‘There is still some fine tuning to be done. That’s the same as always’
BY GER McCARTHY
A FOURTH consecutive All-Ireland senior camogie final appearance was attained thanks to a full Cork team effort.
At first glance, a 4-17 to 0-9 final score suggests nothing other than a hammering.
Cork’s win was far from it. The Rebels required a second and third-quarter surge to ensure a physical and committed Dublin never gained any traction.
From goalkeeper Amy Lee to half back Laura Treacy and corner forward Orlaith Cahalane, each player had to step up along with their Cork team-mates.
Lee made a first-minute penalty save and produced two other impressive stops to prevent the Dubs from raising a green flag.
‘Dublin definitely made us work hard for it, especially towards the end,’ Lee admitted.
‘We are happy now. It is another step in the right direction for us. Everyone is looking forward to the next couple of weeks.
‘As for the penalty and the other saves, that is what you train for. They are the wise words of Roy Keane. At the end of the day, that is my job. I am the last line of defence.
‘We are looking forward to it (All-Ireland final) now. Obviously, after today there is still some fine tuning to be done. That’s the same as always. We will drive it on now over the next couple of weeks.
Daughter of Cork and Castlehaven football legend Niall Cahalane, Orlaith Cahalane finished as Cork’s top scorer with 2-2. The diminutive corner forward enjoyed one of her most productive days in a Cork senior jersey.
‘It was amazing (to win) because we knew it was going to be a tougher game against Dublin coming to Nowlan Park today,’ Cahalane commented.
‘We got over the line in the end, thank God. The whole week before, we knew that we were going after this game from early on. Goals were on the minds of everyone in the full forward line. I just went for the first one. The second one, I knew Sorcha (McCartan) from playing club camogie would get the ball in from the side-line cut. To be honest, I thought she would put it over the bar. Luckily, I was ready and just connected with it.
‘We kept ourselves busy in the weeks leading up to the semi-final. Our training matches were as hard as any game.’
Laura Treacy, one third of Cork’s most effective line this season, their half backs, was thrilled to get back to another All-Ireland final.
‘We knew Dublin would come out today and be extremely physical,’ Treacy commented.
‘They were going to go after this game as they showed against Kilkenny. They brought a huge level of intensity. I felt we eventually got to terms with that and pushed on with our own game.
‘Look, I suppose we are looking at ourselves all the time and trying to hit our own targets. We will be happy enough after today. We always say that if we hit those targets and play to our standards then we should come out with a win.
‘It will be the same again the next day. As a kid growing up, Croke Park on All-Ireland final day is where you want to be. It is a big reward for the girls and the amount of work we put in again this year. There is one more step to lift that O’Duffy Cup but a huge amount of work to do over the next two weeks.’
So, the win over Dublin has set up another showdown with old rivals Galway.
This Cork senior panel possesses enough quality to get over the line provided they hit their personal and team targets.
