CAMOGIE ALL-IRELAND SENIOR FINAL Cork 2-10 Galway 1-8:SÍLE BURNS was the two-goal star as Cork reclaimed the O'Duffy Cup with a five-point victory over Galway in yesterday's Gala All-Ireland senior camogie championship final at Croke Park.
Beaten finalists last year, Cork returned to the top of the pile as they collected a 23rd senior title to move just three behind Dublin on the all-time honours list.
This hard-earned win was Cork's first success since 2006 but their fourth victory in this competition in seven seasons, a testament to their remarkable consistency.
Galway were appearing in their first final since 1998, when they were also beaten by Cork, having achieved a last-gasp semi-final victory over last year's winners, Wexford.
Jessie Gill was the goal heroine on that occasion and the Athenry teenager was in good form from placed balls yesterday in front of 18,727 spectators at GAA headquarters.
Gill scored eight points, seven from frees and a 45, but she was unfortunate to see a second-half penalty saved by Cork's brilliant goalkeeper Aoife Murray.
Galway centre forward Therese Maher was fouled by Cork full back and captain Caitríona Foley and Gill's resultant penalty was blocked by Murray at a crucial stage in the match.
Murray may have felt under pressure to redeem herself after allowing Áine Hillary's speculative shot to drop into the far corner of the net three minutes before half-time.
Hillary's effort for a point from the left wing deceived the otherwise flawless Murray for Galway's only score from play of the entire game.
Cork led by just two points, 2-5 to 1-6, prior to the penalty award and moved three clear again when the impressive Rachel Moloney converted a point from play in the 39th minute.
That goal handed Galway a real lifeline before half-time as they went in just a point behind at the break, 1-5 to 2-3.
Galway opened the game with four unanswered points in the opening 10 minutes from Gill, three frees and a 45, before Cork gradually settled.
Rachel Moloney's free after 11 minutes was Cork's opening score but all of Galway's good early work was undone when the lethal Burns scored the first of her two goals with 17 minutes on the watch.
When Eimear O'Sullivan's ball in from the left touchline broke between Galway corner back Sandra Tannion and Cork's Elaine O'Riordan, Burns was onto it in a flash and the Rockbán star's finish found the bottom corner.
Four minutes later Burns was on target again, this time blasting home from a 21-yard free.
The tireless Briege Corkery added a point from play, Moloney converted a 45 and Cork had turned a four-point deficit into a two-point advantage in the space of nine minutes.
Galway kept plugging away in the second half but their lack of scores from play proved a hindrance as Gill kept the Westerners in touch with some brilliant free-taking. The penalty miss was a crucial turning point but equally, Susan Earner in the Galway goal was kept busy with saves from Una O'Donoghue and Burns.
At the other end, Murray produced a superb save from Deirdre Burke deep in stoppage time, somehow deflecting a shot from close range when the Galway sub looked certain to score.
That was Galway's last salvo as Cork held out for the victory they craved after suffering the heartbreak of final defeat against Wexford 12 months ago.
SCORERS: Cork: R Moloney 0-7 (4 frees, 2 45s), S Burns 2-0, O Cotter, B Corkery and E O'Sullivan 0-1 each. Galway: J Gill 0-8 (7 frees, 1 45), A Hillary 1-0.
CORK: A Murray; L O'Connell, C Foley, J O'Callaghan; G O'Connor, M O'Connor, S Hayes; O Cotter, B Corkery; A O'Regan, U O'Donoghue, E O'Sullivan; S Burns, R Moloney, E O'Riordan. SUBS: E O'Farrell for O'Riordan (h/t), R Buckley for O'Connell (40m), L Dorgan for O'Regan (57m).
GALWAY: S Earner; S Tannion, A Kelly, T Manton; A-Marie Hayes, S Cahalan, N Kilkenny; A Hillary, S Noone; M Dunne, T Maher, V Curtin; O Kilkenny, J Gill, B Kerins. SUBS: L Kavanagh for Dunne (h/t), C Cormican for Noone (48m), D Burke for Kerins (58m).
Referee: E Browne(Tipperary).
