Heartbreaking late defeat at Croke Park for Carlow ladies
Carlow players console each other after a heartbreaking defeat at Croke Park Photo: ©INPHO/Grace Halton
How cruel can sport be?
The very least that Carlow deserved after the huge effort they put in at Croke Park was a replay and a second chance to take on Antrim in the TG4 LGFA All-Ireland Junior Football Final, and that’s what they were heading for until Maria O’Neill stepped up to kick a winning point with just 14 seconds left on the clock.
It was frantic ending to the game after Megan Townsend fired home a superb equalising goal into the Hill 16 with 90 seconds left.
Carlow looked most likely to grab the winning score after that. Nice build up play left Sara Doyle with a chance from 40 metres but into the wind, her effort fell short.
Carlow had committed players forward in the search for the winning score and that gave Antrim the chance to come forward and land their late sucker punch.
It was such a shame for a Carlow side who overcame a nightmare start to be the better side for large spells.
With barely a minute on the clock, goalkeeper Nicole Hanley made an uncharacteristic error when her pass was intercepted by Theresa Mellon who was left with a simple tap in. Hanley would atone for that error however with a flawless performance for the remainder of the game, including two excellent saves to deny Maria O’Neill before the half time break.
Antrim led 1-5 to 0-2 after 18 minutes but Carlow grew into the game and finished out the half with four points in a row.
Carlow pushed hard through the third quarter but Antrim always had that goal as a buffer so it looked like Ed Burke’s team would have to conjure a goal if they were to get back into the game.
That arrived with ten minutes to go when good pressure ended with a turnover and Maria Healy slipped a pass into Aibha Kiernan and she blasted home to put Carlow into the lead for the first time, 1-9 to 1-8.
Antrim responded well to that setback and after Prenter levelled the game, they went ahead with two frees by O’Neill, although Carlow were unhappy with the awarding of both.
When Aoibheann Monaghan put Antrim three points clear with just over two minutes to go, for all the world, the game looked over.
But Carlow haven’t gone on a 17 game winning streak for nothing and they kept their composure to string together a superb flowing move that ended with a wonderfully struck shot into the top-left corner by Megan Townsend.
Perhaps with more experience, Carlow would make sure not to lose the game from that position but they had the courage to go and try to win it. That attitude will stand to them in the long run. As was noted by the Antrim captain on the steps of the Hogan Stand, they were in Carlow’s position after losing last year’s final to Louth but they stored up the hurt and came back to go one step further this year.
This result will sting in the days and weeks ahead for Carlow, but if they can bottle up that feeling and store it away, it can drive them forward next season and help them lift a trophy they are more than capable of winning.
Aine Devlin; Emily Kearns, Maeve Blaney, Maeve Mulholland, Laura Agnew, Dúana Coleman, Carla McKenna; Lara Dahunsi, Áine Tubridy; Theresa Mellon 1-0, Bronagh Devlin 0-1, Alyssa Davidson, Emma Louise McAreavey, Maria O’Neill 0-4 (2fs), Orlaith Prenter 0-6 (1f). Subs: Aoibheann Monaghan 0-1 for Davidson, 38; Hannah Donaghy for Tubridy, 48; Aoife Taggart for Dahunsi, 56.
Nicole Hanley; Aoife Carroll, Anne Roche, Síofra O’Neill, Aoibhín Webb 0-1, Niamh Forde, Ruth Bermingham; Róisín Bailey, Caoimhe O’Neill; Edel Hayden, Clíodhna Ní Shé 0-6 (5fs), Amy Hanley, Brónagh Nolan, Sara Doyle 0-1, Aibha Kiernan 1-1. Subs: Megan Townsend for Hayden, 36; Maria Healy for C O’Neill, 40; Beibhinn Nolan for Bermingham, 48-49; Caoimhe O’Neill for B Nolan, 53.
Conor McCarthy (Cork).
