Never say die spirit brings Mourneabbey back from the brink

Never say die spirit brings Mourneabbey back from the
brink

 

Intermediate Final

Mourneabbey Cork 1-14 Glen Derry 1-13.

This was a rip roaring game from start to finish with pure endeavour
and pure football. The game hung in the balance fro most of the
hour and there were stages mid way through the first and 2nd halves
that the Ulster girls looked home and dry. This was a game to
warm the cockles of the heart and an excellent exhibition of refereeing
by Keith Tighe was a huge influencing factor. In truth few in
the crowd and certainly among the huge Mourneabbey support, no
doubt the biggest of the day, would have begrudged Glen a second
chance. One had to feel sorry for them in the end but there can
be only one winner and that fell to a very well balanced Mourneabbey
outfit. Having scant regard for their more favoured opponents
Glen took the game to them and with some lightning runs, they
gave a glimpse of what was to follow and scored the opening point,
through Mairead Graham. Inspiring Capt Sile O’Callaghan had a
good effort for a gaol saved well but the Cork girls were level
three minutes later after a few other efforts failed to find the
range with Laura Harrington hitting over. Ursula Mullan and Jenny
McCarthy traded points and a few bad misses for goals by Ciara
O’Sullivan and Laura Harrington seemed to deflate them a little,
as the Derry girls hit a purple patch, after Sile O’Callaghan
looked in trouble with a recurring injury, they raced into a 4
point lead 6-2 after 20 minutes.

Mourneabbey sensing the danger and regrouped with points from
a recovered O’Callaghan, Ciara O’Sullivan and Siobhan and it was
back to the minimum. The Derry girls showed composure and tacked
on another point. Then the defining score of the half came from
Kathleen O’Brien who had an excellent game all through, after
a series of passes between the O’Sullivan sisters Ciara and Roisin,
finished to the net. Undaunted Glen responded with 2 points from
capt Kathy Conway who came up from defence and Nikki Burns to
send them to the dressing room 0-9 to 1-5 to the good.

The 2nd half provided a tense battle as the play swung form end
to end. Burns and Roisin O’Sullivan traded points but Burns restored
Glens advantage. The slow deliberate build up play did not yield
results for the Cork girls and they were caught on a few occasions
by the lighting fast Derry breaks. Scores were now becoming scarce
as both teams appeared to cancel each other out. Glen got a point
from Karen Kielt and Kathleen O’Brien went clean through on gaol
but her rasping shot cleared the bar and Glen took heart from
this. They then struck for what was thought to be killer blow
to Mourneabbey’s aspitrations, Michelle Cater was left isolated
and when she got the ball she ran for goal and scored a peach
of a goal on the run from all of 20 yards to put them 5 ahead
with 14 minutes to go.

It was then Mourneabbey showed their true grit they dug deep to
score 6 points without reply. Jenny McCarthy started the process
followed by Ciara O’Sullivan, Roisin O’Sullivan, Kathleen O’Brien
and an equalising free from Jenny McCarthy, the giving of which
was fortunate enough after O’Brien under pressure had shot wide.
In a welter of excitement Mourneabbey kept the momentum going,
again it was the inter passing of the O’Sullivan girls who set
up Siobhan Forde who shot the lead point. For the final few minutes
it was a case of what we have we keep, Glen did have a chance
but missed and the hooter sounded to acclaim the Cork girls champions
by the minimum.

Con Jerry Ina and Co were over the moon at their 2nd All-Ireland
win, just 2 years after their first. Ciara O’Sullivan was named
player of the match but Kathleen O’Brien could not have been far
behind.

Scorers Kathleen O’Brien 1-3. Jenny McCarthy 0-3, Ciara O’Sullivan
Roisin O’Sullivan Siobhan Forde 0-2 each Sile O’Callaghan 0-1
Laura Harrington 0-1

Team Emma Forde Rebecca Larkin, KathyAnn Stack, Eimear Harrington,
Ciara Harrington, Catherine Coakley, Patricia Murphy, Sheila O’Callaghan,
Roisin O’Sullivan, Siobhan Forde, Laura Harrington, Ciara O’Sullivan,
Eva O’Donoghue, Kathleen O’Brien, Jenny McCarthy Sandra Conroy,
Leona Behan, Niamh O’Regan, Brid O’Sullivan, Claire Owens, Paula
Stack Aoife Daly, Mairead Rea, Sinead Coakley

 

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