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Cork ladies football: Talking points from the draw with Waterford

EchoLive.ie, 29 Jan

Ger McCarthy reflects on the Rebels draw in the Lidl National League

Division 1 game

Cork's Hannah Looney and Waterford's Hannah Power and Aine O'Neill in

action. Picture: Patrick Browne

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Ger McCarthy

Katie’s Nerves Of Steel

It takes guts and no little skill to convert a difficult free with the

result on the line six minutes into injury time in an inter-county

match. That’s the scenario that faced Katie Quirke before the forward

nervelessly fired over the crossbar to earn Cork a 2-9 to 2-9 draw.

The Bride Rovers player finished with five points and was a constant

outlet, always looking for possession and converting whatever few

chances came her way.

Clearly, Quirke is a confidence player and was boosted by finding the

back of the net in Cork’s previous victory away to Mayo. Earning a

starting berth against Waterford, Katie Quirke repaid her manager’s

faith and was central to Cork leaving Kilkenny with a share of the

spoils. Let’s hope the talented forward can maintain her early-season

consistency.

Not Accepting Defeat

Shane Ronayne is fielding a much-changed line-up in this year’s

National League due to retirements and an influx of new players onto

the Cork senior panel.

Seven points down and struggling to come to terms with a poor pitch,

Cork did not allow their heads to drop and doggedly battled back to

level matters on three separate occasions before the final whistle

blew.

This is a necessary and welcome trait for such a changed Cork senior

team in 2023.

So far, Dara Kinry, Shauna Kelly, Aoife Healy, Rachel Leahy, Abigail

Ring and Katie Quirke have taken the opportunities presented to them by

Shane Ronayne.

Absentees from Cork’s squad in last Sunday’s clash with Waterford

included Ciara and Doireann O’Sullivan, Máire O’Callaghan and Róisín

Phelan. Slowly but surely, Shane Ronayne is adding depth to a panel

that will need every player at their optimum come championship.

State Of The Pitch

It is already disappointing that Waterford have to play their National

League games in Kilkenny but the state of the Piltown pitch drew much

criticism following last Sunday’s clash with Cork.

Free-flowing football was never an option on a playing surface used

constantly in between Waterford’s Kerry and Cork encounters. It showed.

The Déise will not, and should not, apologise for looking for every

advantage they can get but the poor quality of a pitch for a National

League game involving two talented teams is not a good optic. The fact

a perfect sand-based pitch was within walking distance of last Sunday’s

league encounter only added to Shane Ronayne’s frustrations.

Maybe it's time Cork LGFA started thinking outside the box and began

playing their inter-county fixtures in more rural areas of the county.

Katie Quirke free rescues a point for Cork away to Waterford