Tourlestrane triumph to reach final
back came Tourlestrane with a free from Gráinne Carty.
Old Leighlin enjoyed their best period of play since the game started and Sawyer was unlucky to see her effort for a point come back off the left hand upright while at the other end Nicole Hanley saved brilliantly from Sarah Cunney when the corner forward was odds on to secure a second Tourlestrane goal.
Coming up to half-time the Sligo side were on the rack but they dug in.
When Surlis did well to keep the ball in play Tara Walsh was on hand to take the pass and guide the ball between the Old Leighlin posts for a vital point.
With the last kick of the half Sawyer knocked over a free to leave Tourlestrane leading 1-6 to 0-7 at the break.
Five minutes into the second half Emma Brennan looked as if space was opening up for her in front of the Tourlestrane goal but the defence rallied and the Old Leighlin threat was lifted.
Scores were hard to come by in the third quarter but crucially, Tourlestrane, added to their total with a free each from Walsh and Carty.
On the other hand nothing was going right for Old Leighlin.
Sawyer was pinged for overcarrying while they had half-chances of goals but instead advantage wasn’t played which, if it had, might have led to something major.
The Connacht flag bearers put another passing movement together which saw Walsh take another point.
It was Tourlestrane’s to lose from there as the game entered the final quarter.
Old Leighlin rallied and were rewarded with a point from Gilmartin.
They really needed a goal. With just over ten minutes left to play Tourlestrane were reduced to fourteen when Catriona Flynn was yellow carded for a foul on Sawyer.
She was probably the fall girl for previous misdemeanours of her colleagues but the sight of her distraught face as she left the pitch had to lift those who were left to finish the job.
With eight minutes to go Sarah Cunney scored her side’s last point and Old Leighlin points from Caoimhe O’Neill and Sawyer left a single goal between them.
Old Leighlin poured forward but they lost possession. With players committed to rescuing the game Leonie Gaughan ran through on the Old Leighlin goal and her shot ensured there was only going to be one winner.
The tears flowed at the end. They wouldn’t have known it then but they now face Glanmire of Cork on December 9th at a venue to be arranged. Glory days.
Tourlestrane: Colette Walsh; Sarah Brennan, Laura Walsh, Sinéad Mooney; Edel Meers, Shauna Henry, Catherine Marren; Aisling Egan, Nikki Brennan; Anna Corcoran, Gráinne Carty (0-2fs), Tara Walsh (0-1); Sarah Cunney (0-1), Katie Walsh (0-6,3fs), Laura Surlis (1-0). Subs: Molly Kennedy for Meers (42 mins), Catriona Flynn for Marren (46 mins), Leonie Gaughan (1-0) for Surliss (55 mins).
Old Leighlin: Nicole Hanley; Roisin Maher, Anne Roche, Philomena Murphy; Eleanor Meaney, Ellen Atkinson, Michelle Dermody; Muireann O’Sullivan, Caoimhe O’Neill (0-1); Rachel Sawyer (0-4, 3fs), Shauna O’Neill (01), Niamh Forde; Aoife Roche (0-2), Aoibhinn Gilmartin (0-2,1f), Emma Brennan. Subs: Amy Hanley for Meaney (37 mins), Laura Regan for O’Sullivan (42 mins), Ella Meaney for Aoife Roche (58 mins).
Referee: Niall McCormack (Laois).