Dubs ‘need no incentive’ in ladies final

THIS Sunday represents a chance for redemption for seven of the Dublin Ladies football side who were beaten by Galway in this year’s thrilling All-Ireland final.

This weekend, they will backbone a Ballyboden St Enda’s team trying to deny reigning champions Donoughmore a third title in four years.

Three years ago, Donoughmore denied Ballyboden as they captured their first All-Ireland title. That day, the Dublin side lost by eight points, but Ballyboden are now more experienced at this level, particularly with the county players having reached the last two All-Irelands.

Karen Hopkins, who will skipper Ballyboden on Sunday, did not play three years ago. Back then, she was playing her football in Newry, a consequence of her work, but knows how much it will mean to those players.

“They have a psychological advantage over us, they have beaten us before, but that is just an incentive for Sunday,” Hopkins said yesterday, although half of the team won’t need any incentive.

“Coming back after losing to Galway, we were all devastated. But we came back to training with the club on the Wednesday after the final and we just decided to put it behind us.

“It was very disappointing obviously to lose your second All-Ireland in a row, but we proved with Dublin this year, it is not about how many times you get knocked down, as long as you get back up again.”

That was what drove Dublin footballers to their second successive All-Ireland and Hopkins feels it is also what drove many of the Ballyboden players.

“We came back to training and our goals changed, we had a long-term goal of reaching the All-Ireland final and winning it.

“That was to make up for losing the All-Ireland, but our first goal was to win the county final and then Leinster.”

In 2003, Ballyboden, despite their dominance in Dublin, lost the Leinster semi-final.

This year, there were no slip-ups.

“This has been coming for a few years. Last year, we got beaten in the Leinster semi-final. We knew we had it in us.

“This year, we prepared harder and worked harder and we are reaping the rewards for it. We are playing in an All-Ireland final on Sunday.”

However, there was nothing fortunate about their All-Ireland semi-final victory. Against Mayo side Carnacon, with their array of national stars, they fought back and stunned the Connacht champions.

“We were six points down in that match at one stage, but we came back. That showed to everyone how much we want to win the All-Ireland this year.”

Ballyboden St Endas’ attempt to deny Donoughmore back-to-back titles will be preceded by the All-Ireland club junior final between Kerry’s Abbeydorney and Monaghan’s Inniskeen.