2024 Electric Ireland Minor A Championship – Round 3
Galway v Cork
Date: 24 March, 2pm
Venue: Duggan Park, Ballinasloe
Referee: Brian Kearney
Mascot: Aoibheann Gavin, Beal Atha Na Slua
FT: Galway 1-9 Cork 0-19
Match Report
The Galway minor team recorded their second consecutive defeat in the Electric Ireland Minor championship on Sunday in Duggan Park in Ballinasloe. The current All Ireland Minor Champions, Cork, proved too strong for the Galway girls as they they ran out seven point victors on the day.
Galway, who were playing with the aid of a breeze, started the strongest. Vice Captain and Galway’s top scorer, Caoimhe Kelly, gave the perfect pass to Emily Lawless and Lawless took on the Cork defence and blasted the ball into the back of the net in the second minute. However, this seemed to spark Cork into action as they shot seven points in an eleven minute period. Orlaith Cremin, the Cork full forward who gave a player of the match performance on the day, shot four points, three through frees while Eve O’Dwyer, Ava McAuliffe and Lucy O’Connell all contributed to the score board as Cork took a 0-7 to 1-0 lead at the midway point of the half. Galway were really struggling to get the ball passed their own midfield, half forward line as the Cork defence stood strong. Leah Behan, a late replacement on the Galway team got her first point of the day on the 19th minute but Cremin replied with another well taken effort a minute late. Ella Bergin followed up with three much needed points between the 21st and 23rd minutes to leave one between the sides. Cremin stopped the scoring spree with another point from play but Kelly followed up with two quick fire points to bring the sides level for the second time in the game. Cremin added a free before the end of the half to leave Cork 0-10 to 1-6 ahead, heading into the half time break.
Cremin began the second half just like the way she finished the first with three more points, two from play. Kelly pointed two frees on the 37th and 39th minute while O’Dwyer got one of the scores on the game from the sideline on the stand side of Duggan park to leave three between the sides. Kelly pointed Galway’s last score on the game through a free on the 45th minute. It was Cork who finished the half the strongest O’Connell and Cremin got a point a piece on the 46th and 47th minutes. There was a long stoppage in play as Leah Behan received treatment for a heavy tackle she received from Saoirse Cunningham but on the resumption, two Amy McCarthy points and a point from Ava Fitzgerald meant that Cork ran out 0-19 to 1-9 winners on the day.
Galway found it very hard to break down the Cork defence throughout the contest. While Galway performed well at times throughout the contest and picked off some fantastic scores, not scoring from play in the second half is something they will need to work on over the next two weeks. They have two must win fixtures away to Kilkenny and Antrim. A win in both games will secure a semi final spot for the tribeswomen.
Galway:
E Gantley, A Donnellan, E Brogan, K Burke, N Duffy, C McGrath, A Massey, E Bergin (0-3), C Callaghan,
E Birmingham, C Kelly (0-5, 0-3F), L Behan (0-1), L O’Halloran, S Carr, E Lawless (1-0)
Substitutes: M Rodgers for Birmingham (HT), A Bloomer for O’Halloran (44mins), K Lawless for A Donnellan (57mins), S Flynn for Behan (57mins), L Murphy for Callaghan (59mins)
Cork:
E O’Sullivan, S Murphy, S Hurley, S Cunningham, K Goulding, L Dunlea, R Roache, A Fitzgearld (0-1), A
McCarthy (0-2), R Murphy, E O’Dwyer (0-2), A Sheppard, A McAuliffe (0-1), O Cremin (0-11, 0-6F), L
O’Connell (0-2)
Substitutes: L O’Neill for Sheppard (44mins), A O’Riordan for Dunlea (47mins), S O’Driscoll for Murphy (64mins), A Daly for O’Dwyer (64mins)
ADDITIONAL
- Cork 0-19 Galway 1-9 (All-Ireland Minor Camogie Championship Report & Reaction with Stephen Glennon) – Galway Bay FM
