27 November 2007 Never say die spirit brings Mourneabbey back from the brink Share this Article 0 0 0 Shares! 0 Shares! 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 OCallaghan 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 OSullivan and Laura Harrington seemed to deflate them a little, as the Derry girls hit a purple patch, after Sile OCallaghan 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 OCallaghan, Ciara OSullivan 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 OBrien who had an excellent game all through, after a series of passes between the OSullivan 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 OSullivan 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 OBrien 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 Mourneabbeys 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 OSullivan, Roisin OSullivan, Kathleen OBrien and an equalising free from Jenny McCarthy, the giving of which was fortunate enough after OBrien under pressure had shot wide. In a welter of excitement Mourneabbey kept the momentum going, again it was the inter passing of the OSullivan 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 OSullivan was named player of the match but Kathleen OBrien could not have been far behind. Scorers Kathleen OBrien 1-3. Jenny McCarthy 0-3, Ciara OSullivan Roisin OSullivan Siobhan Forde 0-2 each Sile OCallaghan 0-1 Laura Harrington 0-1 Team Emma Forde Rebecca Larkin, KathyAnn Stack, Eimear Harrington, Ciara Harrington, Catherine Coakley, Patricia Murphy, Sheila OCallaghan, Roisin OSullivan, Siobhan Forde, Laura Harrington, Ciara OSullivan, Eva ODonoghue, Kathleen OBrien, Jenny McCarthy Sandra Conroy, Leona Behan, Niamh ORegan, Brid OSullivan, Claire Owens, Paula Stack Aoife Daly, Mairead Rea, Sinead Coakley Share this Article 0 0