Donoughmore ladies make it six in a row of titles

Mourneabbey 4-9 West Cork 1-9

THERE may have been just three scores (goals) between Mourneabbey and West Cork in the Senior Ladies Club Football Final last weekend but truth be told the protagonists were worlds apart when it came to all the things that mattered.

Mourneabbey have been through the mill outside of Cork over the past five or six years – finally landing the Holy Grail of All-Ireland glory last December - but inside the Rebel county the North Cork side have ruled with an iron fist since 2014 – a reign that doesn’t seem to be any nearer an end after last Saturday’s heroic six-in-a-row win over their divisional opponents.

Mourneabbey came into last weekend’s showpiece game with the weight of expectation that only long time reigning champions can expect and while that pressure can often be a negative for teams it seems to be just water off a duck’s back to this all conquering bunch of seriously committed and talented sports stars.

West Cork came into this fixture with nothing to lose however they had all of 10 intercounty Cork stars in their starting 15 – clearly a side that would many a county side to the sword but they weren’t playing any old intercounty side, they were playing the All-Ireland club champions and the West Cork girls felt the full force of the black and amber from the first to the final whistle.

Mourneabbey were led, as always, by the O’Sullivan sisters with Doireann, Ciara, Roisin and Meabh all playing a significant role in gathering yet another county title.

Class acts such as Eimear Meaney, Maire O’Callaghan and Brid O’Sullivanalso proved crucial to the victory with recent transfer Noelle Healy adding to what this quality side bring to the football party.

For the vanquished side Aine O’Sullivan, Eimear Kiely, Libby Coppinger, Daire Kiely, Niamh Cotter, Eimear Kiely and Melissa Duggan all did really well with O’Sullivan in particular a real threat in the Mourneabbey side.

Right from the off, the girls in purple were on the back foot when two of the O’Sullivan sisters (Ciara and Doireann) linked superbly to let the latter through on goal - and to be fair to all concerned that usually means a goal – as it did again last Saturday.

Doireann was a real thorn in the side of West Cork and she goaled again before the short break – that came after Healy had bagged Mourneabbey’s second with Bríd O’Sullivan getting on the end of a brilliant move to score her side’s third three pointer.

Despite the dominance on the field and on the scoreboard, it was only six scores apiece at the turn – that said Mourneabbey had four goals to celebrate to West Cork’s six points 4-2 to 0-6 as the sides headed for the dressing rooms.

Doireann O’Sullivan added to West Cork’s pain on the resumption adding three points with substitute Laura Fitzgerald scoring a fourth.

The West Cork side hit back with points from Eimear Kiely and Duggan before Áine O’Sullivan scored the runners up’s only goal, from the penalty spot, to keep this one alive however despite battling hard the opposition had too much in reserve and cruised to a well-deserved sixth title in a row.

Mourneabbey enter the provincial competition in fine form and will look to take down all comers as they go in search of another All Ireland crown. MOURNEABBEY: M O’Sullivan; A O’Sullivan, E Meaney, S Conroy; K Coakley, R O’Sullivan, A Ryan; M O’Callaghan, N O’Sullivan; C O’Sullivan, B O’Sullivan 1-0; S O’Callaghan; E Jack, D O’Sullivan 2-7 (6f), N Healy 1-1. Subs: L Fitzgerald 0-1 for N O’Sullivan (h-t), A Cronin for B O’Sullivan (42), E Harrington for S O’Callaghan (51).

WEST CORK: M O’Brien (Clonakilty); S Courtney (Castlehaven), S Hayes (Rosscarbery), C O’Shea (Beara); E Kiely (Valley Rovers) 0-2, E Spillane (Bantry Blues), C Maguire (Roscarbery); N Cotter (Beara), M Duggan (Dohenys) 0-1; L O’Mahony (O’Donovan Rossa), C O’Leary (Clonakilty), D Kiely (Valley Rovers) 0-1; L Coppinger (St Colum’s) 0-1, A O’Sullivan 1-4 (1-0 pen, 3f) (Beara), F Keating (Courcey Rovers). Subs: C O’Sullivan (Beara) for S Hayes (22 inj), E Murphy (Bantry Blues) for E Kiely, R Murphy (Bantry Blues) for F Keating (both 42), M O’Regan (Valley Rovers) for D Kiely (60).