Cork camogie boss Twomey pleased with another championship win
CORK manager Matthew Twomey pinpointed Katrina Mackey’s second-half goal as the catalyst for his side’s eventual seven-point win over Dublin in Group One of the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship at St Peregrine’s on Saturday.
Trailing 0-9 to 1-2 in the early stages of the second half, having initially burst into an early lead, the Leesiders rattled off five points without reply to edge themselves back into the ascendancy.
The tie very much remained up for grabs, but a smooth Mackey finish on 49 minutes ultimately helped Twomey’s charges to preserve their 100% record in this year’s O’Duffy Cup.
“There was great comfort in the goal. We were trying to do that move a couple of times and Dublin blocked us off. We got one opportunity in the second half and took it. We started the game very well.
“Getting 1-2 to no score and then we conceded nine points without reply, which was disappointing,” Twomey said afterwards.
“About 10 minutes into the second half we kicked into our own again. It was a funny kind of a game with the wind the way it is and it’s a funny kind of a pitch as well. A win is a win, nine points on the board. In fairness to Dublin, they were a dogged team.
“They were in our face the whole time and the crowd got behind them when they got a bit of momentum, but we gifted them about four or five scores there in the first half. In the latter stages, if we give away them kind of scores we could be punished big time.”
Cork’s stated objective is to top Group One and thus secure automatic qualification to the last-four of the Championship.
One victory from their remaining two games against Waterford and Tipperary should enable them to do this, with an away trip to the former on June 18 next on the agenda.
Though Twomey revealed that Laura Tracey’s withdrawal in the 43rd-minute was more of a precautionary measure, he is glad to have a little bit of respite before focusing on the challenge of the Deise.
“We’ve a good few now back from injury and Hannah Looney [who appeared as a late substitute] is back from America.
“She’s a huge addition. We’ll just try and press on now. We’ve a two-week break, which we could really do with after being on three weeks in a row. We’ll try to get some rest into the legs now and go again,” Twomey added.