‘Rebel bond kept us coming back to get that title’
FINOLA NEVILLE was grinning from ear to ear and unsurprisingly so, having been part of the Cork team that lost the last two All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie finals.
They made no mistake this time. Aided by the sharpshooting of Caitriona Collins, who finished with 1-6, and minor star Saoirse McCarthy, who delivered four points from play, Cork overcame a Down side that never quite recovered from the sending-off of ace forward Sara-Louise Carr in the 50th minute.
Cork were sharper for longer though and deserved the honours.
‘Unbelievable,’ said Neville, who set up Collins’ crucial goal in the 40th minute. ‘I was just saying to the girls, “Is this after happening? Is it real?” We’ve been fighting for this, to get over the line and get up the steps of the Hogan Stand for so long. It’s just unbelievable. It’s a great feeling.’
Neville paid tribute to her teammates’ resilience, saying that the bond in the squad was key to bouncing back after last year’s disappointment.
‘The hunger is there. We knew coming back each year, we were there or thereabouts. We were unlucky over the last few years but we knew we had the players.
‘There’s a huge workrate and a huge bond. We’re best friends. When we got knocked down, we were coming back to get that title,’ she said.
She had a particular word of praise for the members of the AllIreland-winning minor team that clearly gave the team an X-factor on the biggest stage.
‘They were fantastic today. Laura (Hayes), Saoirse played unbelievable on the wing, player of the match today. Cliona Healy came on in the semi-final and probably saved us. There’s a great future there for Cork camogie. The minors really stood up today, which was very important.’
Down manager Martina Rooney was proud of her charges but said she was displeased with some of referee John Dermody’s decision-making, in particular Carr’s sending-off for a second yellow card in the second-half.
‘There are no words right now,’ said Rooney. ‘We were going well in fits and starts. We seemed to get things a lot tougher than the opposition. They were getting maybe frees easier than we were.
‘As for the sending off — it’ll be interesting to see that again. I don’t think either one of them were yellow cards, never mind the second one. I thought it was a free for us. A yellow card offence? Most definitely not.
‘We never gave up, we fought to the bitter end and kept at it. I suppose Dearbhla Magee going off with a blood injury unsettled us a wee bit. We had come out of the blocks really well.
‘I’m incredibly proud of the girls. I couldn’t ask any more of them. Not all fairytales have happy endings. To be here and part of the occasion is amazing. We’ll maybe not appreciate it today or tomorrow or next week, but the girls will look back on this and learn from it and come back stronger.’
Down began brilliantly with early points from Carr and Saoirse Sands. In Niamh Mallon, they also had a player fitting of a showpiece affair.
McCarthy had the teams level but Down moved three ahead in the opening quarter with Mallon on fire. Her point from tight on the left, 60 metres out from the posts, was a wonder score.
They failed to score in the second quarter though and Cork went into the dressing rooms leading by 0-7 to 0-5.
Mallon and Sands restored parity within five minutes of the restart but it was all Cork from there, Paudie Murray’s crew leading by three when Collins hit the net and there was no way back.