Praise
McMullen: “it’s what we expected”
BY DAIRE WALSH
Three years on from their success in the All-Ireland Junior ‘A’ decider, Kildare moved even further up the Camogie ladder with an impressive 2-11 to 1-5 victory over Laois in the Premier Junior Camogie Final at Croke Park last Sunday.
Speaking in the tunnel of the Hogan Stand after their magnificent triumph, Kildare supremo Jim McMullen revealed that the Lilywhite players met the expectations of the management team on the day, and also praised the determination that they showed after Grace O’Neill’s 32nd minute goal for Laois.
“I hate to sound arrogant, but it’s what we expected. We did really believe that we could win here today. Everything that we planned, went to plan. Everything that we talked about kind of worked out for us. Even when they got the goal, the girls just said ‘no, this is not going to happen’,” McMullen remarked.
“We went down and replied with two goals, which absolutely knocked the stuffing out of Laois. We talked about it at half-time, we thought it might happen. We thought they would change their tactics. We knew that the centre-back would move to centre-forward. We kind of had it in our head what to do. It all worked out to plan, which is great.”
Those two quick-fire majors by Susie O’Carroll were crucial in determining the final outcome of this finale, and having anticipated that Laois would emerge with all guns blazing upon the resumption, Moorefield clubman McMullen was delighted to see his side respond in such emphatic style.
“You saw it after 10/15 minutes, they went defensive and put in a sweeper. We reacted to that, and said we’ll hold it out until half-time. We talked about it at half-time what they may or may not do. What happened is exactly what we thought might happen. Not conceding the goal, but certainly the moves they made. We were ready to counteract it, and the girls responded in kind then. Getting two goals was just superb.”
Although all bar one of the team were playing in Croke Park for the first time there was never a sense that they were overawed by the occasion.
“I would safely say they were more nervous for the semi-final. They really were because the way the whole competition panned out, we didn’t plan it that way, but it worked out for us the fact that Laois beat us in the first game. It then meant that we would more than likely play Down, and that’s what we geared towards,” added McMullen.
“Siobhan’s first score settled us, but we were under no illusions about what we were up against. We are under no doubt about what we are capable of,” commented Kildare captain Clodagh Flanagan.
“We knew that Laois weren’t going to give up that easily. Susie is on fire, she’s playing absolutely excellent, and we know that we can rely on her.”