By Daragh Ó Conchúir at Croke Park
Cork 2-14
Galway 0-19
Cork are back on the summit of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie championship, goals in the 39th and 46th minutes by Saoirse McCarthy and Orlaith Cahalane propelling the Rebels to a 31st title in front of a record crowd of 33, 419.
It seems a long time ago now since they lost in the League to Antrim on home territory, though the Saffrons illustrated their calibre by sauntering to the intermediate crown earlier in the day.
Still, it has been a serious rebuilding job by Ger Manley and his mentors.
That said, at the interval, as they trailed by 0-9 to 0-7, you would have said that the better team was in front.
Galway had come into the game with injury concerns and the gamble of starting Niamh Mallon did not pay off as the Sarsfields ace aggravated a shoulder inflicted initially against the same opponents in the group stages early on. She departed in the 14th minute.
The hugely influential Ciara Hickey suffered a knee injury in the second half and that certainly had an impact when she left the fray at the three-quarter mark.
Cork had hit the front by then, one should note, McCarthy slamming to the roof of the net after an audacious hop of the sliotar off the sod to make it 1-11 to 0-11.
The excellent Niamh Niland pointed at the other end but from Amy Lee’s lengthy puckout, the fantastic Sorcha McCartan got a flick on. Orlaith Cahalane had taken the chance and with that heavenly touch she possesses, controlled first time, and once the ball was in her paw, she was always going to find that gaping far corner. Low and deadly.
Five points was now the margin and with Hickey gone, the supply to Niland and the equally outstanding Caoimhe Kelly, had dried up.
They created a couple of half-chances of goals but nothing really gilt-edged. As ever, Carrie Dolan would not accept defeat. Aoife Donohue brought the warrior mode too but Dolan was truly heroic, winning primary possession, carrying, holding back the tide.
Cork were more than happy to give away frees, which she would convert, rather than allow her build up a head of steam. They had earned that right by building an advantage.
Given some of the collisions she had been involved in – receiving and inflicting – it was a marvellous effort by the Galway skipper, but in truth, that could be said of many others, including Cork’s Laura Hayes. And when that duo met, the sparks flew. It was wonderful to watch.
Point by point, Galway edged back. Isobel Sheehan, looking like a veteran rather than someone playing her first final, had been so poised throughout and came up with a massive hook to prevent a shot on goal.
An injury to McCartan was a factor at the other end, even though the minimum five minutes of injury time – it finished at seven – was just about to begin when she had to be substituted.
Cork led by four at that juncture, however, and lost four long puckouts in that period.
At the death, another foul and Galway had a free just outside the arc. Cathal Murray gave goalkeeper Sarah Healy the call. It was a one in a million shot, with 28 players between her and the rigging.
Unfortunately for her, she got under the shot as she went for power and it flew over.
With that Gavin Donegan blew the whistle and delirium ensured.
The ferocity of the first half was what we have become accustomed to, but it still made you wince and think of D’Unbelievables. If Cork were knocked out of their stride this year, they were ready for the war this time.
They were finding little change in attack, though, particularly once Hickey settled into proceedings and started feeding balls, left and right. Kelly and Niland were unerring and Dolan lofted a stupendous score from tight to the Hogan Stand touchline, following a deft side step.
Cork needed frees to stay in touch, four from Amy O’Connor and one from McCarthy but McCartan was a big outlet, showing well, and her ability to make a nonsense of angles and distance got her the Rebels’ only scores from play in that period.
Trailing by two points at the break was probably a win for the Leesiders and they thundered out of the traps on the resumption, the tireless Emma Murphy beginning a run of four out of five points for her side.
Suddenly, they were ahead and Niamh McPeake needed a lovely finish to bring the teams level on 0-11 apiece.
It was from that puckout though, that McCarthy goaled with typical genius and Cork put the pedal to the metal. At the same time, they were beginning to exert pressure in the middle third and further back, Libby Coppinger was a model of consistency.
Cahalane’s green flag put clear daylight between them.
Galway were always going to come back but they had left themselves too much to do. That they gave this game so much will be of no consolation to them, however.
To the victors, the spoils.
SCORERS FOR CORK: S McCarthy 1-2(0-1f); A O’Connor 0-5fs; S McCartan 0-4; O Cahalane 1-1; L Hayes, E Murphy 0-1 each
SCORERS FOR GALWAY: C Dolan 0-5(4fs); N Niland 0-4; C Kelly, A Donohue 0-3 each; N McPeake, D Higgins, M Dillon, S Healy(f) 0-1 each
CORK: A Lee, I O’Regan, L Coppinger, M Cahalane, A Fitzgerald, M Murphy, I Sheehan, A Thompson, L Hayes, E Murphy, S McCarthy, M Condon, A O’Connor, S McCartan, O Cahalane. Subs: O Mullins for E Murphy (56), H Ryan for McCartan inj (60+1)
GALWAY: Sarah Healy, K Manning, R Black, R Hannify, D Higgins, C Hickey, K A Porter, A Hesnan, C Dolan, A Donohue, N McPeake, N Mallon, N Niland, A O’Reilly, C Kelly. Subs: J Hughes for Mallon (temporary 17), Á Keane for Dolan (17-19), Shauna Healy for Manning (42), Keane for Hickey inj (45), M Dillon for O’Reilly (52), S Corcoran for Hughes (57)
REFEREE: Gavin Donegan (Dublin)
