East Cork Junior A Final Replay

Watergrasshill

Rockbán

East Cork Junior A Ladies Football Final Replay

Replay delight as Rockbán hold off Watergrasshill in thriller

Rockbán 3-6 Watergrasshill 0-11

This East Cork Ladies football replay produced another tremendous contest at wet and windy Carrigtwohill on Sunday afternoon as Rockbán survived a late Watergrasshill rally that saw Sinead Keohane produce two tremendous saves in the Rockbán goal while the “Hill” also hit the upright as their luck just ran out with the goal they so badly needed failing to come.

In contrast Rockbán in front of goal were far more economical as Margaret Howard got them off the mark with the opening point, while Laura Crowley found the net in the 10^th minute. The winners raised another green flag through Valerie Mulcahy before Diana Kelleher got Watergrasshill off the mark. Indeed Kelleher shot two points in a row while Niamh Mulholland added another. Kelleher added a further two before half time as Watergrasshill trailed by 0-6 to 2-4 at the interval.

Given the strong wind the gap was certainly manageable but in the first attack of the second half Rockbán corner forward Aisling Murphy pounced for a vital goal that extended their lead to seven points. Watergrasshill set about reducing the arrears with Kelleher, Clare Cronin and Laura Cronin all adding points, while in between Margaret Howard managed another minor for Rockbán who led by 3-5 to 0-9 going into the last quarter.

Aisling Murphy then landed another fine point for the winners to put them six clear, but that was to be their final score with Liz O’Neill very unlucky as her shot hit a post after a great Watergrasshill move. It was all Watergrasshill in the closing stages and points from Kelleher reduced the gap to four points. Watergrasshill needed a goal and it almost came but Claire Cronin saw her shot saved by the boot of Sinead Keohane in the Rockbán goal. It was then the turn of Sarah Ryan who got a fabulous block to stop Elaine Murphy while Keohane again came to her sides rescue with another great save as the ball just would not go in for Watergrasshill.

In the end time ran out for them and Rockbán survived thanks in the main to their ability to take their goal chances. The game could have gone either way but it is Rockbán that are crowned Junior A football champions for 2012. After the game John Hickey presented the Perpetual Cup to Rockbán captain Claire Conway.

Rockbán: V Mulcahy 1-2, A Murphy 1-1, L Crowley 1-1 and M Howard 0-2.

Watergrasshill: D Kelleher 0-7, C Cronin, L Cronin, N Mulholland and A Murray 0-1 each.

Rockbán: S Keohane, D Murphy, S Hanrahan, S Ryan, L Twomey, C Conway Capt, M Brickley, M Howard, S Burns, R Sheehy, L Crowley, E Kearney, A Murphy, V Mulcahy and E Hegarty.

Watergrasshill: M Dorgan, R Carey, E Carey, L O’Leary, N Mulholland, L Cronin, C Fuohy, H Dinan, A Murray, C Cronin, L Kennedy, H Mulcahy, C Murphy, M Buckley and D Kelleher. Sub L O’Neill.

Referee: Gene Desmond.

Report courtesy of East Cork Journal