ANALYSIS
Players’ close bond finally thunders them to their final heroics
Daire Walsh
AFTER the agony of the past four seasons, Mourneabbey finally got to experience the joy of winning in Parnell Park on Saturday evening.
It has been long overdue for a thoroughly resilient bunch and they left the ghosts of finals past firmly in the shadows with a measured and clinical performance against Dublin and Leinster kingpins Foxrock/Cabinteely.
They were full value for their six-point win (1-13 to 1-7) and when you factor in the number of second half goal chances they generated, it could have been even more emphatic.
The close ties that bond this group together cannot be underestimated and it appeared to stand them in good stead amidst the wet and windy conditions at the Donnycarney venue.
Mourneabbey boss Shane Ronayne – whose decision to stay on for another season is now well and truly justified – largely kept faith with the side who fell short to the Cora Staunton-inspired Carnacon in last year’s final.
Fourteen of the starting line-up were retained for this showdown – Sandra Conroy’s inclusion at the expense of defender Emma Coakley being the only change in personnel.
Indeed, 11 of his team were starting their fourth senior club final – while Roisin O’Sullivan is a surviving member of the All-Ireland junior and intermediate successes of 2005 and 2007, respectively. The defensive stalwart acknowledged in the build-up to this contest they had underperformed in previous showpiece reversals to Termon, Donaghmoyne and Carnacon.
Foxrock have also come unstuck against the giants of the club scene in recent campaigns, meaning something had to give in this novel final encounter.
Mourneabbey were conquerors of the Metropolitans at the 2017 semi-final stage – their gripping affair at Bray Emmet’s ultimately decided after extra-time.
As the final scoreline (4-5 to 0-15) suggests, goals proved to be the key to Mourneabbey’s victory on that occasion. It was an entirely different scenario in their latest battle – the long-distance accuracy of the Leesiders helping them to establish a firm foothold in the play.
Although the fifth-minute sin-binning of Foxrock’s Emma McDonagh gave them significant leeway, they registered eight points off their opening nine shots at goal. The only wide they posted in this period was in the direct aftermath of McDonagh’s temporary dismissal. A Doireann O’Sullivan free drifted past the target, but she made amends almost immediately by nailing a difficult set-piece.
A jubilant Ronayne stated after the game that, in comparison to their cautious approach in the early stages of their previous finals, a decision was made to force Fox/Cab on the back-foot from the opening moments of the action. What was perhaps most impressive about Mourneabbey’s display, however, was the balance they achieved between defence and attack. They constantly hunted in packs to deny Foxrock the space they crave and executed a number of turnovers that quickly transitioned into scoring opportunities at the far end.
Even when Foxrock attempted to settle upon McDonagh’s return, Mourneabbey registered 1-3 without reply to give themselves a healthy cushion. Doireann O’Sullivan moved into space to capitalise on Aisling Tarpey’s short kick-out and the gamble paid off for the Rebelettes star. She set-up Laura Fitzgerald for a smooth palmed finish, and though Fiona Claffey broke their resistance with a superb three-pointer, it wasn’t enough to dampen the Mourneabbey mood.
Leading by nine points on the resumption – 1-12 to 1-3 – a different approach was needed from Ronayne’s charges. Despite not cutting loose to the same degree as the opening half-hour of the proceedings, Mourneabbey remained in control of their own destiny.
The key to them seeing out the game – and preventing Foxrock from building any sort of sustained momentum – was their ability to retain possession for long spells. Before the hard-working Eimear Harrington rattled the crossbar with a close-range piledriver, they held onto the ball for over a minute.
Player of the Year nominee Ciara O’Sullivan fired against the woodwork at the end of the same sequence – preceding Harrington’s wayward penalty in the 44th-minute. Harrington lost her footing under the greasy surface as she stepped forward to negotiate this spot-kick, and with the spectre of a hammering looming large if any of these shots had found the back of the net, Foxrock realised there was potential hope on the horizon. Harrington put Mourneabbey’s mind at rest with a well-worked point, though, re-establishing their nine-point lead in the process. Though this was their sole score of the second period, it put paid to any notions of a sterling Foxrock fightback.
Amy Ring’s late three-point salvo added a more favourable reflection to the final scoreline, but they came away knowing they were beaten by a far superior outfit on the day.
In spite of the 1-8 Doireann O’Sullivan and Fitzgerald conjured between them, Mourneabbey’s heroics can we put down to a collective operation rather than any individual feats.
With a sizeable weight off their shoulders, the sky may well be the limit for the new All-Ireland champions. However, before they focus on 2019 and beyond, they can bask in their groundbreaking journey to the promised land of ladies club football.