'We did target goals' says Ger Manley as second half surge sends Cork to All-Ireland camogie title

The Rebels hit two goals, both in the second half of a gripping showdown in Croke Park to secure the silverware.

GOALS WIN GAMES: Cork's Manager Ger Manley celebrates after the match. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady

Ger Manley said Cork went after goals in Sunday’s All-Ireland senior camogie championship final.

Galway hadn’t conceded any green flags in their three Group 1 championships outings against Cork, Waterford and Tipperary, and had also kept a clean sheet against Kilkenny in the semi-final.

The winners hit two, both in the second half of a gripping showdown in Croke Park.

“We did target goals,” the victorious manager acknowledged.

“We’ve only conceded one goal in the championship. It was against Galway (group) and it was late. We probably should have got four goals, it was above in Athenry, we were exceptionally good that day.

“We got a couple against Tipp. We target goals all the time. Turnovers and targeting breaks.

“We were disappointed in the first half, we didn’t get the ball into our full-forward line. We have an exceptionally good full forward line. (Sorcha) McCartan is not far off Player of the Year, she’s been so good. 

"Amy O’Connor is lethal. Órlaith Cahalane, we call her Messi, she has time on the ball constantly. You saw the goal she got – did she panic? No, sauntered in and flashed it into the corner.

“Saoirse McCarthy (for the first goal) caught a great ball in front of me and she just went, like the Red Sea they separated, and she went straight. Nobody touched her. I couldn’t believe it for a Galway team to let her through.

“We felt there were goals against their full back line.”

He believed a few tactical switches changed the direction of the game.

“We pushed up on Ciara Hickey, put (Ashling) Thompson on her and I think that nullified her a good bit. She has been the dominant player in their defence all year.

"We played against her in the 23s and she was very good. I don’t know what it is in camogie everybody seems to sit back against one of the better teams and leave a loose player.

“Méabh Murphy was very good for us but she wasn’t as effective as a sweeper as we would like her to have been because Galway were playing the ball out the wings. So what we did was we pushed up on Ciara, Thompson went centre forward, Millie Condon went to midfield – Millie Condon has been phenomenal for us this year.

“Laura Hayes I think has been the move of the year for us bringing her from the half back line into midfield.

“In the second half we went back in with three in the full forward line and it made a difference.”

Sorcha McCartan performed admirably on the biggest stage, and this despite a broken finger.

“She broke it against Tipp in the first ten minutes. She broke her ankle last year against Galway in the league final and she was out for 12 weeks, and she came back. She’s been unbelievably good for us this year.

"She cramped up a bit near the end. We’d to mind her there in the last two weeks, training-wise. But her hurling – I think she got three or four points. She’s been phenomenally good for us.

"And listen, we gave her a big break at the start of the year, because of the pressure of playing inter-county. These girls, they put so much more in than the lads, do you know what I mean? It's easy for the lads.

“They pay for a lot of stuff themselves. The county board is very good, all right, but we do have to do that type of stuff. They fundraise. We’ve a great sponsor in Keary’s, they’re so good to us. There’s been a lot of good will, especially in the last six to eight weeks towards the camogie.”

Having to overcome adversity made the victory sweeter.

“Everybody did a job. Do you know what I mean? We lost some great players last year. You know, icons like the Mackeys and Laura Treacy; the two girls that went to Australia were huge losses - Hannah Looney, and Aoife Healy was in her prime, she’s still under 23.

"They all texted me this morning and I was talking to Laura Treacy during the week.”