Joy and heartbreak in equal measure in the AIB Leinster Club finals at Nowlan Park with victory going to Oulart-The Ballagh and Tullaroan by single point margins.
In very testing conditions, Tullaroan's staged a defensive tour de force to deny Myshall in the Intermediate final while Aideen Brennan in the 62nd minute gave the Leinster and All-Ireland Senior Champions the title with the last puck of the match.
AIB Senior Final - Oulart-The Ballagh 0-12 Naomh Uinsionn 2-5
Photos - iLivePhotos.com
The Leinster and All-Ireland champions left to literally the last puck of the match when Aideen Brennan got on the end of a delivery to break the hearts of the Dublin champions.
Both sides had come through replayed county finals - games that could have gone against them on either day. It appeared as if this game would also need a replay when substitute Leann Nolan kicked the leveller for the Wexford side. But they were on a roll and used all their strength and experience to fashion a victory that looked a little unlikely at half-time when they trailed by 2-5 to 0-4.
(Left: Ciara Storey - Oulart-The Ballagh captain)
St. Vincents played superbly in the opening 30 minutes and created four goal chances - two of which they took. Mary Leacy got back on her own goal line to deny the Dublin girls in the 14th minute and Sarah O'Donovan sent a rasper just outside the post two minutes later. Had both or even one been converted - it might have been too high a mountain for Oulart to climb.
The defending provincial and All-Ireland Champions were made to dig deep but the excavation was successful. Not for the first time Ursula Jacob was prominent. She pointed their opening score in the 1st minute and would finish with a personal tally of 0-6 - 0-5 from placed balls but crucial scores on a day when it was very difficult to hold a hurley due to the wet, cold and wind. Ursula's contribution especially during the phase when Vincents were dominant was huge.
Hoping to bridge a 17 years gap since last they won the title, Naomh Uinsionn had Oulart in all sorts of bother in the first half. With Sarah O'Donovan, Alison Maguire and Eimear McCarthy winning their battles in the middle third, the Vincents forward line had a plentiful supply of measured deliveries. The pace of Aisling Maher was a serious worry and when she claimed a great delivery from Eimear McCarthy she rounded the defence to place Kate McCarry for a handpassed goal in the 9th minute.
Aisling was again on the ball in the 13th minute and earned the free that was duly pointed by Alison Maguire. Further damage could have been done three minutes later Sarah O'Donovan caught a high ball to flash a shot just wide. Had she taken a step inside she might have had an easier choice.
But in the 19th minute Naomh Uinsionn did find the net again when great work by Áine Fanning fed Alison Maguire who placed a great ball to Ellen McGovern and she goaled in style. While Ursula Jacob was chipping in with the occasional point, her colleagues in most other sectors were in trouble. The pace of Aisling Maher continued to do damage and she pointed in the 24th minute to be followed three minutes later by a great catch from Kate McCarry which earned her a free that Alison Maguire despatched between the posts.
Just before the break Shelley Kehoe did manage to send some signal of hope with a neat point - it was to prove an important score in the 31st minute.
An early score was necessary for Oulart to provide a platform for recovery and for Naomh Uinsionn to build on the first half momentum. As it turned out it was Oulart who managed to find the range with an Ursula Jacob free in the 34th minute. From hereon, the champions took over and Mary Leacy gave a masterclass of composure and leadership at centre back with great help from Stacey Redmond and Louise Sinnott. The danger in the Vincents full-forward line was stymied as Oulart reeled in the Dublin girls with excellent scores from Shelley Kehoe (41st minute) and a sublime effort from sister Stacey in the 44th minute to leave just a goal between the sides.
Vincents were battling fiercely with Aoife Cullen and Eva Marie Elliott superb in the half-back line. However they needed someone to make a telling statement and despite their best efforts no one managed to do that. They had a chance in the 56th minute to put four points between the teams but a very difficult free into the wind and sun just 15m in from the sideline slipped wide off Alison Maguire's stick. Nevertheless it looked like Oulart would need a goal and the Vincents defence had been superb throughout. With minutes ticking away, Ursula Jacob tapped over a free from about 30m in the 58th minute.
What followed could hardly have been foreseen - three unanswered points from play from three different players - none of whom had scored up to that point. First Diane Ryan slipped over a point to leave just one between the sides in the 60th minute and then Leann Nolan and Aideen Brennan did the rest in the two minutes of added time.
Joy for Oulart who also hit five wides in the second period whereas Naomh Uinsionn were unable to add to their scoreline after the break.
After the game Stacey Kehoe (right with Board Chair Rachel Hogan) was named player of the match.
Scorers: Oulart-The Ballagh - Ursula Jacob (0-6), Shelley Kehoe (0-2), Stacey Keheo, Diane Ryan, Leann Nolan and Aideen Brennan (0-1 each)
Naomh Uinsionn: Alison Maguire (0-4), Kate McCarry (1-0), Ellen McGovern (1-0), Aisling Maher
Referee: Liz Dempsey
AIB Intermediate Final - Tullaroan 0-8 Myshall 1-4
With barely a minute gone on the clock, a clinical move begun by Junior County Player of the Year the superb Kate Nolan split the Tullaroan defence. The ball was picked up by Ali Ruschitzko and she placed Michelle Nolan for a great goal. Despite playing into a very strong breeze, the opening 5 or 6 minutes belonged to Myshall as they hurled with great skill and confidence and they really should have put some more scores with that opening goal. But a missed free and another close range effort for a point would prove costly as gradually Tullaroan recovered.
Rachel Hogan with Tullaroan Joint Captains Aisling Pollard (left) and Rachel Dowling
Three points by sharpshooter free taker Niamh Dowling had levelled for Tullaroan by the 12 minute but Myshall would have been happy enough with their performance at this stage.
Their ploy of playing an extra defender was working and Tullaroan were finding it very difficult to score and were left to rely on Niamh Dowling to edge them in front from frees. Miriam Walsh did manage their only point from play in the half in the 13th minute to give her side the lead. But Myshall were showing signs that with the breeze at their backs in the second half they had reasons for optimism. Goalkeeper Joanne Joyce was composed and made intelligent use of the puck-out. Kate Nolan was outstanding at centre back and Marian Doyle was a very useful target person around the middle of the field.
By half time Tullaroan had managed to build a 0-7 to 1-0 lead but Myshall will look back on five wides in that period compared to only one when playing with the breeze in the second period.
After the break, Tullaroan emerged with a changed strip - this time with visible black numbers and two minutes into the half Grace Walsh struck a splendid point that must have impressed brothers and hurley carriers Tommy and Padraig. A wonderful sign of support from such hurling legends.
It was to be Tullaroan's only score of the half but a crucial one.
Myshall threw all they had into the game and two excellent points from the very dangerous Ciara Quirke drew huge cheers from the big Carlow following. The cheering had hardly died down in the 43rd minute when Ciara Quirke placed Michelle Nolan for another great point for Myshall.
Throughout the game - Myshall looked the more likely to score from play. When Kate Nolan managed to turnover possession and then strike a mighty point from 45m to leave just one between the teams - one could be forgiven for thinking this game has got to be Myshalls with 15 minutes remaining.
But amazingly that was the final score of the game as Tullaroan's defence defiantly met everything that was thrown at them none more so than outstanding centre back Áine Fahey who repelled numerous attacks.
They also can thank some sound goalkeeping from Noreen Delaney particularly when a point that looked like being the equaliser from Kate Nolan in the 54th minute hit the upright and fell within a metre of the goal line. But time ran out for Myshall and a relieved Tullaroan can pay particular tribute to their backs including Kilkenny Rose of Tralee Claire Walshe who also sang Amhrán na bhFiann before the senior game and Ailish Langton for holding out in that hectic closing quarter.
Tullaroan scorers: Niamh Dowling (0-6), Grace Walsh and Miriam Walsh (0-1 each)
Myshall: Michelle Nolan (1-1), Ciara Quirke (0-2), Kate Nolan (0-1)
Referee: Jenny Byrne