O’Reilly says half-time talk got Rebels focused
The reigning All-Ireland champions had dragged themselves from the field at half-time, 1-7 to 0-4 adrift of Dublin. Their wides tally had moved into double figures, 11, the number of unforced errors beyond count.
In their 11 years together under Eamonn Ryan, this first-half horror show ranked among the worst displays ever produced. As they contemplated the crossroads at which they had arrived, Angela Walsh stood up and moved into the centre of the room. The dual player had been here before, two weeks ago to be exact.
Trailing Kilkenny by five-points, Cork had yet to leave the blocks in the camogie decider. Walsh’s passionate offering stoked the Rebel flame. A second plea was now required.
Centre-back Deirdre O’Reilly recalls Sunday’s interval discussion. “At half-time we were beyond disappointed with how we had played. We had only four points to show for half an hour of football. We were just not happy with that,” she said.
“We were dropping balls. They were knocking the ball out of our hands. It just didn’t happen for us. Sometimes that happens. Unfortunately it happened for us during the first half of an All-Ireland final.
“The camogie team were well down at half-time, playing terrible in the first-half of their All-Ireland final. They then came out and had a superb run in the second-half. Angela had a great chat to us as to what they did coming out.
“We said at half-time to leave it behind us. We were after playing absolutely brutal football, we couldn’t have played any worse. There was no negativity from Eamonn. He said whatever was after happening was after happening. He said to just put on a performance and show them ye can play football. If we had lost after putting on a performance then we were beaten by a better team.”
Cork dominated the opening exchanges of the second period, but further wastefulness cost them dearly — Valerie Mulcahy, Geraldine O’Flynn and Bríd Stack swelling their wides tally. The frustration heightened.
“We went 10 points down and I thought that was the end of us. I thought we were finished. I thought we had eight [All-Irelands] and we would have to be content with that. I thought it was gone. Two years ago we played Dublin in the quarter-final and they came out after half-time and got three goals and went eight ahead. We came back and we beat them by a couple of points. We just dug deep, deep as we possibly we could.”
Rhona Ní Bhuachalla’s goal on 44 minutes kick-started this latest comeback effort, five of the next six scores arriving at the Hill 16 end. At what stage did O’Reilly believe victory had moved within their grasp.
“We got the first goal and you know seven points is a hell of a lot better than 10 points.We chipped away at it and then all of a sudden we were only three points down. There was this possibility of winning. We got the second goal and it was level.”
O’Reilly’s superb catch in fielding Clíodhna O’Connor’s kick-out instigated the move which concluded with Geraldine O’Flynn landing the winning score.
“I didn’t really know if I wanted to laugh or cry when the ball went over,” continues the 30-year old fitness instructor. “There was still a minute and a half left. It was the longest minute and a half of my life. It was never-ending. Then it did end and I still didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. That comeback is definitely one for the books.”
O’Reilly, in her 16th campaign in the red and white, collected a ninth Celtic cross. And no intention has she of departing the scene.
“If Henry [Shefflin] goes again next year I don’t know what I will do,” she jokes of a possible tenth All-Ireland medal in 2015. “I have no intention of stopping now. We will look ahead to next year when January swings around.”
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