Cork 0-16
Kerry 0-8

by Dan Kearney

Katie Quirke struck 0-10 as a rampant Cork outfit made short work of Kerry, winning by double scores in this fourth round Lidl Division 1 encounter at a windswept and bitterly cold Austin Stack Park in Tralee.

Kerry made five changes to the side that defeated Meath in the previous round with long term injury victim Cáit Lynch a significant loss to the side. Cork made two changes to the side that defeated Armagh in the last round and set about their business with intent.

Cork played with the aid of the strong breeze in the first half and certainly made the advantage count as they dominated proceedings and took a 0-14 to 0-0 lead in at half time.

Quirke slotted nine of Cork’s opening half points, with a magnificent three from play as she tormented an overworked Kerry defence whilst Aimee Corcoran, Grace Ní Mhurchú, Leah Hallahan and Sadbh McGoldrick all found the target as Cork totally dismantled the home side’s kickouts.

Kerry’s cause wasn’t helped by the sin-binning of Kellie McGrath in the tenth minute or the concession of three frees due to breaches, with Cork punishing two of them on the scoreboard.

Although Kerry failed to score, they will also point to three missed goal chances with Cork custodian Sarah Murphy making two fine saves from Rachel Dwyer and Kelly Enright, and Mary O’Connell very unlucky to rattle the post in the 25th minute, but it was Cork who took a 14 point lead in at the break.

Kerry, with the wind at their backs in the second period outscored their opponents by 0-8 to 0-2 with Danielle O’Leary and Siofra O’Shea landing notable two-pointers, but in truth Cork were never threatened with Emma Cleary and the brilliant Quirke getting their scores.

O’Shea had a brace of scores at the start of the second half and further scores from the hard working Niamh Ní Chonchúir and Anna Galvin kept the home side ticking over but it was Cork who remain unbeaten in this season’s campaign whilst Kerry must go back to the drawing board.

Cork face Waterford next weekend and Kerry face Galway.

Scorers - Cork: K Quirke 0-10 (6f), G Ní Mhurchú 0-1, L Hallahan 0-1, R O’Regan 0-1, A Corcoran 0-1, S McGoldrick 0-1, E Cleary 0-1.

Kerry: S O’Shea 0-4, D O’Leary 0-2, N Ní Chonchúir 0-1, A Galvin 0-1.

CORK: S Murphy; M Duggan, D Kiniry, S Kelly; A Corcoran, S McGoldrick, R Corkery; A Healy, A O’Mahony; R Leahy, G Ní Mhurchú, E Cleary; L Hallahan, K Quirke, R O’Regan. Subs: C Hughes for G Ní Mhurchu (48), E Hurley for R Leahy (51), A Ring for L Hallahan, A O’Sullivan for R O’Regan , K Redmond for A O’Mahony (all 54), K O’Driscoll for A Corcoran, S Callanan for R Corkery (both 58).

KERRY: C Butler; E Ní Laighin, A Doherty, A Dillane; K Brosnan, E Lynch, K McGrath; M O’Connell, C Evans; M O’Connor, N Ní Chonchúir, K Enright; S O’Shea, R Dwyer, N Quinn. Subs: K Furey for A Doherty (14), D O’Leary for M O’Connor (24), A Galvin for E Lynch, J Lynch for K McGrath, J Lucey for N Quinn (all half-time), L McMahon for R Dwyer (39), M Mulvihill for C Evans (47), J Curtin for M O’Connell (57).

Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow).

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