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This win truly endorsed the annals of Colleges Camogie, particularly
in light of the trauma attached. Before the game, there was
a minute’s silence observed in honour of Sr.Teresa Landy,
who had passed away some six days prior to the game. Sr. Teresa
would have been at the game as chief supporter. She was confidante
to all the Callan girls. She was friend to them all. She was
a remarkable ally when times got tough to the entire panel.
She was very special to them all, and they to her.
Not an easy ask for such young people to perform with such
a backdrop.
But they did.
She was their inspiration.
Playing against a bitingly stiff breeze, the Callan girls
were quicker from traps. Within four minutes Denise Gaule
– a colossus of a leader – slapped two points
over the Portumna crossbar. With the assistance of the breeze,
the Portumna College found it an easier task to get ball forward
into the danger zone of the Callan defence. They swarmed forward,
and with Ann Marie Starr, Amanda Lynch, and Tara Ruttledge
running straight lines towards the Callan goal at every opportunity,
the Callan defenders were performing heroics to keep them
from breaking down the ramparts. Alison Walsh played an astonishing
game on the edge of the Brigids square. She was enormously
brave, very sure, and oozed a maturity in her own ability
that was pretty awesome. Behind her, her club mate, Laura
Walker was foot perfect. Her control of her goal area was
inspirational. She never faltered in the face of persistent
pressure, and there is no doubt that her contribution was
a stellar element to this famous victory. One save in particular
from a point-blank shot by Maria Breheny in the 9th minute
was vintage goalkeeping. That was saved at the expense of
a ’40, which was dropped right on top of the crossbar.
When all seemed lost as the ball dropped, Alison Walsh grabbed
it, stormed out to clear a mighty delivery. The fire around
the goal area for long periods during the opening half was
lava hot, but the St.Brigids brigade were well capable of
pushing it back. Edel Frisby and Laura Dunne were titanic
battlers on that fullback line when the need was at its zenith.
From the 10th. to the 29th minute, the storm raged in the
Callan goal area. Sterling defence was the order of the day.
Discipline too was needed, and certainly supplied. Portumna
were afforded only one free in that time slot, an indicator
of the control exerted by the Callan college. On the odd occasion
the Callan girls got the ball forward, the Portumna backs,
well informed about the threat of Shelly Farrell, repelled
most of the effort. St.Brigids did win a penalty award in
the 29th minute, but the shot for a goal- surprisingly- was
saved. One thought that a certain point at that moment would
have been a better option. It certainly would have arrested
the momentum of the Portumna girls. That momentum was arrested
within a minute though, when little Shelly grabbed a long
delivery from Denise Gaule, to battle her way towards the
Portumna goal. She rifled over a point – a very valuable
score at the time. Whilst Portumna shot an unanswered four
points between the 10th and 29th minutes, it could have been
more serious for the winners, but Walker, Walsh, Mairead Power,
Lisa Carey, Aine Manning and Frisby were risking all they
had to keep the score against at a manageable proportion.
With the wind advantage beckoning in the second half, the
winners were in an all right situation, as the scoreboard
read, Portumna 0-5, St.Brigids 0-3.
Within five minutes of the re-start, two points by Denise
Gaule and a beauty by the brave Niamh Dowling shot the Callan
girls into the lead. However a point by the Portumna star,
Tara Ruttledge brought the sides level, but when she followed
that effort with a goal in the 42nd minute, the Champions
looked a little brittle. We needn’t have worried though
as the Callan captain, and looking every inch the supreme
leader, Denise Gaule stepped up to the plate with huge gusto.
A free in the 43rd minute diminished the Ruttledge goal to
a two-point valuation. Another free one minute later reduced
it’s value still further, but the coup-de-gras was a
superbly driven free from fully 65 metres out to the back
of the Portumna net. That seminal score practically broke
the back of the Portumna resolve. Two nuggets of brilliant
action in the 53rd and 54th minutes decimated it. Firstly
Gaule – who else – drove a brilliant point between
the Portumna posts to afford the Callan girls a three-point
advantage. It was from the acutest of angles. One minute later,
a last-chance saloon surge by the challengers saw Laura Walker
stand alone to face a blistering shot by Katie O’Brien.
She was more than equal to the challenge. Even though there
were ten more minutes remaining, that save signalled the end
of the Portumna effort. They had fought the brave fight, and
as St.Brigids Manager Noelle O’Driscoll remarked in
the exhilaration of victory afterwards, “ “that
was a test of our character considering all we had to contend
with, and our girls certainly showed that they were the genuine
article. It took something above and beyond to win that game,
and like in the semi-final replay in Cork, defeat was never
on the agenda for this bunch of players. They are extraordinary,
and a magnificent credit to themselves, their families, and
their school. They are the real deal”, she enthuased
delightedly.
Besides those already mentioned, this win was just reward
for unity of purpose, and desire. There was a tremendous togetherness
in the Callan camp, and they were never going to capitulate.
So Anna Farrell, Jennifer Cunningham, Laura Dunne, Louise
Dunne, Niamh Phelan, Ciara Holden, and Kate McDonald should
be accorded due applause for their contribution to this historic
win for their school.
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Scores
St.Brigids: Denise Gaule (1-9, six frees; goal free; ’40
free); Shelly Farrell, Niamh Dowling (0-1 each).
Portumna : Tara Ruttledge (1-2, one pointed free); Ann Marie
Starr (0-2); Amanda Lynch, Katie O’Brien (0-1 each).
St.Brigids: Laura Walker, Edel Frisby, Alison Walsh, Laura
Dunne, Lisa Carey, Mairead Power, Aine Manning,
Shelly Farrell, Jennifer Cunningham, Anna Farrell, Denise
Gaule (capt), Louise Dunne, Niamh Phelan, Ciara Holden, Niamh
Dowling.
Subs (used): Kate McDonald.
Portumna: Helen Campbell, Ruth Kilkenny, Maria Duane, Laura
Shiel, Karen Brien, Claire Killeen, Ann Maria Lagana, Catherine
O’Meara, Nicola Muldoon, Amanda Lynch (capt), Ann Marie
Starr, Claire Harte, Katie O’Brien, Tara Ruttledge,
Maria Breheny.
Sub (used): Ciara Brien.
Ref: Cathal Egan. |
