Sometimes there is a team.
Our first thirty minutes was our second half of Camogie without a score, and without Storm Ashley to blame either.
Maybe it was the super large pitch, maybe it was their youth, but I was blaming the lone magpie that I saw two weeks previously, you see I couldn’t salute him to dispel the bad luck because the wind was too harsh and it didn’t hear me, so that was it , we were doomed to bad luck.
Regrettably, I am sportingly superstitious and in the world of the superstitious, the magpie reigns supreme.
Our half time was the usual, stay calm, remain focused, anything is possible, follow the process and our principles of play.
Our defence had played the proverbial blinder, with Caitriona, Sarah, and Niamh all in stubborn form and Lisa’s blocks and saves had kept us within striking distance.
It is written in my contract that I must call Lisa a Legend in all reports. So here goes, Lisa Ryan is a Camogie Legend!!
Sinead’s score was a start , there was now hope, you see, and at least we were on the score board. 7 points down, Cualas response was immediate, a high ball hoodwinked our defence. GOAL 10 points.
Deirdre Mulryan started to gain a foothold at 14 , The ball was sticking , she won a masterful possession , a turn and goal – 7 points again , just hanging in. 20 minutes on the clock , who knows?
The next five minutes are not worthy of a postmortem, but imagine the sound effects in your head, Cuala goaled to a tremendous cheer from the Dalkey crowd, and the umpire had barely put down the flag before he was waving it again , 2 Goals in as many minutes. One for sorrow, eh? “Looks like there won’t be a ISEQ share index checked in the parish of Dalkey tonight” , chortled the Cuala Linesman.
Cuala were gleeful , their ship was sailing, 13 points in front with 14 minutes to go , barely enough time to boil a kettle in St Annes or make a cup of Cambodian Kopi Luwak in Dalkey, what hope had we? . The score board read 4-05 to 1-01?
For those of us that were there , the remainder of this game is almost beyond understanding, for those that weren’t there, it can never be described to them.
Martina Byrne had moved to the top 45 and was a menacing presence, Caoilin was hurling like a tiger ( how I imagine a tiger might hurl ) in the centre of our defence, was all lost?, just hurl with abandon girls.
Michelle is our leader, on and off the field, she took control of our defence, and whilst the backs don’t usually get on the score board , it was the relentless wave of attacks from defence towards 14 that drove the revival.
Clodagh & Kate McCullagh were ill and injured on the last occasion , but were now along with Ciara Hurley letting nothing past them
Naoise O’Hanlon has had a hurley in her hand since she was a mite, now as the game was running out , she was mighty, the Manor House girl pounced on a scrappy ball and hit the net. 10 points with 12 to go.
This goal sent electricity through our team and our supporters, our side line including players , exhausted from the fray were now charged with energy and it fed to the players on the pitch. Naoise and Ciara Woulfe both added points and 8 separated the sides with 8 remaining.
Ciaran had trained this team for frantic , and now, here we were in the frantic territory and Cualas ship had sprung a leak.
Deirdre Mulryan was the deserved recipient of the player of the match award , she won a delivered possession and passed to ball sweetly to Naoise O’Hanlon. Naoise has the deft touch of a harpist and the deadly strike of an assassin, GOAL ! 5 points with 8 left to play.
Mia Lambert , Freya Donegan, Cara Watters, and Roise have trained with this team and with the confidence of youth, they have flourished.
Young players in sport often have chaos on their minds and they were running relentlessly at the Cuala defence.
Naoise gained possession on the left and sent a hopeful high ball forward, it dropped beautifully from the heavens behind the full back line and for some reason it dropped perfectly for the onrushing Mia Lambert, there was no other outcome other than a goal. 2 down , same left.
Sinead Stack broke the drought at the onset of the half and now she was assisting the killer blow, she delivered to the 14 , Mia again , same outcome , 1 up 1-minute left.
The final two plays, Ciara Woulfe fed a pass to Mia , again for a point , 2 up and Ciara , the young solicitor from Croagh Kilfinny sealed the deal with the final score – 5-05 Raheny 4-05 Cuala
The scenes were epic and emotional!
This is not the first time this year that this team have made a dramatic comeback.
Congratulations to all our wonderful players young and experienced, and to those whose efforts got us to this final , superlatives do not do ye justice.
All involved spoke after the game , reflection on what is required and what had placed us in the position to be able to win the game.
Championships are not just won on the day , but in the games and training sessions during the year.
Whilst most may not understand what happened , they do.
The formula is simple , practice your skills , keep challenging yourself to get better and indulge the eejits that talk to magpies.
