RÓISÍN LEONARD AND Ailbhe Davoren struck the crucial first half goals at O’Connor Park as Galway returned to a All-Ireland final for the first time since 2019 with a victory over Cork.
Despite the impressive Katie Quirke amassing a tally of 0-7 for their Munster counterparts, clinical finishes from Leonard and Davoren in the 14th and 27th minutes helped Daniel Moynihan’s charges to match their male counterparts in reaching an All-Ireland final — which in their case will be against the winners of today’s second game between Kerry and Armagh in the Tullamore venue.
Playing with the aid of a breeze in the first half, Galway raced two points clear inside the opening five minutes courtesy of points from Olivia Divilly (free) and Leonard. Yet Cork found themselves back on level terms with a brace of place-ball strikes from Quirke and edged in front when corner-forward Ava McAuliffe pointed at a tight angle on 10 minutes.
However, having gone agonisingly close to raising a green flag moments earlier, Corofin ace Leonard bagged a goal from a penalty after the raiding Charlotte Cooney had been fouled by Cork defender Aoife Healy.
Shane Ronayne’s Leesiders responded to this set-back with another two-point salvo by dead-ball specialist Quirke, but following a majestic point from Leonard, Leanne Coen picked out Galway skipper Davoren for a smooth finish to the opposition net.
Although Leonard converted a tricky free on the stroke of half-time to offer the Tribeswomen a 2-4 to 0-5 interval lead, Cork brought the gap down to three on 38 minutes thanks to two exceptional points from play by Bride Rovers attacker Quirke.
Divilly and Cork wing-forward Emma Cleary then proceeded to trade points, before Leonard knocked over another free off the ground to give Galway, who were measured and composed in possession throughout the second period, a four-point advantage inside the final quarter.
The reliable Leonard then brought her tally up to 1-5 with yet another place-ball effort nine minutes from time and while Quirke and Laura O’Mahony kicked points for Cork in a tense finale, Galway held out for a hard-earned triumph in the end.
Scorers for Galway: R Leonard 1-5 (1-0 pen, 0-3f), A Davoren 1-0, O Divilly 0-2 (2f).
Scorers for Cork: K Quirke 0-7 (4f), E Cleary, L O’Mahony, A McAuliffe 0-1 each.
GALWAY: D Gower; M Jordan, S Lynch, K Geraghty; A Ní Cheallaigh, N Ward, C Cooney; M Glynn, A Davoren; O Divilly, L Ward, N Divilly; A Morrissey, L Coen, R Leonard. Subs: E Reaney for Morrissey (44), S Hynes for Ní Cheallaigh (47), M Walsh for Glynn, A Trill for Leonard (both 53).
CORK: S Murphy; M Duggan, S Kelly, S Leahy; A Healy, S Cronin, D Kiely; M O’Callaghan, A O’Mahony; E Cleary, L O’Mahony, A McDonagh; A McAuliffe, K Quirke, R Leahy. Subs: H Looney for R Leahy (24), E Kiely for McAuliffe (37), A Ryan for A O’Mahony (44), L McDonagh for A McDonagh (47), S McGoldrick for Healy (50).
Ref: Kevin Phelan (Laois).
Written by Daire Walsh and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
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