Galway 0-10 Cork 0-9:IT WASN'T pretty on the eye but that won't bother Galway as they edged past Cork at Semple Stadium yesterday and, in the process, dashed Cork's three-in-a-row ambitions.
In stark contrast to last week’s encounter, which yielded 32 scores and was brimful of outstanding passages of play, this game was dour with only seven of the 19 points coming from play.
Both sets of defences had the upper hand, with Sandra Tannian and Regina Glynn outstanding for Galway, while Rena Buckley – who played alongside Mary O’Connor in the Cork’s defeat in the All-Ireland women’s football semi-final on Saturday – was immaculate.
Crucially though, the winners had the upper hand around midfield and it wasn’t until Gemma O’Connor was moved to that sector at half-time that Cork began to get some joy.
The Leesiders hit the front for the first time in the 53rd minute through Eimear O’Sullivan but crucially, it was Galway who were able to lift it thereafter, Aislinn Connolly converting frees either side of a point by Breda Hanney.
Síle Burns reduced the deficit to one from a free in the fifth minute of injury-time. There was time for one last opportunity to bring the tie to extra-time but Gemma O’Connor’s free from 65 metres drifted to the right of the posts.
In the curtain-raiser in Thurles, a blistering start laid the foundation for Galway in their replay as they overcame Clare to win the All-Ireland minor A title by 2-12 to 2-8.
