TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Football Senior Quarter-Final – Cork 1-19 Dublin 2-12

Cork defeated Dublin by 1-19 to 2-12 in the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Football Senior Quarter-Final on Saturday August 24th at Birr.

Cork 1-19 Dublin 2-12

Report from the RTE GAA web site

Eamonn Ryan’s Cork produced a remarkable comeback against Dublin to book their place in the semi-finals of the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Senior Football Championship with a 1-19 to 2-12 victory. Dublin looked on course for a landmark win over Cork in the second half as they led by 2-12 to 0-9. But after Sinead Aherne popped over a point to put the Sky Blues nine points in front, they would not score again for the remainder of the game.

Instead, All-Ireland champions Cork ran riot with a run of 1-10 without reply in the final twenty minutes to clinch a sensational four-point win. This was another bitter defeat for Dublin at the hands of Cork, and reminiscent of the 2011 quarter-final meeting between the sides at the same venue, St Brendan’s Park in Birr. Two years ago, Cork came with a run of seven unanswered points to edge past their big city rivals but this latest comeback was even more noteworthy because the Leesiders looked dead and buried in the second half. Dublin were rampant against a Cork side that had lost twice to Kerry in the Munster championship, before stuttering past Armagh in the qualifiers.

But Dublin, who had not played a competitive game since the Leinster final six weeks previously, ran out of steam as Cork came on strong. Powered forward by player of the match Juliet Murphy, the beaten Munster finalists grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck. Points from top scorer Valerie Mulcahy, hard-working forward Nollaig Cleary and Murphy got the ball rolling for Cork before sub Rhona Ní Bhuachalla banged home a 44th minute goal to put the cat among the pigeons.

Two further points from Mulcahy (one free) and Nollaig Cleary hauled Cork level at 1-15 to 2-12 and all of the momentum was with them at the Offaly venue. Cork, winners of seven of the last eight All-Ireland titles, sensed Dublin’s vulnerability and kicked for home with further points from Mulcahy, magnificent wing-back Geraldine O’Flynn, Mulcahy again and Ciara O’Sullivan. And Dublin were left to reflect on another heartbreaking reverse against Cork. It had all looked so good for Paul Gilheaney’s charges as the 15-8 pre-match underdogs led by 1-8 to 0-7 at half-time.

Lindsey Davey scored the tenth minute goal and when opposite corner forward Lindsey Peat netted five minutes after half-time, it all looked so good for Dublin. But Cork are not champions for nothing and surely this victory ranks up there with some of the finest performances produced during Ryan’s glory-filled reign.

Cork: M O’Brien; A.M. Walsh, B Stack, D O’Reilly; B Corkery, R Buckley, G O’Flynn; J Murphy, Angela Walsh; N Cleary, C O’Sullivan, Annie Walsh; V Mulcahy, D O’Sullivan, O Finn.

Subs: R Ní Bhuachalla for Finn (h.t.), O Farmer for Annie Walsh (HT), A Barrett for A.M. Walsh (53).

Scorers for Cork: V Mulcahy 0-8 (5f), R Ní Bhuachalla 1-0, D O’Sullivan 0-3, N Cleary 0-3, G O’Flynn 0-2 (1f), C O’Sullivan 0-2, J Murphy 0-1.

Dublin: C O’Connor; C Ruddy, S McGrath, L Caffrey; M Byrne, S Goldrick, S Finnegan; D Masterson, N McEvoy; K Flood, A McGuinness, N Healy; L Peat, S Aherne, L Davey.

Subs: N Hyland for Flood (44), O Egan for Masterson (48), E Kelly for Peat (54), D Murphy for McEvoy (54), C Ruddy for Healy (57).

Scorers for Dublin: S Aherne 0-7 (5f), L Davey & L Peat 1-0 each, N Healy 0-2, A McGuinness, N McEvoy & S Goldrick 0-1 each.

Match Preview

TG4 All-Ireland Ladies SFC quarter-final preview

Compiled by Jackie Cahill

Cork v Dublin – St Brendan’s Park, Birr – 2.15pm.

CORK and Dublin meet again in the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies SFC quarter-finals, following a titanic tussle in 2011. Dublin were All-Ireland champions then but Cork came with a run of seven unanswered points to claim a 2-14 to 3-10 victory.

Dublin haven’t forgotten that defeat and the two sides return to the same venue, St Brendan’s Park in Birr, for an intriguing rematch this afternoon. Dublin appear more settled after a difficult 2012 campaign and the vibes coming from their camp suggest that they are ready. The worry from a Dublin perspective is that they haven’t had a game for six weeks but Cork have already lost to Kerry twice in the championship and the Rebelettes stuttered past Armagh last time out. Extra-time could be needed to separate the big city rivals but the Sky Blues get a tentative nod to end Cork’s reign as champions.

Betting: Cork 1/2 Draw 9/1 Dublin 15/8

Verdict: Dublin