Mayo stun Cork to reach All-Ireland semi-finals

On a day of shocks in the TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship, Mayo produced arguably the biggest of them all as they took down Cork on a scoreline of 2-13 to 0-17 on a scorching day in Ennis.

Cork, as much as 1/6 favourites with some bookmakers before the match, were unable to deal with the intensity, desire and the football Mayo produced and the Green and Red flew out of the blocks.

Sinead Walsh, Shauna Howley, Mayo captain Kathryn Sullivan and Tamara O’Connor all pointed with some superb scores early doors, with Doireann O’Sullivan singlehandedly keeping Cork on Mayo’s Mayo coattails, before Ciara Whyte’s defence-splitting pass played in Walsh who found the bottom corner to make it 1-5 to 0-2 inside ten minutes.

Cork responded well, however and finished the half the stronger of the two. Shauna Howley and Lisa Cafferky kept Mayo’s scoreboard ticking but some poor wides were punished Doireann O’Sullivan, Orla Finn, Emma Cleary, Melissa Duggan and Ciara O’Sullivan sent over singles to see Cork lead Mayo 0-11 to 1-7 at half-time.

Finn extended Cork’s lead early in the second half but Mayo roared back through Howley, O’Connor and Tara Needham to go back into the lead. A poor kickout from Cork was then seized on by Mayo and Lisa Cafferky finished soccer style to make it 2-12 to 0-13 going down the home stretch.

Doireann and Ciara O’Sullivan brought it back to and three and Mayo would finish the game with 14 after Ciara Whyte was sin-binned but Mayo stayed calm and Sarah Mulvihill got the final score to cap off the most memorable day for Mayo in the Michael Moyles era so far. Kerry now await next Saturday in Croke Park for a spot in the final.

Mayo: A. Tarpey; E. Ronayne, R. Flynn, D. Caldwell; T O’Connor (0-2), F. McHale, K. Sullivan (0-1); S. Cafferky, A. Geraghty; S. Howley (0-6, 0-3f), S. Walsh (1-1), S. Mulvihill (0-1); L. Cafferky (1-1), C. Whyte, T. Needham (0-1).

Subs used: C. Needham, E. Murray, L. Wallace, S. El Massy.

Cork: M. O’Sullivan; R. Phelan, E. Meaney, A. Hutchings; M. Duggan (0-1), M. O’Callaghan, M. Ambrose; S. Leahy, B. O’Sullivan, E. Cleary (0-1), C. O’Sullivan (0-2), L. Coppinger (0-1); R. Leahy, D. O’Sullivan (0-8, 0-5f), O. Finn (0-2).

Subs used: H. Looney, Á. O’Sullivan (0-1), E. Scally (0-1), M. Calahane.

Ref: S. Mulvihill (Kerry).

*Full report and reaction in Tuesday’s print edition.