ALL-IRELAND WOMEN'S CLUB SFC FINAL Carnacon 2-11 Inch Rovers 2-6:CORA STAUNTON produced another scoring tour de force to propel Carnacon to their second successive Vhi Healthcare All-Ireland women's club SFC title at a wintry O'Connor Park in Tullamore yesterday, having trailed by nine points early in the second half.
The deadly full-forward finished with a personal tally of 11 points, with nine of those coming from frees as she punished an under-pressure Inch defence for almost every indiscretion, especially in the second half when she had the elements at her back.
This was a repeat of last year's decider but Inch put up a much tougher battle this time around and will rue the numerous missed goal-scoring chances, particularly in the first half, that would have secured a first title at this level for the east Cork club, two years after annexing intermediate honours.
They will also consider the concession of the 34th-minute goal to Natasha Beegan, with the otherwise reliable Inch goalkeeper Mary Hayes kicking out poorly to the Carnacon wing-forward, who calmly lobbed the desperately retreating custodian.
That was the game's turning point, coming as it did immediately after Inch had shocked Carnacon with a clinically finished goal from Claire Keohane to give her side a 2-6 to 0-3 advantage.
Even though they were facing into a very strong wind, they would have fancied defending that kind of advantage but Beegan's goal changed the picture.
And with Staunton adding eight points to her first half tally of three, Carnacon wore their rivals down, even if some of those second-half frees might have been debatable. The full-forward didn't have her best game in general play as Ciara Walsh excelled on her, but the All-Star's deadly accuracy from the placed ball proved vital.
Inch failed to score again after Keohane's goal in the first minute of the second half. In that time, Carnacon totted up 2-8, with Joan Hallinan's goal 11 minutes from time giving them the lead for the first time in the game, 2-7 to 2-6.
Fiona McHale provided the assist for Hallinan's score and the centre-forward's selection as player of the match was fully merited as she worked selflessly for the cause from start to finish.
Jill Horan's fourth-minute goal helped Inch establish a 1-6 to 0-3 interval lead and the corner-forward was a constant menace in the opening period, as were Angela Walsh, Mary O'Connor and Amy O'Shea. Horan could have had four goals in the first half, with Carnacon goalie Caroline Brennan making one outstanding save.
Sharon McGing was quickly moved back to shadow Horan and she finally got to grips with her in the second half as the physically stronger and more experienced Carnacon wore Inch down.
CARNACON:C Brennan; N Hurst, C McGing, A Lydon; M Corbett, A Loftus, S McGing; C Egan, M Carter; M McGing, F McHale, N Beegan (1-0); J Hallinan (1-0), C Staunton 0-11 (nine frees), N Tierney. Subs: A Brennan for Lydon (14 mins); N Moylette for A Brennan (52 mins).
INCH ROVERS:M Hayes; M Kennedy, C Walsh, S Smiddy; J Duffy, Angela Walsh (0-1), E Ryan; O Cotter, Annie Walsh; J O'Shea, M O'Connor (0-3,two frees), Anne Marie Walsh; J Horan (1-1), A O'Shea (0-1, free), C Keohane (1-0). Subs: K Harrington for Ryan (46 ); S Nolan for J O'Shea (60).
Referee:B Gallagher (Tyrone)
