Sport

Impressive champions keep double dream alive

Women's Football All-Ireland senior championship semi-final/ Cork 1-12 Laois 0-8: Cork remain on course to win backto-back TG4…

Mon Sept 04 2006 - 01:00

Women's Football All-Ireland senior championship semi-final/ Cork 1-12 Laois 0-8: Cork remain on course to win backto-back TG4 All-Ireland senior football titles after a semi-final victory over Laois at O'Connor Park, Tullamore on Saturday. The Munster side will face either Galway or Armagh, who meet in the second semi-final at Dr Hyde Park next Saturday, in the decider.

Cork never really looked in trouble during the game and led 1-7 to 0-1 at half-time and although Laois staged a mini revival after the resumption they never really threatened an upset.

Cork started the game brightly with Mary O'Connor putting them ahead in the fifth minute. Laois replied three minutes later courtesy of a converted free by Mary Kirwan.

However, it was to be their only point of the half and by the time they hit their second in the third minute of the second half Cork had tagged on 1-7 without reply, Valerie Mulcahy scoring their goal in the 21st minute.

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That goal put Cork 1-4 to 0-1 in front and they extended that lead with points from O'Connor (two) and Nollaig Cleary before the break. Mulcahy widened the gap further two minutes after the break before Gemma O'Connor finally ended Laois's scoring drought.

When Cork captain Juliet Murphy scored a quick brace of points in the third quarter there was no way back for Laois.

• Two late points from Stephanie O'Reilly helped Sligo pip Clare 2-12 to 1-14 in the All-Ireland junior semi-final at O'Connor Park.

CORK: E Harte; R Buckley, A Walsh, B Corkery; G O'Flynn (0-1), B Stack, S O'Reilly; J Murphy (0-3, one free), N Kelly; A Murphy, D O'Reilly (0-1), N Cleary (0-2); V Mulcahy (1-2, two frees), M O'Connor (0-3), C Creedon. Subs: C Walsh for Creedon (ht), L Power for Murphy (43 mins); A O'Connor for Mulcahy (53 mins)

LAOIS: B Deegan; G Weston, L Muckian, N Kirwan (0-2); A Quigley, A Casey, P Fogarty; K O'Reilly, M O'Grady; Martha Kirwan, L Brennan, E Fitzpatrick; T Lawlor (0-1), Mary Kirwan (0-2, one free), G O'Connor (0-3). Subs: S Barry for Brennan (42 mins), A O'Loughlin for O'Grady (42 mins), C O'Loughlin for Fitzpatrick (57 mins).

Referee: D Corcoran (Mayo).