Karen Duddy at Croke Park
The Intermediate All-Ireland Final saw another agonizingly close, one-point game after the Junior clash that preceded it. Cork intermediate team emerged victorious in their dual with the intermediate Kilkenny side.
The game started with obvious nerves as both sides gave the ball away cheaply and Kilkenny put three wide. However, jitters settled and the sides were level with 5 points a piece inside 20 minutes - Doheny for Galway standing out with two scores and captain Lauren Homan for Cork converting two frees.
Cork appeared in control, leading in possession and momentum heading into the break. Homan put two more over, either side of a Danielle Morrissey free, to put the Rebels in the lead by one point at half time.
"Team talk at half time - we were a point up, the game wasn’t over. We had to put in a good 30 minute shift. We had the wind, but no game is ever won by the wind alone. We knew we had a battle and that it wasn’t going to be easy. We kept saying “Keep doing what you need to do"," said Cork manager Donie Daly after the game.
Morrissey opened the scoring for the second half, where just a minute later Cork's Cliona O’Callaghan struck the ball into the bottom corner of the net after a blazing run down the pitch. The sea of red erupted.
Cliona O Callaghan's shot bounces into the net for the first goal in today's All-Ireland intermediate camogie final
COR 1-07 KIK 0-07
📺 @RTE2 & @rteplayer pic.twitter.com/nbpaaWA7mb— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) August 11, 2024
"We were always likely to get a goal, and we have been getting goals in the first quarter in nearly every game and it was unbelievable. We were going to score - it was only a matter of time. If it hasn’t been at that stage, maybe five minutes later," said Daly.
However, Kilkenny responded well to the goal and kept Cork quiet for 16 minutes as Morrissey split the posts twice. In an attempt to make it three in a row, Morrissey's next strike landed just short of the crossbar, over goalie Ciara Hurley's head and into the net to wave a green flag. This momentum had Cork struggling to get the ball to Homan down the middle where Morrissey lurked and collected loose balls.
Kilkenny manager Seamus Kelly had words of praise for his side after the game, particularly highlighting former senior player Morrissey.
To go out and wear the Kilkenny jersey the way they wore it today – they wore it with pride. They had great resilience – anything that was thrown at them they kept coming back.
There's players like Danielle Morrissey where it's time for her now to step back into the senior set up. She has too much to offer Kilkenny.
Despite trailing after the goal, the Rebellettes kept fighting, with Player of the Match Emma Flanagan putting in immense tackles to disrupt the Cats. Flanagan described the reaction to the goal.
The goal definitely caught us off guard but for some reason, I don’t what it is with this group of girls but we just never give up. I think sometimes when a goal goes in it nearly inspires us to go even harder. A credit to Ciara Hurley – it went straight over her head, it was a small mistake and on she went again. Savage puck outs – she was unreal all day and it was just unlucky but some strike by Danielle Morrissey.
Homan added two more to her tally and found her team one point down with five minutes to play. A shot attempt from both teams were hooked and the tension grew with each second that passed.
O’Callaghan pointed from play. A ropey clearance from Kilkenny landed in the palm of unmarked substitute Fiona Nelligan. She struck, she scored, and Cork were in the lead.
"When Fiona Nelligan struck the ball, I don’t know why but I just knew it was going over. And then every second feels like an hour, oh my god - just down to the wire," reflected Flanagan on the game-winning point.
The final whistle blew and the Rebels had won by a point. Daly praised his panel of 30 for stepping up to collectively lift the Jack McGrath Cup.
We are very free-flowing team when we get going, and we weren’t allowed to get going today and that’s a testament to Kilkenny – they had their matchups done well. This might sound bad but we didn’t play well, and that’s something that when you will an All-Ireland not to say. But I spoke to Lauren there and she wasn’t happy – a lot of girls didn’t play up to their potential. But other girls that normally don’t play as well, did. And it’s a 30 person panel - when somebody doesn’t play well, somebody always steps up. Our team has been built on the bedrock of a good defence, and has been all year.
