By Jackie Cahill Cork remain on course for a fourth successive TG4 All-Ireland ladies senior football championship crown after crushing Tyrone by 4-18 to 0-11 on Saturday to set up a final date with Ulster champions Monaghan. The remarkable Rebelettes were in devastating form at O'Connor Park in Tullamore, running out comprehensive 19-point winners, but their day finished on a low point when Allstar Valerie Mulcahy was sent off with just seconds left on the clock. Mulcahy had scored 1-5 when she was issued with a straight red card, apparently for backchat, and a four-week suspension would see her miss the September 28 meeting with Monaghan. Mulcahy's attacking team-mate Nollaig Cleary received the player of the match award after finishing just a point better in the scoring stakes with a 1-6 haul. Tyrone hit the game's opening score, a first minute point from Catriona McGahan, but Cork responded in devastating fashion as they hit 4-17 from play over the hour. With just four minutes on the watch, space opened up for full forward Amy O'Shea and she took full advantage, crashing a superb right footed drive past Sinéad McVey with the Tyrone cover marked absent. Just three minutes later, Mary O'Connor appeared to be kicking for a point but her effort looped over McVey and into the corner of the net for Cork's second goal. McVey denied Cork a third goal four minutes before half-time as she kept out O'Shea from point blank range but the Tyrone netminder was unfortunate on the stroke of half-time as Mulcahy's blistering shot cannoned off the crossbar and hit McVey's back on the way in. Leading by 10 points at half-time, 3-8 to 0-7, Cork were home and hosed and they opened the second half with five unanswered points to move 15 clear. Tyrone's Catriona McGahan shot over the bar when a goal chance presented itself in the 47th minute and from Cork's next attack, Amanda Murphy rattled the crossbar. Three minutes from time, Cleary scored the goal her performance deserved but Cork now face an anxious wait before discovering Mulcahy's fate as she left the field in tears following her late dismissal. Incidentally, Cork and Monaghan will clash for the first time in a senior final at Croke Park on September 28, with Monaghan seeking a first title since 1997. Meanwhile, Clare withstood a late charge from Longford to run out 1-15 to 3-7 winners against Longford in Saturday's TG4 All-Ireland ladies intermediate football semi-final at O'Connor Park in Tullamore. Clare will meet Tipperary, a team they have already defeated this season, in the October 5 final at Croke Park. Clare led by six points - 1-15 to 2-6 - with five minutes remaining but Longford hit back with an unanswered 1-1, before the clock ran out on the Midlanders. After losing two previous semi-finals, Clare's joy at finally getting over the line was evident at O'Connor Park in Tullamore. Clare had to recover from a disastrous start before finally winning through, as Majella Griffin led the way with six points, including five in the first half, for the Munster outfit. Longford had the ball in the net after just 25 seconds as Michelle McElvany and Jacinta Brady traded passes before Michelle Ross applied a neat finish. With eleven minutes on the watch, Longford goaled again as Mary Kiernan finished brilliantly to open up a 2-1 to 0-2 lead. Alison Smith's 14th minute point kept Longford well in control but Clare took over after that, holding their opponents scoreless for a 14-minute spell while also hitting an unanswered 1-7 themselves. The goal arrived in the 15th minute with the impressive Áine Kelly on hand to poke the loose ball to the net after Longford goalkeeper Michelle Kilkenny had saved Griffin's initial effort. With Griffin in fine form from play and frees, Clare went on to lead by five points, 1-10 to 2-2, before Denise Murtagh hit back with a 28th-minute point for Longford to end their long barren spell. 1-10 to 2-3 ahead at half-time, Clare had a good platform and survived an early second half blow when Louise Henchy spent ten minutes on the touchline after receiving a yellow card five minutes after the restart. Longford couldn't capitalise with an extra player and their cause looked lost approaching the finish. But when Siobhán McGowan found the net with four minutes left, just a minute after Kiernan had spurned a good goal chance, Clare hearts skipped a beat. Edel Quinn's 67th-minute point cut the gap to two points - 1-15 to 3-7 - but Clare held out for a famous victory. Cork scorers: Nollaig Cleary 1-6, Valerie Mulcahy 1-5 (0-1f), Mary O'Connor 1-2, Amanda Murphy 0-3, Amy O'Shea 1-0, Briege Corkery & Deirdre O'Reilly 0-1 each. Tyrone scorers: Gemma Begley 0-6 (3f), Cathy Donnelly & Catriona McGahan 0-2 each, Eilish Gormley 0-1. Scorers for Clare: Majella Griffin 0-6 (3f), Áine Kelly 1-2 (0-1f), Maria Kelly 0-3, Eimear Considine 0-2, Maria Considine & Una Downes 0-1 each. Scorers for Longford: Siobhán McGowan, Michelle Ross & Mary Kiernan 1-0 each, Denise Murtagh 0-5 (3f), Alison Smith & Edel Quinn 0-1 each. Tweet

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