AIB All-Ireland Senior Club Ladies Football Championship semi-final:
St Ergnat’s, Moneyglass (Antrim) 1-12 Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin) 1-10
Photographs: Elaine Kelly
Moneyglass wrote their names in the history books today when they pulled off one of the biggest shocks in the history of LGFA by beating Dublin and Leinster champions Kilmacud Crokes in the All Ireland Senior Ladies semi-final at Kilmacud’s home ground Pairc de Burca.
The never-say-die attitude that has epitomised Charlie O’Kane’s side over recent seasons finally paid the dividends their efforts deserved when they beat Errigal Ciaran to collect a first Ulster title last month.
The Antrim and Ulster champions, who went into the game as rank outsiders, battled from start to finish and when they went in at half time trailing by just two points, it was clear that they were not the underdogs everyone had painted them.
With club legend Cathy Carey and Maria O’Neill leading the line the Ulster champions cancelled out early score from the Dublin champions with one apiece at the other end.
The South Dublin outfit moved back ahead with two points from Michelle Davoren and one from Cotter, but two from the evergreen Cathy Carey and one from O’Neill restored parity and it was becoming clear that the gap in standards that many of the so called experts had talked about was not as obvious as predicted.
Crokes struck a telling blow when Daveron grabbed the opening goal of the game four minutes before the interval to move her team a goal clear, but Carey kept Moneyglass very much in touch when she sent over to leave just two between the sides at the interval.
It was clear the self-belief was growing in the Moneyglass side and things got even better when Cathy Carey moved them ahead from a free. The Moneyglass fans were in full cry at this stage and when Maria O’Neill got in for a goal they were in ecstasy, but they were brought back to earth when Cotter came back with three in a row for last year’s All Ireland finalists.
The Moneyglass girls still held a one point lead but when the referee Barry Redmond signalled there was seven minutes of injury time still to be played, the tension was unbearable. However the Moneyglass defence held on and a late score from substitute JoJo Darragh sealed their place in the All Ireland final against reigning champions Kilkerrin Clonberne at Croke Park in two weeks’ time
Scorers – St Ergnat’s, Moneyglass: C Carey 0-6 (4f), M O’Neill 1-3 (0-1f), L Stewart, E Mallon, J Darragh 0-1 each.
Kilmacud Crokes: N Cotter 0-6 (5f), M Davoren 1-2, D Egan, E Rutledge 0-1 each.
ST ERGNAT’S, MONEYGLASS: A Devlin; C Graffin, N McIntosh, L Stewart; A Leahy, S O’Neill, R Bradley; A Kelly, E Louise McAreavey; C Griffin, M O’Neill, N Neeson; B Devlin, C Carey, E Mallon. Subs: L McCann for Kelly (38), J Darragh for B Devlin (44).
KILMACUD CROKES: D Gower; P Greene, E Sweeney, C Regan; S O’Donoghue, A Kane, N Carr; D Egan, K Murray; L Kane, A Davoren, N Cotter; A Conroy, M Davoren, E Rutledge. Subs: K McDaid for L Kane (42), A Bedford for O’Donoghue (45), A O’Grady for Regan, E Kane for Conroy (both 52).
Referee: Barry Redmond (Wexford).
