by Kevin Egan
Sarsfields will look to win their fourth AIB All-Ireland senior club title in what will be their eighth final in nine years on Sunday week, against Clare’s Truagh-Clonlara in Croke Park, and manager Michael McGrath hailed the 1-16 to 3-9 win over Loughgiel Shamrocks yesterday as a victory that was every bit as impressive as anything they’ve done throughout this incredible run of success.
“One of the greatest games of all time,” was how he described the contest at Kingspan Breffni, where first quarter goals from Caitrín Dobbin, Róisín McCormick and Lucia McNaughton plunged the Galway side into a crisis.
“Three sucker punches in the first 15 minutes, I don’t think there’s a team in Ireland that would come back from it” McGrath claimed.
“We were playing against the breeze in the second half and were four points down at half-time. We kept coming and kept coming, without getting any goal, they kept taking the points. They were so patient and focussed, they’re amazing girls.”
Caoimhe Kelly’s superb point from the left wing in the 60th minute gave Sarsfields their first lead of the game, with Player of the Match Siobhán McGrath and McCormick trading frees in injury time.
Collecting her award, McGrath – daughter of the manager – said there was no panic in the group when they turned around with a 3-4 to 1-6 deficit.
“In fairness, there was no banging hurls in the dressing room” said the full forward.
“That’s five semi-finals now that we’ve won by a point, these girls don’t quit. We weren’t too disappointed because we played well in the last ten minutes of the first half, it was just the first 20 where we were asleep. And we were only four down, which is nothing in camogie.”
In contrast to the perennial contenders from east Galway, Clonlara-Truagh of Clare continue to break new ground, and they will be the first team from the Banner County to compete for the Bill and Agnes Carroll Cup on Sunday week.
Áine O’Loughlin, Aoibhinn Marren and Becky Foley struck the last three points of the game to seal an 0-11 to 0-9 win over St. Vincent’s at Walsh Park.
“We talk about losing county finals in Clare, it wasn’t long ago that we were at intermediate level in our own club. We also lost three or four semi-finals, but once we got over that barrier, there was no stopping this team,” said former Clare coach Ryan Morris, who is now in his fourth year at the helm of the side from his home parish.
“When Sarsfields (Cork) beat us last year and went on to win Munster, it gave us great belief inside our group that we could go on and do something similar.”
This game was level five times over the course of the hour. Dublin stars Aisling Maher and Anna Sullivan got some key scores before half-time to help St Vincent’s lead by 0-7 to 0-4 at the break, albeit after playing with the aid of the breeze, and the advantage shifted back towards the South Clare side when two points each for O’Loughlin and Eimear Kelly nudged them into the lead.
A stunning save from Dara Cooke to deny Foley left the Dubliners in the game and they led with just over five minutes to play, Sullivan taking the lead score, before Truagh-Clonlara found their big finish.
“It’s an absolute dream, it’s not often a small club gets the chance to have days like these,” said Morris. “To get the opportunity to play in Croke Park, and the way they performed today, they just left everything out there. They just don’t know when to stop.
“Myself and my wife are supposed to go on our honeymoon on the weekend of the All-Ireland final, that’s not happening now anyway! New York will always be there, All-Ireland finals don’t come along too often!”
The intermediate decider will share the Croke Park stage on Sunday December 15, and that will be another Connacht versus Munster clash between Ahascragh-Caltra and 2021 All-Ireland junior champions Clanmaurice.
Sarah Noone struck a stoppage time equaliser to send Ahascragh-Caltra’s semi-final clash with Eglish to extra-time, then her long-range free found the net to reel in the Tyrone side in extra-time before she struck the winner from a 50 metre free, making it 1-8 to 0-10 at the final whistle.
Jackie Horgan, Patrice Diggin and Eimear Hassett led the scoring charge for Clanmaurice, who conceded late goals to Jessie Quinlan and Clodagh Tynan of St. Brigid’s (Laois) but still held on, 1-15 to 2-10, in Bansha.
It was much more clearcut in the junior ranks, where Granemore overcame Oran by 2-9 to 1-3 in Ballyshannon and Ciara Byrne hit 1-9 in Knockananna’s 1-16 to 1-6 win over Modeligo. The Junior B final will be a novel clash between Naomh Treasa of Dungannon and Glasgow’s Crann Creíge, after they enjoyed 3-7 to 0-4 and 3-11 to 0-11 wins over Annacurra (Wicklow) and Pádraig Pearses (Roscommon) respectively.
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