2023 Electric Ireland All Ireland Minor Championship

Minor A: Semi Final

Galway v Cork
Date: 23 Apr 2023, 2pm
Venue: Nenagh Éire Óg
Referee: Aaron Hogg

FT: Galway 3-10 Cork 1-18

Match Report

By Sarah Gaughran, Galway Camogie PRO
The Galway minor camogie team bowed out of the Electric Ireland Minor A Championship on Sunday when they lost out to Cork in Nenagh in the All-Ireland Semi Final. It was a gallant and much improved performance from the Galway side who lost out to Cork by 7 points the Saturday before the semi-final.

Galway were clear underdogs heading into the game got the opening score of the game through an Aoibheann Barry free in the opening minute. Cork showed Galway that they had brought their shooting game when they scored the next six points without reply. Points from Caoimhe O’Donoghue, Amy Sheppard (2), Eimear Duignan, Ciara Morrison and Ellen Crowley left Cork 0-6 to 0-1 ahead after 13 minutes. Galway looked like they were in serious trouble, and they needed to stop the Cork scoring spree. On the 14th minute, Kayla Madden found the back of the Cork net to reduce the deficit for Galway while also giving them a score they desperately needed. But Cork hit back a minute later when full forward Emily O’Donoghue hit the back of the Galway net to restore their five-point lead. Caoimhe O’Donoghue, Emily O’Donoghue and Niamh McNabola continued to extend Cork’s lead as they hit a point each between the 16th and 22nd minutes. On the 23rd minute Barry got her second score of the day with a well taken score from play. Barry, who was Galway’s top scorer for the championship, took on the Cork defence a minute later while also finding the back of the Cork net in the process to give Galway their second major of the day. Cork responded well to the goal again with points from Emily O’Donoghue through a free and Caoimhe O’Donoghue from play. Galway did have the final say on the half however with a free from Barry and a Madden point to leave it 1-11 to 2-4 in favour of Cork heading into the
half time break.

McNabola and Caoimhe Kelly exchanged scores inside the opening two minutes of the second half. Barry got her third point of the day through a free on the 34th minute. Then on the 36th minute, Kelly was pulled down by the Cork goalie, Chloe Lane. Lane received a yellow card while Kelly was rewarded with a penalty which she stuck past Lane in the Cork net to leave the sides level after 36 minutes. McNabola hit back for Cork with her third point of the day on the 38th minute while Barry pointed another free for Galway on the 41st minute to bring the sides level again. Cork however, got another run of scores, scoring the next four points without reply through McNabola, Emily O’Donoghue (0-2, 0-1F) and substitute Erinn Curtain to give Cork a four-point lead heading into the final few minutes of the game. Barry got Galway’s first score in sixteen minutes when she slotted over a point for Galway on the 57th minute. Orlaith Cremin replied for Cork with a well taken score from play. Galway had the final say of the game when Barry pointed two more free’s for the tribeswomen, but it was too little too late for the Galway girls as they hopes of making the All-Ireland final came to an end.

While it was not the result that the Galway girls were looking for, they should be very proud of the efforts. It was no easy task to come out and face Cork, the reigning champions, twice in the space of 8 days. For Galway, Ava Crowe, Katie Scully, Aoibheann Barry and Síofra Kelly were some of their standout performers while for Cork, Orlaith Cremin, Eimear Duignan, Caoimhe O’Donohue, Emily O’Donoghue and Niamh McNabola were some of Cork’s top performers on the day. While it is the end of the road for the minor team, we will look forward to seeing some of these players lining out with the county Senior and
Intermediate teams in the near future.

GALWAY: C Hickey; S Kelly, A Crowe, K Scully; G Leen, Z Rodgers, C McGrath, C Glynn, A Collins; A Barry (1-8, 0-6F), K Madden (1-1) C O’Meara; K Coleman, A Massey, C Kelly (1-1. 1-0f).
Subs: L Ní Dhonncha for G Leen (24), A Joyce for K Coleman (h-t), K Burke for A Collins (54).

CORK: C Lane; M De Burca, S Hurley (c), C O’Donoghue (0-3) O Cremin (0-1), L Dunlea, E Duignan (0-1); M Condon, A Fitzgerald; A Sheppard (0-2), C Morrison (0-1), A McCarthy; N McNabola (0-4), E O’ Donoghue (1-4, 0-2F), E Crowley (0-1).
Subs: E Curtain (0-1) for E Crowley (37), G Finn for C Morrison (53).

ADDITIONAL REPORT:

• 27/04/2023: Minor girls give Cork a massive fright in a tight affair – Connacht Tribune

MINOR PANEL

• PLAYER PROFILES: Minor Panel
• MANAGEMENT: Minor Management
• FIXTURES: Minor A Championship Fixtures

2023 CHAMPIONSHIP

Round 1: 12 Mar, Galway 3-10 Waterford 2-06
Round 2: 19 Mar, Galway 2-03 Kilkenny 0-08
Round 3: 26 Mar, Dublin 0-11 Galway 1-14
Round 4: 2 Apr, Tipperary 0-14 Galway 2-04
Round 5: 15 Apr, Galway 2-10 Cork 2-17