Inch Rovers snatch Munster title after 11-goal extra time epic with St Ailbes
Inch Rovers' Annie Walsh blasts in a goal in the Munster final. Picture: Noel Sweeney
A goal feast in the AIB Munster Ladies Football Intermediate final at Mallow on Sunday with Inch Rovers coming out on top after extra-time.
Eleven goals were scored across the 80 minutes and it could have been more, but in the end it was a pointed free from Sorcha O’Rourke that was the difference between the sides after a highly entertaining game.
Inch’s former Cork star, Annie Walsh, opened the scoring in the second minute, with St Ailbe’s having a goal chance from the restart.
They worked the ball up the pitch with Katie Heelan playing Kate Kennedy in. But her shot went just the bar when it could just as easily have gone under.
With six minutes gone St Ailbe’s took the lead when Georgia Keane got their second point. But it didn’t last long with Ava Ashman equalising from the restart.
Both sides had chances to score again before Kennedy’s second point made it 0-3 to 0-2 to St Ailbe’s after nine minutes. Ashman had the sides level for third time, before Lauren O’Connor put the Cork side back in front.
With 15 minutes gone St Ailbe’s found the back of the net when a shot from Mairead Kavanagh deceived the Inch keeper, to make it 1-3 to 0-4.
O’Connor replied for Inch before St Ailbe’s got their second goal.
A quick free from Orla Ryan found Kavanagh through on goal. Inch keeper, Caoilfhionn Deane, saved her effort but Kennedy was quickest to the breaking ball, to make it 2-3 to 0-5.
But Inch responded in style, with Orlaith Murphy playing Walsh in for their first goal. Sorcha O’Rourke added a point, to make it 1-6 to 2-3, before Inch got their second goal.
O’Rourke and Walsh combined to set up Aoibhe Joyce to score, to put them three points clear, 2-6 to 2-3.
Two points from O’Connor increased their lead, before a shot from Kennedy for St Ailbe’s came back off the crossbar and the danger was cleared.
With 28 minutes gone St Ailbe’s got their third goal of the half when Orla Ryan scored to put only two points between them, 2-8 to 3-3.
O’Rourke got the last score of the half as Inch led by 2-9 to 3-3 at half time.
It didn’t take St Ailbe’s long to get their fourth goal after the restart.
Katie Heelan drove at the Inch defence and beat several defenders before passing to Orla Ryan.
She then played Eimear Ryan in to make it 4-3 to 2-9 after 36 minutes.
Four minutes later it was a case of rolling back the clock as another former Inch Cork star, Angela Walsh, set up Annie Walsh for their third goal, with her first touch having come on as a sub.
O’Rourke and Angela Walsh added points to see Inch lead by 3-11 t 4-3 after 45 minutes.
O’Rourke, O’Connor and Joyce added points before St Ailbe’s were back in contention when they got their fifth goal.
Eimear Ryan disposed Deane and she had an empty net to shoot into, to make it 5-3 to 3-14.
She added a point from a free from the restart as St Ailbe’s had reduced the deficit to four points.
Another free from Ryan put three between the sides with seven minutes to go, 5-5 to 3-14.
Grace Rooney got a much-needed point for Inch, with O’Connor adding another, to make it 3-16 to 5-5 with four minutes left.
But St Ailbe’s weren’t finished yet and when Kavanagh got their sixth goal there was only a point in it. Just before the final whistle Eimear Ryan equalised from a free, to make it 6-7 to 3-16, to take it to extra-time.
The goal feast continued in extra-time with Annie Walsh setting up O’Connor for the first to put Inch back in front.
But just before half-time in extra-time Kavanagh goaled for St Ailbe’s to see them level at the break, 4-16 to 7-7.
A free from O’Rourke put Inch back in front and that proved to be the last score as they held out for the win.
They will now face the Leinster champions in the All-Ireland semi-final in several weeks time.
Annie Walsh 2-1, L O’Connor 1-6, S O’Rourke 0-5 (0-1 f), A Joyce 1-1, A Ashman 0-2, Angela Walsh, G Rooney 0-1 each.
E Ryan 2-3 (0-3 f), M Kavanagh 3-0, K Kennedy 1-2, O Ryan 1-0, G Keane, L Nash 0-1 each.
C Deane; C Gillman, J Long, A Budds; C O’Regan, T O’Neill, D O’Sullivan; A Joyce, A Olaniran; E Brenner, L O’Connor, A Ashman; S O’Rourke, O Murphy, Annie Walsh.
G Rooney for D O’Sullivan (24), Angela Walsh for A Ashman (40), Aoife Walsh for C Gillman (56), C O’Donovan for T O’Neill (60), A Ashman for O Murphy (67), A O’Driscoll for S O’Rourke (79).
B Madigan; M Stanley, C Ryan, S Hickey; L Nash, N Ryan, K Heelan; C Hickey, A Russell; S McNamara, O Ryan, E Ryan; M Kavanagh, K Kennedy, G Keane.
A Kelly for N Ryan (27), A Dalton for G Keane (44), J McGuire for S Hickey (50), N Ryan for K Kennedy (60), K Kennedy for O Ryan (80).
Davie Grogan (Tipperary).
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