TG4 ALL-IRELAND SENIOR LADIES FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

TG4 ALL-IRELAND SENIOR LADIES FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL CORK 1-7 ARMAGH 1-6

Cork have retained the All Ireland Ladies Senior Football
title after a storming second-half comeback saw them defeat Armagh
by the slimmest of margins at Croke Park on Sunday afternoon.

The Rebelettes were expecting a tough challenge from last year’s
junior champions and they weren’t disappointed as the Orchard women
bossed the first period – their physicality and speed seeming to
catch Cork by surprise.

It was the Cork women who scored first though with an early point
giving them a lead that they held for the bones of ten minutes as
the senior debutants struggled to find their shooting boots.

That all changed midway through the first period though as the
Armagh midfield asserted their strength. Three points in quick succession
were swiftly followed by a goal from the boot of Mairead Tennyson
who blasted past a backpeddling Elaine Harte in the Cork goal to
give the northerners a 1-3 to 0-1 advantage.

Cork were finding scores difficult to come by with the simplest
of chances seeming to drift wide, short or into the grateful arms
of Fiona McAtamney in the Armagh goal.

They did manage to get back to within a goal courtesy of some good
work by Nollaig Cleary but they should have had a major of their
own when Angela Walsh found herself with just the keeper to beat
directly in front of posts.

The green flag eluded her though as McAtamney hared out of her
goal to smother the shot which rebounded into the hands of Valerie
Mulcahy who shot wide.

McAtamney was lucky rather than skillful minutes later when a high
ball from the left wing dropped late and bounced of the corner of
the crossbar and back into her path allowing her to clear.

At half time the game was lying in Armagh’s favour as they led
1-4 to 0-3.

Matters were firmly reversed in the second period though as the
Rebels took to the field with renewed vigour.

Points from Juliet Murphy and Caoimhe Creedon narrowed the margin
to two and they got a fortuitous break when, after receiving a yellow
card, Armagh half back Caoimhe Marley was sin-binned for ten minutes
leaving the Orchard defence vulnerable for the first time in the
game.

With 16 minutes remaining Nollaig Cleary struck again, this time
raising the green flag with a second-time goal effort that dipped
over an unlucky McAtamney who had saved Creedon’s first effort seconds
earlier.

One minute later Armagh registered their first score of the second
half to bring themselves back on level terms with Cork.

Unfortunately for them, the momentum was with Cork and further
points from Amanda Murphy and Geraldine O’Flynn put light between
the sides again, despite a brief stoppage when Cork had 16 players
on the field.

Armagh goalscorer Mairead Tennyson struck once more for the Orchard
women but with the seconds counting down they couldn’t find the
equalising score and Cork won their second title in as many years
with seven of their players claiming an impressive double double
as members of both the 2005 and 2006 victorious camogie and ladies
football teams.