Rebels edge gripping battle

THEY got knocked down but they got up again. Cork reclaimed the Brendan Martin Cup at Croke Park yesterday just over a year after a quarter-final defeat to Tyrone loosened their grip on a trophy that had come to feel like something of a birthright.

This was title number six in just seven years but the joy of victory was tempered by the early departure of captain Amy O’Shea soon after the interval with what appears to be the third cruciate ligament injury of her career.

O’Shea did at least have the not insignificant consolation of accepting the cup from the Hogan Stand, which she ascended with the aid of crutches, and raised it aloft with the added satisfaction that Monaghan had made them earn their success.

Three years ago, the Ulster side lost to the same opponents by 14 points in this fixture but the majority of those players returned older and wiser and armed with the knowledge that their league win in Emyvale earlier this year was Cork’s one defeat in 2011.

As a spectacle, it took time to endear itself to its audience of just over 20,000 but it was never anything less than an engrossing arm-wrestle between two evenly-matches sides that drew level on six occasions throughout the afternoon. It was in one respect a game between opposites.

Cork dwarfed Monaghan in the pre-match parade. Only the 5ft 11ins midfielder Amanda Casey matched up to the Munster side in the physical stakes and it was little surprise to see the underdogs utilise speed and running as their weapons of choice.

And yet, the scoreboard says it all. This was a day for doggedness, for rolling up the sleeves and ploughing through the workload: something which was emphasised by the fact that most of the game’s stand-out performers were in the rearguards.

In what must be some kind of record, no player from either team scored more than once from play as marquee attackers such as Cork’s Valerie Mulcahy and Monaghan’s

Ciara McAnespie were kept largely under lock and key.

As is en vogue in the men’s game, both sides played with an extra player pulled back on defensive duties and the opening quarter was impeded further by a glut of errors from both sides which may or may not have been attributable to nerves.

For all the emphasis on life without the ball, it was ironic both of Cork’s goals came courtesy of errors made by their opponents and the first of those was what could be described as a ‘why me?’ moment from goalkeeper Linda Martin.

Juliet Murphy had just popped over a free to even the scores again when Martin attempted a short kick-out to her full-back but it was intercepted by Nollaig Cleary, who lobbed the ball over the stranded keeper and into the net.

The second arrived 13 minutes into the second half when substitute Orla Finn was dragged down impetuously in the Monaghan area by Isobel

Kierans and Rhona Ní Bhuachalla sent Martin the wrong way from the spot.

To Monaghan’s credit, neither blow sent them reeling. This was not going to be 2008 all over again.

“The girls have developed as a group throughout the year and there is a great camaraderie and inner belief,” said manager Gregory McGonigle. “We honestly thought coming down the road we were going to beat Cork.”

Three straight points was their reply to the first green flag and another pair cut into the worth of the second before midfielder Rena Buckley nipped a second mini-comeback in the bud with the game’s last score four minutes from time.

“They were excellent,” said Cork coach Eamon Ryan.

“We were very worried about their forward line because, reading the Monaghan papers, they had scored something like 18-58 or something which is an average of something like 27 points a game.

“So we asked our back line to do a job, to keep the score down and to get in the blocks and they did that because we only scored 13 points, which is exactly what we scored against them in the league when they beat us.”

Cork should have scored more. A lot more.

Cleary’s opening goal was followed up with a period of dominance that was squandered through some poor shooting and even poorer decision-making, although Monaghan will have more reason to look back with regret.

Cathriona McConnell missed their best goal chance when firing over the bar on the stroke of half time but their biggest problem was their habit of turning over possession time and again. A dozen alone were unforced.

Against a side of Cork’s class, that was always going to extract a price.

Scorers for Cork: J Murphy 0-3 (2f), R Ní Bhuachalla 1-0 (pen), N Cleary 1-0 each, G O’Flynn, G Kearney, V Mulcahy, R Buckley 0-1 each.

Scorers for Monaghan: N Kindlon, C McConnell 0-3 (2f) each; E McCarron, C McAnespie, C Mohan, L McEnaney 0-1 each.

Subs for Cork: O Finn for Mulcahy (39), N Kelly for Cleary (47), A Sheehan for Ní Bhuachalla (54), Annie Walsh for Buckley (56).

Subs for Monaghan: C O’Sullivan for O’Shea (37), I Kierans for C Courtney (26), L McEnaney for Kindlon (43), C Courtney for McCarron (48), N Mohan for Kierans (50).

Referee: J Niland (Sligo).