By Anthony Newman
Limerick 1-10
Cork 0-7
Joy for Limerick as they were crowned TG4 Munster Senior B ladies football champions at Mallow.
It made up for last year’s loss to Clare, in the inaugural Munster Senior B championship.
Overall, they were the better side and had built up a healthy lead by half time and despite the best efforts of Cork it was enough to secure a well-deserved win.
Both sides had some outstanding displays, but Limerick’s Deborah Murphy was the pick of them and was deserving winner of the Player of the Game award.
Orlaith Roche opened the scoring for Cork, after some good work by Eve Murphy and Emme Murphy, with three minutes gone.
From the restart Cork regained possession and Emma Hurley split the posts to make it 0-2 to no score.
Limerick’s first real chance came from a free, but Deborah Murphy’s effort dropped short, and the danger was cleared.
Limerick got off the mark after eight minutes when Caoimhe McGrath pointed after a sweeping move from their own half.
Murphy made no mistake with her second free to see the sides level, 0-2 apiece, after 10 minutes.
Limerick took the lead for the first time after 13 minutes when Lauren Ryan scored and they doubled their advantage from the restart, thanks to an Iris Kennelly point.
Limerick were dealt a blow after 20 minutes when Ryan, who had started well, had to go off injured.
Credit to Limerick they didn’t let it bother them and went further in front when McGrath got a goal.
A free from Murphy came back off the post and McGrath was quickest to react to punch to the back of the net to make it 1-4 to 0-2.
Three more frees from Murphy, along with a point from Roisin Ambrose had Limerick well ahead at half-time, 1-8 to 0-2.
Two early frees, from Katie Horgan and Noelle O’Mahony reduced the deficit for Cork as they upped their performance from the first half.
With 35 minutes played O’Mahony pointed from another free, to make it 1-8 to 0-5.
With 39 minutes gone the Limerick lead was down to five when Horgan got Cork’s fourth point of the second half.
A minute later they should have had a goal but O’Mahony was denied by Sophie Hennessy to see it stay 1-8 to 0-6.
Limerick got their first score of the second half after 45 minutes when Murphy pointed from another free and she was on target from another placed ball to keep them well ahead.
O’Mahony pulled a point back for Cork but they were finding it difficult to break down the Limerick defence for the goal they needed at this stage.
Both sides failed to score in the final few minutes as Limerick ran out deserving winners, despite the best efforts of Cork.
Scorers for Limerick: C McGrath 1-1, D Murphy 0-6 (6f), I Kennelly, R Ambrose, L Ryan 0-1 each.
Cork: N O’Mahony 0-3 (3f), K Horgan 0-2 (1f), O Roche, E Hurley 0-1 each.
LIMERICK: S Hennessy; J McGuire, Y Lee, R Browne; G Lee, L Coughlan, L Ryan; R Ambrose, M MacNamara; K O’Leary, D Murphy, C Mee; E Woulfe, I Kennelly, C McGrath.
Subs: G Mullane for L Ryan (18 inj), M Kavanagh for E Woulfe, F Bradshaw for C McGrath (both 52), K Heelan for I Kennelly (57), A Cleary for C Mee (59).
CORK: C Moore; S Callanan, C Heffernan, R Sheehan; Emma Murphy, R Shanley, L Mahoney; K Redmond, A O’Sullivan; G Murphy, E Hurley, Eve Murphy; N O’Mahony, O Roche, K Horgan.
Subs: D Murphy for Emma Murphy (ht), M Burke for L Mahoney, R Murphy for Eve Murphy (both 52), C Russell for K Horgan (57), A Hallahan for R Murphy (58 inj).
Referee: Seamus Mulvihill, Kerry.
