Mourneabbey Ladies SFC champions for ninth time in ten years
Ciara O'Sullivan, Mourneabbey, shows her team the cup. Pic: Jim Coughlan.
A ninth Cork LGFA SFC title in ten years was just reward for defending champions Mourneabbey at the expense of Éire Óg in MTU Cork on Saturday.
The third in a trilogy of county deciders between the county’s top two clubs 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.
“We are absolutely delighted even though there are certain aspects of that performance we wouldn’t be happy with,” O’Sullivan said.
“We went seven points up twice in that game but let them back into it. That just goes to show what we are capable of. Laura Walsh is only 15 but was abolsutely unbelievable today. Those young girls got us over the line.” 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.
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 another Scally free made it 0-3 to 0-2. Ellie Jack and Máire O’Callaghan handed Mourneabbey their first lead until Eimear Scally’s third free levelled matters once again.
Four unanswered Clara Lynch (free), Ellie Jack (free) and two Ciara O’Sullivan efforts made it 0-8 to 0-4. Then, two goals in as many minutes were scored at either end.
Laura Walsh reacted to a rebounded Clara Lynch effort off the crossbar to raise a Mourneabbey green flag.
Éire Óg’s response was swift with Orlaith Cahalane setting up Sadbh McGoldrick to palm to the net. Cahalane and Eimear Scally (free) 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 converting 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 drama until a swift Éire Óg move released Aishling O’Connell to net a superbly crafted goal.
Ellie Jack and Eimear Scally exchanged scores and it was 2-10 to 2-8 with 10 minutes to go.
A thrilling finale saw Doireann O’Sullivan introduced for a Mournabbey side that move three in front when Laura Walsh scored.
A cracking final was far from over however, as Eimear Scally landed three late frees to tie the score 4 minutes into injury-time. The champions had one final sting in their tail however, as Bríd O’Sullivan fisted the winner.
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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