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Galway 2-7
Cork 0-10
By Daire Walsh
Róisín Leonard and Ailbhe Davoren scored crucial first-half goals to give Galway a semi-final win over Cork at Glenisk O’Connor Park and a return to the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final for the first time since 2019.
Despite a fine performance from Katie Quirke, who recorded a personal record of 0-7 for Munster, fine strikes from Leonard and Davoren in the 14th and 27th minutes helped Daniel Moynihan’s men tie the men’s record and advance to the All-Ireland SFC final – where they will face the winner of Kerry and Armagh in the second match at Tullamore today.
In the first half, Galway played with ease and went two points ahead within the first five minutes thanks to goals from Olivia Diverley (penalty) and Leonard. However, Cork equalised with two set-pieces from Quick, before taking the lead in the 10th minute when cornerback Ava McAuliffe fired in from a tight angle.
However, having just narrowly avoided a penalty, Cork ace Leonard scored from the spot after the onrushing Charlotte Cooney was fouled by Cork defender Effie Healy.
Shane Ronayne’s Leesiders responded to the setback with another two-point effort from dead-ball specialist Quirke, but after Leonard’s fine finish, Leanne Coen picked out Galway captain Davoren and slotted the ball smoothly into the opposition net.
Although Leonard helped the Cork Tribes Ladies to lead 2-4 to 0-5 with a clever penalty before half-time, Bride Rovers attacker Quick reduced the deficit to three points with two points in the 38th minute.
Diverley and Cork winger Emma Cleary then exchanged points before Leonard converted a penalty to give Galway, who had played a solid and composed second quarter, a four-point lead going into the final quarter.
With nine minutes remaining, the reliable Leonard scored another set-piece to make it 1-5. In a tense final, Quirke and Laura O’Mahony scored three points for Cork as Galway ultimately won a hard-earned victory.
Scorers – Galway: R Leonard 1-5 (1-0 pts, 0-3f ), A Davoren 1-0, O Diverley 0-2 (2f ).
Cork: K Quirke 0-7 (4f), E Cleary, L O’Mahony, A McAuliffe 0-1 each.
Galway: D Gower; M Jordan, S Lynch, K Gellar; A Ní Cheallaigh, N Ward, C Cooney; M Green, A Davoren; O Diviley, L Ward, N Diviley; A Morrissey, L Cohen, R Leonard. Subs: E Rennie for Morrissey (44), S Hynes for Ní Cheallaigh (47), M Walsh for Green, A Terrill 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 Quick, R Healy. Subs: H Rooney 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).
Referee: Kevin Phelan (Laois).
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