All-Ireland final heartbreak for Mourneabbey
Kilkerrin-Clonberne's Eva Noone and Ailish Morrissey tackle Eimear Meaney of Mourneabbey. Picture: INPHO/Lorraine O’Sullivan
Kilkerrin-Clonberne 1-11 Mourneabbey 1-7
HEARTBREAK for Mourneabbey as Kilkerrin-Clonberne dashed their currentaccount.ie All-Ireland club three in a row bid at St Brendan's Park, Birr.
There can be no denying the better side won the day and gained revenge for their loss to the Cork outfit in the 2019 decider, where it took a late point to separate the sides.
On this occasion, they were hell-bent on revenge and you could see it from the start they were determined not to go away empty-handed.
They have been an outstanding side now for eight years and though it may not have been their day you can bet they will come back better and stronger next season.
Mourneabbey opened their account five minutes in when Doireann O'Sullivan raised a white flag from a free and she was unlucky with her second effort, from another free.
Eva Noone got the first score from play to open Kilkerrin-Clonberne's account and with 10 minutes gone they took the lead.
A sweeping team move, involving Lynsey Noone. Louise Ward and Eva Noone played Chloe Miskella in for a magnificent goal.
Mourneabbey rattled at this stage and in some ways, Kilkerrin-Clonberne were doing to them what they have done to many sides over the years.
Doireann O'Sullivan pointed from another free to make it 1-1 to 0-2 at the water break.
Kilkerrin-Clonberne continued to dominate with Olivia Divilly extending their lead, with Ailish Morrissey and Nicola Ward also raising white flags as they led 1-4 to 0-2 with 20 minutes gone.
Doireann O'Sullivan saw another effort from a free come back off the post before she got their third, again from a placed ball.
From the restart, they should have raised a green flag as Roisin O'Sullivan intercepted the kick-out and shot wide with the goal at her mercy.
Divilly got Kilkerrin-Clonberne's fifth point, with another Doireann O'Sullivan free keeping Mourneabbey in the game.
Morrissey pointed for her side, to make it 1-6 to 0-4 as half-time approached.
Just before the hooter Ciara O'Sullivan burst forward and when she was brought down referee Kevin Phelan had no hesitation in awarding a penalty.
Up stepped their goal machine Laura Fitzgerald to coolly slot home to put only two points between them at half-time, 1-4 to 1-6, giving her side a much-needed boost.
Kilkerrin-Clonberne extended their lead on the resumption with Divilly on target before Doireann O'Sullivan replied from another free at the other end.
Mourneabbey keeper, Meabh O'Sullivan made a great save from Miskell to prevent them from going further ahead before we had a strange incident at the other end.
The referee gave a free out after Kilkerrin-Clonberne keeper Lisa Murphy was fouled, but it looked like it was her own defender who had collided with her.
They nearly did two minutes later when Ciara made another lung-bursting run forward, beating several players only to see her shot come back off the crossbar.
Just before the second-half water break, Kilkerrin-Clonberne put two between them again when Divilly pointed from a free and at this stage, it was not looking good for the defending champions.
Just after the water break, Divilly extended their lead, from another free and it was going to take something special from Mourneabbey to win from here.
As you would expect from this fabulous bunch of players they never gave up and battled to the very end. With 51 minutes gone they got their first point from play when Ciara O'Sullivan scored.
But there was no stopping Kilkerrin-Clonberne on the day with Eva Noone extending their lead to keep four between them.
Late sin-binnings for Niamh and Doireann O'Sullivan didn't really matter as by then it was beyond the champion's chances of retaining their title.
Shortly after the hooter went and the Galway side celebrations began as Mourneabbey lost out after a superb game.
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