STRONG SECOND HALF SHOWING BY CORK RESULTS IN SECOND DEFEAT FOR WATERFORD

Cork’s Senior Camogie Team made it three wins from three games in this year’s National Camogie League having nineteen points to spare over Waterford at the WIT Arena on Sunday afternoon.

The winners had twelve of the seventeen players used in last year’s All-Ireland Final lost to Kilkenny in their starting team for this game, and in the second half with the wind at their back’s their greater experience showed.

At the break just two points separated the sides in favour of the victors, but Waterford will be somewhat disappointed that they did not go to the dressing rooms with the score on the scoreboard in their favour.

While a nineteen point loss might look big to most people, Waterford will learn a lot from this defeat.

They are still finding their feet at this level having moved up a grade in the League and Championship for last year’s competitions and the side are playing the game nearly at the same pace now as the top sides in the game.

Waterford on the day had Beth Carton as their top scorer finishing the game with seven points, five of which came from placed balls, while Niamh Rockett was very industrious, hitting two points, while at the other end of the field, Waterford had impressive performances from Fiona Morrissey while Brianna O’Regan between the posts was powerless to keep the goals out.

For Cork, Linda Collins was very impressive hitting 1-5 from play, while Katrina Mackey went one better hitting 1-6, 0-4 of which came from placed balls.

Cork attacked the Waterford goal from the off but they hit wides either side of the uprights and Katrina Mackey also sent a 30 metre free high off the right hand upright which was cleared to safety by the Waterford defence.

Niamh Rockett opened the scoring on five minutes when she put over from play, but Cork would respond with points from Katrina Mackey from a free and Linda Collins by the ninth minute to give them a 0-2 to 0-1 lead.

A brace of Beth Carton frees on eleven and sixteen minutes put Waterford back in front, but it was a short lived lead as Linda Collins ran at the Waterford defence and while her shot was brilliantly saved by Brianna O’Regan in the Waterford goal, the rebound fell back to the Courcey Rovers player and on the rebound she made no mistake in poking past the De La Salle player.

Points from Orla Cronin and Any O’Connor inside a minute of each other further stretched the Cork lead, which was followed with an exchange of scores by Beth Carton and Linda Collins.

Two more points both from Beth Carton frees reduced the Cork lead to just two by the twenty seventh minute. Katrina Mackey extended the Cork lead on twenty eight minutes and from the restart Waterford attacked the Cork goal and resulted in Beth Carton attempting to rattle the Cork net but her effort which seemed destined for the top corner was somehow deflected for a ’45 which Waterford were unlucky to convert.

On the stroke of half time the De La Salle player again attacked the Cork goal and send over the score of the game from out near the sideline and about 45 metres from goal to leave Waterford trailing 1-6 to 0-7 at the break.

Waterford were first out for the second half and were left waiting a good five minutes by Cork who only came out after the referee twice went to the dressing room to signal that it was time to restart the game.

Whatever was said in the Cork dressing room during the break obviously worked, as they came out a much better side calling on all their experience.

Katrina Mackey (X3), Linda Collins (X3), Amy O’Connor, Gemma O’Connor and a brace from Julia White hit points by the forty-ninth minute to give Cork a 1-16 to 0-7 lead.

Cork’s second goal came nine minutes from the hour mark when Niamh McCarthy hand-passed past Brianna O’Regan to well secure the three points on offer for the visitors.

Beth Carton and the industrious Niamh Rockett landed scores for Waterford, but they were to be mere consolation scores, but Cork were not finished yet.

Substitute Rachel O’Shea got in on the act before Laura Tracey broke forward to land a good score on fifty six minutes and a minute later Katrina Mackey rounded off a good afternoon’s work with a goal. The same player completed the scoring two minutes short of the hour mark when she put over her seventh score of the afternoon.

Waterford: Brianna O’Regan; Mairead Power, Fiona Morrissey, Claire Whyte; Áine Power, Jenny McCarthy, Marie Russell; Aoife Landers, Shona Kiernan; Kate McMahon, Niamh Rockett, Iona Heffernan; Catriona McGlone, Beth Carton, Valerie O’Brien. Subs: Annie Glavey for Iona Heffernan (46), Ciara Twomey for Marie Russell (49), Niamh Ahearne for Kate McMahon (55), Becky Kavanagh for Valerie O’Brien (61).

Scorers: Beth Carton 0-7 (5f), Niamh Rockett 0-2.

Cork: Aoife Murray; Rena Buckley, Laura Tracey, Leanne O’Sullivan;  Chloe Sigerson, Aisling Thompson, Pamela Mackey; Jennifer Barry, Gemma O’Connor; Amy O’Connor, Orla Cronin, Julia White; Linda Collins, Niamh McCarthy, Katrina Mackey. Subs: Finola Neville for Jennifer Barry (42), Rachel O’Shea for Julia White (49), Roisin Killeens for Leanne O’Sullivan (54), Lauren Homan for Amy O’Connor (54).

Scorers: Katrina Mackey 1-6 (0-4f), Linda Collins 1-5, Amy O’Connor 0-3, Niamh McCarthy 1-0, Julia White 0-2, Orla Cronin, Roisin O’Shea, Laura Tracey 0-1 each.

Referee: Fintan McNamara (Clare)