Quirke’s Late Free Secures Cork Victory Over Waterford in Thrilling League Clash
Páirc Uí Rinn, Cork – A late free from Katie Quirke sealed a narrow 1-12 to 3-5 victory for Cork over Waterford in a captivating Lidl Ladies Football League Division 1 encounter on Saturday night. The win extends Cork’s unbeaten run as they maintain their position at the top of the league table. Despite a spirited comeback from Waterford, who rattled Cork with two late goals, Quirke’s composure under pressure proved decisive. Rosie Corkery was named Player of the Game following an impressive display. The game saw several lead changes, with Waterford initially taking the lead through a goal from Brid McMaugh, but Cork responded strongly in the second half before Waterford’s late surge forced a tense finish.
Cork Edge Out Waterford in Thrilling Lidl Ladies Football League Clash
Cork maintained their impressive form in the Lidl Ladies Football League Division 1, securing a narrow 1-12 to 3-5 victory over Waterford at Páirc Uí Rinn on Saturday night. A late free from Katie Quirke proved to be the decisive score in a highly entertaining contest.
Early Exchanges and Waterford’s Strong Start
Waterford made a bright start, creating the first chance within 20 seconds when Kellyann Hogan played Chloe Fennell through, but Sarah Murphy in the Cork goal made a crucial save. Grace Ní Mhurchú had Cork’s initial opportunity, yet her shot went just wide after two minutes.
It took seven minutes for the scoring to open, with Ní Mhurchú setting up Abbie O’Mahony for Cork’s first point. Waterford responded strongly, taking the lead after 10 minutes with a looping shot from Brid McMaugh that deceived Murphy and found the back of the net, making it 1-0 to 0-1.
Cork Respond and a Tight First Half
Cork pressed for a goal of their own, but Rachel Leahy’s attempt was just beyond the reach of a Rachel O’Regan cross. Emma Cleary then pointed for Cork, reducing the deficit to one. Waterford extended their lead through points from Hogan and Áine O’Neill, leading 1-2 to 0-2.
Katie Quirke opened her account for Cork after 24 minutes with a well-taken point from distance. Cork finished the half strongly, with Rosie Corkery and Leahy adding points to leave the halftime score at 1-3 to 0-5.
Second-Half Drama and Quirke’s Decisive Free
Cork came out strong after the break, with Quirke leveling the score in the first minute. Waterford then suffered a setback as Maeve Daly was sin-binned for a tackle on Melissa Duggan. Cork capitalized on the extra player, with Sadbh McGoldrick pointing to give them the lead for the first time at 0-7 to 1-3.
Áine O’Sullivan extended Cork’s lead, and Quirke added two further points from frees as Cork hit five unanswered points. Another Quirke free made it 0-10 to 1-3. Waterford responded with a point from O’Neill, but Cork quickly countered with a goal from Aoife Healy, making it 1-11 to 1-4 after 45 minutes.
Waterford mounted a spirited comeback, with McMaugh scoring her second goal to reduce the gap to four, 1-11 to 2-4. Clare Walsh then added a third goal for Waterford with six minutes remaining, bringing the score to 3-4 to 1-11.
A Fennell free leveled the game with three minutes left, but Katie Quirke stepped up to convert a free and secure the win for Cork, 1-12 to 3-5. Cork then held possession for over a minute to close out the game.
Key Performers and Scorers
Katie Quirke was the star performer for Cork, finishing with a personal tally of 0-6, including three frees. A Healy scored Cork’s goal, while A O’Mahony, E Cleary, R Corkery, R Leahy, S McGoldrick, and A O’Sullivan all contributed with a point each.
For Waterford, Brid McMaugh scored two goals, with Clare Walsh adding another. C Fennell and A O’Neill each scored two points, and K Hogan contributed with one point.
Did you understand? Rosie Corkery was named Player of the Game for her outstanding performance for Cork.
Team Lineups
CORK: S Murphy; M Duggan, D Kiniry, S Kelly; A Corcoran, S McGoldrick, R Corkery; A Healy, A O’Mahony; R Leahy, G Ní Mhurchú, E Cleary; R O’Regan, K Quirke, L Hallahan. Subs: A O’Sullivan for R O’Regan (ht), C Hughes for A Corcoran, M O’Callaghan for A O’Mahony (both 50), A Ring for L Hallahan (53), K Redmond for Ní Mhurchú (55).
WATERFORD: K Gardiner; C Murray, R Casey, R Browne; K McGrath, E Murray, L Mulcahy; Á O’Neill, E Power; K Murray, K Hogan, B McMaugh; C Fennell, L Cusack, M Daly. Subs: G Corcoran for K Gardiner, C Walsh for K Hogan (both 45), H McGrath for E Power (47), J Queally for M Daly (50).
Pro Tip: Effective free-taking, as demonstrated by Katie Quirke, can be a game-changer in tight contests. Practice and consistency are key.
FAQ
Q: Who was the Player of the Game?
A: Rosie Corkery was named Player of the Game.
Q: What was the final score?
A: Cork 1-12, Waterford 3-5.
Q: Where was the match played?
A: Páirc Uí Rinn.
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