Cork camp say Tipp’s ability to get goals was the difference

THERE’S one thing you’d have to credit the Cork senior camogie team with in Croke Park yesterday. They were good losers, as gracious in defeat as the Kilkenny hurlers were the previous Sunday.

Manager John Considine readily acknowledged that Tipperary were the better team, conceding that the essential difference was the champions’ ability to get goals. So did gallant team captain Stephanie Dunlea.

Nobody was more upset by the outcome than the Cork captain.

Her disappointment was compounded by having to undergo a mandatory drugs test immediately after she came off the field.

In all, four girls - two from each side - had to subject themselves to a test that’s even considered degrading for men.

Stephanie was understandably upset when she eventually made her way to the dressing-room, more than half-an-hour after the game had finished.

But she sportingly agreed to this interview, even after she was given the option of not talking.

“To be fair, the better team won on the day. But I’m very proud of everybody,” she said after composing herself.

“We fought very well, but we just couldn’t score. Goals win games and they got goals.

“They took their chances, but we couldn’t seem to get past them.”

The opening goal proved particularly important, she agreed, coming after a ball rebounded off goalkeeper Aoife Murray when she came off her line to meet it. “There were three or four of us around and she went around the side. Emer McDonnell was in my way and I couldn’t get around fast enough. It was just the way it fell. Deirdre Hughes always gets goals in a game. That was the only one she did get - but it was crucial for Tipperary. They got another in the second half and after that we were chasing the game.”

John Considine felt that while his team was “slightly on top” at the start, possession-wise, they just couldn’t get the scores.

“We never really played as well as we could play, we never really got going. But we were playing against a very good team.

“We had held out until they got their first goal. You are never going to keep a full-forward line like that scoreless. The second one came after a strange (refereeing) decision, let’s say. But, to be honest, we never looked like getting goals and they did. Una O’Dwyer was outstanding at full-back.

“She didn’t have one of her better games in the semi-finals but today she was just a colossus.

“We had four different players on her and she saw all of them off. She’s an outstanding player.

“I thought we held their full-forward line well, except that we just couldn’t seem to convert possession to scores. They had 1-6 by half-time and only one wide, whereas we had four wides.”

Considine still felt that his team was still in the game at half-time, and was encouraged when they got the first two scores on the resumption. But after that, progress was minimal.

“We just couldn’t go up a gear, up to a different level. There are a lot of young girls involved and that experience will stand to them in the long run.”