Mayo saw off the defending champions as Sinead Cafferky scored the vital second half goal.

Cafferky was also brilliant at the other end of the pitch – denying the Rebelettes a goal with a magnificent goal-line clearance.

And Mayo had a combined 0-16 haul from forward stars Sarah Rowe and Grace Kelly en route to the decider.

Playing with the strong wind, Mayo took the lead in the first minute when Grace Kelly pointed from a free, with Orla Finn, who scored 1-9, replying for Cork.

Sarah Rowe restored Mayo’s lead, before Cork then took over.

Ciara O’Sullivan and Finn pointed in quick succession and with six minutes gone Libby Coppinger goaled for Cork, after some good work by O’Sullivan and Eimear Scally.

Finn got her third point, to make it 1-4 to 0-2 with seven minutes gone.

Sinead Cafferkey replied for Mayo, with Ciara O’Sullivan on target for the Rebels. Two from Rose made it 0-5 to 1-5, before Coppinger was fouled by Emma Lowther, but Sorcha Murphy saved Scally’s shot from the resultant penalty.

This woke Mayo up, with Niamh Kelly, Rowe and Grace Kelly all pointing. Finn scored from a free, but for most of the rest of the first half it was all Mayo

Four from Rowe, along with three from Grace Kelly, made it 0-14 to 1-6.

But late one Cork were thrown a lifeline when Finn got their second goal and just before half-time she pointed to make it 2-7 to 0-14 at the break in favour of Mayo.

Clodagh McMahon opened the scoring in the second-half for Mayo, with Finn replying for Cork.

Four minutes into the second-half and Cork were back in front, when Aine O’Sullivan set up Coppinger for her second, and Cork’s third goal, to make it 3-8 to 0-15.

Mayo responded in style, with points from Fiona McHale, Rowe and Grace Kelly to go back in front.

Finn had the sides level again, with Rowe putting Mayo back in front, with 11 minutes to go.

With 21 minutes of the second-half gone the vital score came when Gilroy and McHale combined to set up Cafferky to make it 1-19 to 3-9.

Finn and Grace Kelly exchanged points, with Eimear Scally and Finn getting late scores for Cork. But Mayo hung on to reach the final, where they will face Dublin in two weeks.

Scorers for Mayo: S Rowe 0-9 (4f), G Kelly 0-7 (3f), S Cafferky 1-1, N Kelly, A Gilroy, F Mchale 0-1 each.

Scorers for Cork: O Finn 1-9 (5f), L Coppinger 2-0, C O’Sullivan 0-2, E Scally 0-1.

MAYO: S Murphy; O Conlon, S Tierney, S Ludden; D Caldwell, E Lowther, D Hughes; C McManamon, A Gilroy; F McHale, F Doherty, S Cafferky; N Kelly, S Rowe, G Kelly.

Subs: M Corbett for S Ludden, R Kearns for S Murphy, S Howley for F Doherty.

CORK: M O’Brien; M Ambrose, E Meaney, E Spillane; M O’Callaghan, M Duggan, S Kelly; A Hutchings, B O’Sullivan; C O’Sullivan, C Collins, O Farmer; L Coppinger, E Scally, O Finn.

Subs: A O’Sullivan for M Ambrose, A Barrett for S Kelly.

Ref: B Rice, Down.

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DUBLIN v GALWAY

By Darren Kelly in Kinnegad

Dublin 2-8 Galway 2-7

Nicole Owens was the late match-winner as TG4 All-Ireland champions Dublin booked a Lidl National League Division 1 final appearance against Mayo on May 6.

Mick Bohan’s Sky Blues will hope to seal a very first top-flight League title when they tackle the Westerners in what will be a repeat of last year’s TG4 senior decider.

Bohan's charges never led through the 60 minutes before Owens started the move that resulted in her hitting the net in the final minute to give Dublin the advantage.

Galway hit the ground running at the start, finishing to the net inside 60 seconds.

Tracey Leonard, Caitriona Cormican and Nicola Ward did the spadework to set up Leanne Coen before a Leonard free on four minutes left it 1-1 to 0-0.

Dublin were creating and they forced two saves from Dearbhla Gower but did open through a Sinead Aherne free on eight minutes.

Leonard and Sinead Goldrick traded white flags but when Dublin did equalise on 20 minutes, their goal was as slick as Galway's first.

Aherne and Emily Flanagan carved open space on the right before Lyndsey Davey was allowed her shot.

Her attack needed assistance and Niamh McEvoy was placed to hit the net and the Leinster side were back in it.

A strong wind favoured Galway in the first half and they needed an interval cushion.

They gave the perfect response on 23 minutes when Aine McDonagh found Mairead Seoighe to her right and she found the top corner to make it 2-3 to 1-3.

Leonard and Olivia Divilly added points as Dublin went down to 14 players following an Olwen Carey yellow card - but Aherne's kick before the break left four between them.

The second half's commencement started with Dublin still favoured but as time passed, they struggled to unlock their opponents.

Galway were 2-7 to 1-5 ahead on 38 minutes with Coen and Leonard raising white flags but that was their final score.

Lauren Magee had scored the Dublin minor and they gradually reduced arrears with McEvoy, Noelle Healy and Aherne reducing the gap entering stoppage time.

Both defences were working hard and both managements brought on fresh legs. It was always going to take something special to decide it and Owens delivered when required, starting the move and interchanging passes with a couple of team mates before getting bagging the crucial goal.

Galway needed one more point to force extra time and they had a late free that tailed just wide, as Dublin prevailed.

Scorers:

Galway – Tracey Leonard 0-5 (four frees), Leanne Coen 1-1, Mairead Seoighe 1-0, Olivia Divilly 0-1.

Dublin – Niamh McEvoy 1-1, Sinead Aherne 0-3 (all frees), Nicole Owens 1-0, Noelle Healy 0-2, Sinead Goldrick 0-1, Lauren Magee 0-1.

Galway: Dearbhla Gower; Fabienne Cooney, Sarah Lynch, Sinead Burke; Charlotte Cooney, Nicola Ward, Caitriona Cormican; Lisa Gannon, Olivia Divilly; Aine McDonagh, Tracey Leonard, Ailbhe Davoren; Mairead Seoighe, Sarah Conneally, Leanne Coen. Subs used: Roisin Leonard for Conneally (41 mins), Deirdre Brennan for Coen (46 mins), Emma Reaney for Seoighe (54 mins).

Dublin: Ciara Trant; Martha Byrne, Deirdre Murphy, Leah Caffrey; Siobhan McGrath, Sinead Goldrick, Niamh Collins; Lauren Magee, Olwen Carey; Hannah O'Neill, Niamh McEvoy, Lyndsey Davey; Emily Flanagan, Noelle Healy, Sinead Aherne. Subs used: Nicole Owens for Flanagan (HT), Aoife Kane for McGrath (40 mins), Jennifer Dunne for O'Neill (42 mins), Eabha Rutledge for Davey (53 mins), Siobhan Killeen for Magee (57 mins).

Referee: Seamus Mulvihill (Kerry)