O’DONOVAN ROSSA 4-9
SCARTAGLIN 3-11
GER McCARTHY REPORTS
O’DONOVAN Rossa wrote another chapter into their history book with a marvellous one-point victory at home to Scartaglin in the Munster LGFA intermediate championship semi-final at Rossa Park on Saturday.
It came down to the closing minutes but when it mattered most Fionnuala O’Driscoll fired over to edge Rossas one point clear.
Withstanding a Scartaglin fightback throughout seven minutes of nerve-jangling injury-time, the Kerry champions were awarded a late free. Shauna Tangney had already scored two penalties but failed with her attempted free and O’Donovan Rossa hung on for the tightest of victories.
O'Donovan Rossa's Fiona Leonard on a solo past Scartaglin's Emma Kerin.‘They pushed us to limits we haven’t been to before,’ match-winner Fionnuala O’Driscoll admitted.
‘Even when we went ahead, they just wouldn’t give up and never went away. They are a serious outfit and are going to do amazing at senior level in Kerry next year. We will benefit so much from this game going into the Munster final. It was an unbelievable game.’
Captain Laura O’Mahony admitted her side rode their luck at times as well as acknowledging last year’s experiences at national and provincial level – the Skibbereen team were crowned Munster and All-Ireland junior champions – helped Rossas get over the line.
‘Looking back to our All-Ireland semi-final from last year, when we were also at home, it always stands to you playing on your home pitch and where you train every single week,’ O’Mahony said.
‘Having the same place you sit in in the dressing room beforehand helps take away those nerves you might have before a big game.
‘Scartaglin never went away, they were brilliant. Every time we thought we had put them down, they came back. Our fans kept us going today. They, our management and one to 30 on the panel are who is getting us over the line every week.’
O’Donovan Rossa got off to the best possible start with Laura O’Mahony netting a goal in the game’s first attack. O’Mahony, Fionnuala O’Driacoll, Éabha O’Donovan and Kate O’Donovan points pushed Rossas seven clear after only five minutes.
Any notions of this being a walk in the park were quickly dispelled when Scartaglin roared back. A Julie Anne Barrett goal plus Leah Boyle, Emma Kerin, Abbie Brosnan, Katie Kerins and Shauna Tangey (free) points turned a 1-4 to 0-0 deficit into a 1-5 to 1-4 lead.
Scartaglen's Leah Boyle and O'Donovan Rossa's Allie Tobin in a battle for the ball during the AIB Munster LGFA Intermediate club championship semi-final at Rossa Park Skibbereen on Saturday.The scores kept coming amid a frenzied atmosphere as Kate O’Donovan palmed an Éabha O’Donovan long-range free into the net. Mallaidh O’Neill and Aoife Dunlea swapped points to send Rossas in 2-5 to 1-6 up at half time.
A second period that matched the first for both tempo and intensity saw Scartaglin awarded a penalty after 38 minutes. Kerry senior Aishling O’Connell was brought down and Shauna Tangney made no mistake from the spot.
Rossas Kate O’Donovan levelled matters once again before the visitors’ Aoife Dunlea was sent to the line for ten minutes following a yellow card offence.
Emma Kerin edged the Kerry side back in front prior to two major turning points with 15 minutes to go.
First, Fionnuala O’Driscoll and then Éabha O’Donovan’s (free) point attempts from way out the field somehow ended up in the back of Scartaglin’s net.
Admirably, the Kerry champions fought back and, amid a raucous atmosphere, saw Shauna Tangney’s second penalty and an Emma Kerin point level matters, 4-8 to 3-11, right at the death.
There was still time for Fionnuala O’Driscoll to send over a terrific point from distance and, after Tangney missed a close-range injury-time free, O’Donovan Rossa held on to win by the narrowest of margins.
‘This win will stand to us, hopefully,’ O’Donovan Rossa manager James O’Donovan insisted.
‘A game like today sharpens you up more than 20 training sessions. Again, we need to be better the next day out to win a Munster title.
‘Our first ten minutes were exceptional. We shot out of the blocks, 1-4 without reply, and thought we were going to have an easy day, to be honest with you.
‘We are on some roll. We are using the momentum of that roll to get over the line as we are winning games by a point. You need luck and we had lots of luck today. You still need heart and an awful lot of courage too though. These girls have plenty of that.’
Scorers - O’Donovan Rossa: F O’Driscoll 1-3; É O’Donovan 1-2 (1-1f); K O’Donovan 1-2; L O’Mahony 1-1; M O’Neill 0-1.
Scartaglin: S Tangney 2-1 (2-0 pens, 1f); J A Barrett 1-1; E Kerin 0-3; A Dunlea 0-2; L Boyle, A Brosnan, K Kerins, A O’Connell 0-1 each.
O’Donovan Rossa: E Hayes; M Donnellan, A Whooley, A Tobin; F Leonard, S Hurley, L Harte; L O’Mahony, T Murphy; J Beechinor, K O’Donovan, E McCarthy; É O’Donovan, F O’Driscoll, M O’Neill. Subs: E Byrne for S Hurley (44), A O’Driscoll for J Beechinor (50), S Farrell for T Murphy (58).
Scartaglin: E O’Callaghan; T Kerin, J Brosnan, R O’Sullivan; K Sugrue, A O’Connell, K Kerins; A Dunlea, J Lawlor; A Brosnan, D Dunlea, E Kerin; J A Barrett, L Boyle, S Tangney: Subs: M Rahilly for J A Barrett (50), C O’Connor for K Kerins (52), F Nelligan Maguire for A Brosnan (55).
Referee: Patrick Smith (Waterford).
