02 October 2006 TG4 ALL-IRELAND SENIOR LADIES FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL Share this Article 0 0 0 Shares! 0 Shares! 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. Share this Article 0 0