Linda Mellerick: Tough days made Cork's incredible display at Croke Park even sweeter

A GREAT reception for the Cork All-Ireland camogie champions on Monday evening last.

While a small crowd greeted the team as they arrived ahead of schedule at Kent station they enjoyed a rousing reception on the Mall and at St Vincent’s.

The crowd continued to build during the city ceremony and they were particularly enthusiastic, cheering their champions time and again. A rousing reception in St Vincent’s of course.

What a moment for them and captain Amy O’Connor. It’s thanks to Seandún’s county championship win in 2022 that O’Connor got the captaincy, Amy Lee the year before.

They would never have got the opportunity otherwise. 

Tell me that divisional sides don’t deserve to be in the senior championship.

Tell me that Amy O’Connor and St Vincent’s didn’t deserve last weekend. The argument all points in the opposite direction.

O’Connor enjoyed her best season in red and white. And Cork’s overall display last Sunday was the best in years.

FRESH APPROACH

Yes, they faced weaker opposition but no side would have beaten them on the day. Gone was the overcarrying of possession, gone was the restricting style of play. The oceans of space in front of Mackey and O’Connor, the fast ball in, the timing of the runs, all led to Waterford being blitzed.

It was as good a defensive display as you’ll see, Lee included.

The tenacity, the support play was just brilliant. A teammate (or two) always available off the shoulder. It looked as it if they had a two- or three-player advantage at times. Fitness superb, execution superb, teamwork superb.

It doesn’t get much better.

Sarah O’Donovan made a point on Off The Ball on Tuesday morning that the groups should have been seeded. She pointed the finger at the camogie association for almost pushing a different final to Cork/Kilkenny/Galway and because of it, it was a one-sided affair.

Someone mentioned that Cork and Waterford had similar scoring stats coming into the game and that counted for something. It meant little. 

Cork had met Galway and Kilkenny along the way, Waterford faced counties like Offaly and Antrim.

I felt Cork would win by nine or 10 points. If Waterford showed up. There was always a chance that they would completely collapse and Cork would run riot. That happened.

Waterford needed everything to go their way. I counted 2-6 missed opportunities in the opening half.

A goal chance on 20 minutes when Lorraine Bray couldn’t connect on a Niamh Rockett pass was a big moment. Sorcha McCartan connected on a similar delivery at the other end from Mackey. From Bray’s miss, Laura Hayes gathered, to Libby Coppinger, to Izzy O’Regan, to Hannah Looney, over the bar. Cork 0-6 to Waterford 0-1 instead of Cork 0-5 Waterford 1-1.

That epitomised the juggernaut in Cork. The missed penalty. Beth Carton tried her heart out, as did Bray. Aoife Healy was magnificent on Carton.

Then 33 minutes in, Abby Flynn was swarmed by Cork’s defence, the ball cleared up the field, Carton got possession.

She raced forward, dispossessed brilliantly by Healy, picked up by Hayes again, to Fiona Keating, a blistering run down the centre forcing Keeley Corbett Barry to leave O’Connor.

Keatings pass, O’Connor’s first goal. It was Healy dispossessing Carton again that led to Keating’s and Cork’s fifth goal after 50 minutes.

SOUL SEARCHING

After the heartache of the last two All-Ireland finals, the disappointment of the last two league final defeats, all four in Croke Park, headquarters finally became a bed of roses for this group.

It’s taken a while for it to click, it’s taken a lot of knocks and soul searching, what seemed more bad days than good.

But Cork now has a team capable of many more honours. They have many new leaders. Laura Treacy was always one, Katrina Mackey another. What about Meabh Cahalane, who goes about her dependable business day in and day out?

The outstanding Libby Coppinger. O’Connor, Healy, Pam, Saoirse McCarthy, Keating. You could name the entire squad as you can be sure that Sunday’s display and victory have propelled them to a new level.

The amount of ball that substitutes Thompson, Orla Cronin and Orlaith Cahalane got on was huge. Cliona Healy not so much on the day but what a quarter-final and semi-final she had to get Cork over the line.

Sunday was one to savour. Congratulations to Matthew Twomey. 

And I want to single out goalkeeping coach Teddy O’Donovan. With the squad since 2014, his contribution has been invaluable.