Mourneabbey see off Éire Óg to claim ninth Cork LGFA senior title in 10 years
CHAMPIONS: Mourneabbey lift their 9th title in 10 years. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
A ninth Cork LGFA SFC title in the past decade was just reward for defending champions Mourneabbey at the expense of Éire Óg in MTU Cork on Saturday.
A third consecutive county decider between two of the county’s most talented lines-ups delivered a memorable encounter.
Level 2-11 apiece deep into injury-time, and with extra-time beckoning, Bríd O’Sullivan fisted the match-winning point over the bar.
Éire Óg were broken-hearted at the final whistle. Why wouldn’t they be? A third county final loss in row was hard to take for Joe Carroll’s side considering how brilliantly the Ovens club performed.
As for Mourneabbey, under Ronan McCarthy, a new-look, younger team is emerging but the trophies keep coming.
Doireann (injured) and Meabh (abroad) O’Sullivan were notable Mourneabbey absentees at throw-in as Éire Óg enjoyed a positive start.
Eimear Scally (free) and Marie O’Leary edged Éire Óg in front as their opponents lost Laura Fitzgerald to an early shoulder injury.
Clara Lynch (free) and Ciara O’Sullivan brought parity to the score before Scally’s second free made it 0-3 to 0-2.
Ellie Jack and Máire O’Callaghan scored in quick succession to hand Mourneabbey their first lead but, once again, the score was level when Eimear Scally’s third free floated over the bar.
That was the champions’ cue to find another gear. Four unanswered Clara Lynch (free), Ellie Jack (free) and two Ciara O’Sullivan efforts made it 0-8 to 0-4 coming up to half time.
Then, two goals in as many minutes were scored at either end. First, Laura Walsh reacted to a rebounded Clara Lynch effort that came back off the crossbar to raise a Mourneabbey green flag.
Creditably, Éire Óg’s response was swift with Orlaith Cahalane setting up Sadbh McGoldrick to palm to the net.
Cahalane and Eimear Scally (free) scores made it a two-point game, 1-8 to 1-6 at the break.
Clara Lynch restored Mourneabbey’s three-point advantage from a free before the same player coolly converted a penalty after Laura Walsh was brought down.
Éire Óg had little choice but to attack and a Scally free made it 2-9 to 1-6.
A scrappy third quarter produced little in terms of attacking quality until a swift Éire Óg move released Aishling O’Connell. The wing-back slipped a low shot into the back of the net to leave two between the teams.
Ellie Jack and Eimear Scally exchanged scores and it was 2-10 to 2-8 10 minutes from the end.
A thrilling finale saw Doireann O’Sullivan introduced for a Mournabbey side that move three in front when Laura Walsh scored.
The final was far from over however, as Eimear Scally landed two late frees to leave the bare minimum between the teams.
Scally went one better, scoring her eighth free to level it up once again 4 minutes into additional time.
The champions had one final sting in their tail however, as Bríd O’Sullivan fisted the winning point and Mourneabbey celebrated yet another county final success.
C Lynch 1-3 (1-0 pen, 0-3 frees), L Walsh 1-1, C O’Sullivan, E Jack (0-2 frees) 0-3 each, M O’Callaghan, B O’Sullivan 0-1 each.
E Scally 0-9 (0-8 frees), S McGoldrick, A O’Connell 1-0 each, M O’Leary, O Cahalane 0-1 each.
A Hayes; A Walsh, E Meaney, M Burke; A Ryan, K Williamson, G Cronin; M O’Callaghan, B O’Sullivan; E Jack, D Cronin, C Lynch; C O’Sullivan (captain), L Fitzgerald, L Walsh.
L Finnegan for L Fitzgerald (4, inj), R Breen for A Walsh (41), E Walsh for L Finnegan (53), D O’Sullivan for D Cronin (55).
L Crowley; A Rodgers, J O’Gorman, S Sheehan; C O’Connor, I Sheehan, A O’Connell; S McGoldrick, S Cronin; E Cleary, L Cleary, M O’Leary; O Cremin, E Scally (captain), O Cahalane.
M Cahalane for C O’Connor (ht, inj), L Murphy for M O’Leary (43), C O’Brien for L Cleary (51), A Hickey for I Sheehan (63, inj).
Peter O’Leary (Inch Rovers).
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