A day of regret for Ardrahan women in club showdown

Eoghan Rua 2-8Ardrahan 0-12

Eoghan Cormican at Croke Park

ARDRAHAN’S bid to become the first Galway club to capture the All-Ireland Intermediate club camogie title ended in bitter disappointment when they were outfought by a more experienced and seasoned Eoghan Rua side at Croke Park on Sunday.

On reflection, Ardrahan – no matter which way they look at it – will view this as an opportunity lost. They ruled the first half with an iron fist, but their inability to tighten the noose when in the ascendancy left them vulnerable to an Eoghan Rua onslaught.

Added to this, their failure to capitalise on two penalties in the final ten minutes left their large following cradling a deep sense of loss at the final whistle. Indeed, the feeling among the Ardrahan contingent afterwards was despair.

How quickly it all unravelled, how quickly dreams of glory turned to disappointrment. In the end, Ardrahan’s spellbinding first-half showing was but a minute detail in Eoghan Rua’s successful defence of their All-Ireland crown.

And credit to Eoghan Rua for while they may have been outmuscled and outgunned in the opening 30 minutes, almost in the blink of an eye they erased a three point deficit to take the initiative from a now deflated Ardrahan side.

It all happened so quickly. Trailing by 0-9 to 2-0, the Derry girls were extremely fortunate to still be in the game at half-time with Jane Carey and Grainne McGoldrick’s goal strikes just about keeping the tie alive.

Within two minutes of the restart, Jane Carey was upended and Grainne McGoldrick tapped over the Northerners first point, before adding another seconds later. All of a sudden, only the minimum separated the sides and though Aoife Callanan responded for Ardrahan, the pendulum had swung firmly in the champions’ favour.

All over the field, Eoghan Rua were coming out on top and when Meabh McGoldrick earned a free in the 35th minute, sister Grainne levelled matters.

Truly, it was remarkable stuff. Within minutes they attacked once more. Grainne McGoldrick was hauled to the ground by Aoife Lynskey affording Eoghan Rua the opportunity to take the lead. McGoldrick converted and with 43 minutes on the clock one feared that the Galway title holders would be forced to endure a torrid final quarter. Put simply, Ardrahan were rocked.

Eoghan Rua were relentless now and the prospect of back-to-back titles seemed more and more of a probability with every passing second. Clare Tracey extended their advantage in a sweeping move involving Megan Kerr and Maureen Heneghan, but it could – and probably should – have been greater.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.