), M O’Keeffe for A Brosnan (57).

Ref – John Murphy (Tipperary).