Dublin goals crucial as brave Rebels lose first final
MATCH ANALYSIS
By Daire Walsh
IT wasn’t to be for the Cork ladies at Croke Park as they tasted defeat in an All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship decider for the very first time.
Cork manager Ephie Fitzgerald was doing his best to downplay the significance of the rivalry between the two counties, but there is no doubt that Dublin (who were hoping to seal back-to-back Brendan Martin Cups) were motivated by their heartbreaking defeats to the Leesiders in previous All-Ireland finals.
Three consecutive reversals to Cork from 2014-2016 left Dublin with some demons to exorcise and Cork’s impeccable championship record in this fixture potentially offered them a psychological advantage.
Their final meeting four years ago was a particularly noteworthy affair, as Cork recovered from a 10-point deficit on 45 minutes to claim the Brendan Martin Cup by the slenderest of margins (2-13 to 2-12).
While Dublin were never able to develop a lead of that magnitude, it was abundantly clear they had learnt the lessons of past finals.
It was another historic day for the LGFA, with last season’s record-breaking attendance of 46,286 being surpassed by a considerable distance. A crowd of 50,141 descended upon GAA HQ for the latest showdown between the Leinster and Munster maestros.
Tied on 11 titles with Kerry, the Rebelettes were hoping to overtake their arch provincial rivals at the top of the competition’s roll of honours. Although goal-scoring opportunities were at more of a premium than they were for the intermediate and junior showdowns, Dublin’s ability to raise green flags at pivotal junctures ultimately gave them a crucial edge over their southern counterparts.
After overcoming a shaky start, Cork found themselves in the ascendancy on 13 minutes. Yet, following her equalising score at the end of the first-quarter, lethal Dublin skipper Sinead Aherne cooly slotted a penalty beyond the reach of Martina O’Brien.
Dublin’s ability to find gaps inside the Cork defence gave them a considerable foothold in attack and they also had a 100% success rate off their first-half restarts. By comparison, the high press of their opponents led to Cork losing three of their nine kick-outs in the opening 30 minutes.
They managed to posed a number of questions to the Sky Blues, though, and subsequently restored parity in spectacular style. Beara’s Aine O’Sullivan was one of their best performers on the day and her fierce strike at a right-hand angle found the far corner of the Dublin net in the 23rd-minute.
The unerring dead-ball accuracy of Orla Finn was also aiding their cause and, despite having just seven starters from their most recent All-Ireland triumph (Dublin began with 14 of last year’s team), there was a sense the team was beginning to grow in stature.
Unfortunately, another hammer blow followed in the closing moments of the half. Despite not getting her name on the scoresheet, 2017 Footballer of the Year Noelle Healy made a considerable impact on the play.
She picked out Olwen Carey at the end of a piercing run through the heart of the Cork rearguard – and the industrious midfielder set-up Carla Rowe for a clinical finish. Four points adrift at the midway stage – 2-6 to 1-5 – the Leeside management looked to their bench for some inspiration.
Seven days on from featuring in the county’s magnificent All-Ireland senior camogie, centre-forward Libby Coppinger made way for teenage prodigy Saoirse Noonan. The Republic of Ireland soccer international has amassed an extraordinary tally of 6-11 off the bench in this year’s Championship, showcasing the kind of skills that had marked her out as a serious underage talent.
She was entering a different environment than the one encountered en route to the final, but it was a much sharper Cork side that took the field for the second half. In addition to getting on top of the kick-outs (a miscued Dublin effort almost produced a game-changing goal for Eimear Scally), Cork also forced a number of turnovers inside their own ’45’.
This allowed them to break forward at pace – and draw a number of frees within kicking range. Finn’s seventh point of the tie on 48 minutes cut the gap to the bare minimum (2-8 to 1-10), with momentum beginning to swing in Cork’s direction.
Yet, when it came to the crunch, Dublin grabbed a third goal to ultimately determine the outcome of the contest. Like their previous three-pointers, it was the support play of the Sky Blues attack that left Cork reeling. At the end of a prolonged move, Lyndsey Davey (who was in search of a third Celtic Cross) released Rowe for another emphatic strike to the net.
Though Cork continued to fight until the bitter end – a Doireann O’Sullivan point smashed against the woodwork – Dublin’s ability to hold onto possession ensured they weren’t susceptible to a late blitz.
It was a disappointing conclusion to the Championship for a county that has become accustomed to success, especially in light of last week’s outstanding success. However, with 16 players in their squad aged 21 or younger, there is no reason they can’t challenge for the 12th All-Ireland crown in 2019.