WOMEN'S FOOTBALL ALL-IRELAND SENIOR FINAL/Cork 2-7 Monaghan 0-11:MONAGHAN THREW everything they had at Cork, but, in the end, it was the veterans who somehow found a way to carve out a thrilling victory to claim their sixth TG4 All-Ireland title in seven seasons.
There are quite a few parallels between what Eamon Ryan’s charges achieved and Kilkenny’s feat in regaining their grip on hurling’s top prize just three weeks ago.
Both sides had dominated their respective codes for a number of years before being overthrown as power-holders last season. With a lot of miles on the clock, the consensus was that they had run their respective races.
Such analysis was a motivating force for Cork yesterday, just as it was for Kilkenny, and there is no doubt that this success will be treasured as much as any of the 2005-2009 five-in-a-row.
“We were written off, we were (considered) an ageing team and this, that and the other,” said full back Angela Walsh. “I only turned 26 two weeks ago!
“Grand, we have been around for a long time and we all won medals at 20 or younger . . . but today was sweet, unbelievable.”
Walsh was part of a splendid rearguard effort that also included a sparkling display by former All Star centre forward Deirdre O’Reilly at corner back and Bríd Stack at centre back.
It was just as well too because the normally deadly Munster side were not firing in attack until some belated changes were made, and they had to rely on a dreadful Monaghan error and a penalty for their goals.
Credit for this should go to the Monaghan defence, in which, Gráinne McNally and Nicola Fahy were magnificent.
But goalkeeper Linda Martin will be disconsolate about her misplaced kick-out that Nollaig Cleary redirected over her head in the 22nd minute to turn the game on its head. That put Cork a goal clear, but Monaghan had weathered an early onslaught that included an Amy O’Shea shot that cannoned off the crossbar.
Caitríona McConnell kicked two wonderful points to help them settle, Ellen McCarron registered another brilliant effort and they hit back well from the goal with a Mohan point to trail by just two at the interval, 1-3 to 0-4.
Geoffrey McGonigle’s outfit upped the tempo again after the resumption, with three points in a row from McAnespie and Niamh Kindlon putting them ahead. Kindlon added her third point from a long-distance free in response to a Grace Kearney score but was then surprisingly replaced.
To make matters worse for Cork, they lost their skipper O’Shea in that period to a suspected cruciate knee ligament injury. For a player who has already suffered the dreaded cruciate damage in each knee, it was terrible luck but being presented with the Brendan Martin Cup was not inconsiderable compensation.
The likelihood of that happening was very much in doubt at the time of her departure however.
Geraldine O’Flynn levelled the sides before the game’s turning point arrived when substitute Orla Finn eluded the attentions of two Monaghan defenders before being fouled in the square by Isobel Kearns in the 44th minute.
Rhona Ní Bhuachalla made no mistake from the spot to put Cork in the driving seat, but Monaghan were not done yet.
Points from Laura McEnaney and a McConnell free had the margin down to one with more than five minutes still left.
But it was at this juncture that Cork’s determination really showed as they also drew upon their considerable reserves of experience. Rena Buckley kicked a crucial 56th-minute point in her last act of the game and the Leesiders funnelled back the numbers to make sure that there was no way through for the goal their desperate opponents needed.
So Cork added the Brendan Martin Cup to the Bord Gáis Energy National League and Munster championship crowns collected earlier in the season.
CORK: E Harte; Anne Marie Walsh, Angela Walsh, D O’Reilly; B Corkery, B Stack, G OFlynn (0-1); J Murphy (0-3, two frees), R Buckley (0-1); N Cleary (1-0), M Kelly, G Kearney (0-1); V Mulcahy (0-1), R Ní Bhuachalla (1-0, pen), A OShea. Sub: C OSullivan for OShea (37 mins).
MONAGHAN: L Martin; G McNally, S Courtney, C Reilly; A McAnespie, N Fahy, L Connolly; A Casey, C Courtney; T McNally, E McCarron (0-1), C McConnell (0-3, two frees); C McAnespie (0-1), N Kindlon (0-3), C Mohan (0-2). Sub: I Kierans for C Courtney (25 mins), L McEnaney (0-1) for Kindlon, C Courtney for McCarron (both 42 mins), E McElroy for Kierans (50 mins).
Referee: J Niland (Sligo).
