All Ireland Final for Sacred Heart!

“All Ireland Semi-Finals are there to be won, the performance secondary to the primary goal of a safe passage to the final”.

In the glorious settings of the University of Limerick campus, on a sun-drenched all-weather surface, the Sacred Heart students of Clonakilty progressed to the All-Ireland Senior Football Final, where they will face Our Ladies Bower Secondary School, Athlone. Only last Saturday, the students from the famous West Cork school celebrated a keenly contested Munster final, coming through with a late flurry of scores. To all their credit, following only four days of recovery and preparations, this panel of players and management were able to put the emotions of a famous win aside to overcome the stern challenge of Coláiste Iognaid, Sea Road Galway.  

Following a blistering start where Sacred Heart came out of the traps early with 3 excellent worked points ( Deasy, Moloney and Patwell), it was the Galway students who slowly began to boss this game. With their athleticism and footballing prowess, they found gaps in the Clonakilty defense and exploited it with 3 goals from play and a penalty following a dubious decision from the referee. The Clonakilty students were trying hard to find their rhythm and used the direct ball to great effect, where Orla Deasy and Siofra Pattwell capitalised. The midfield pairing of Katie O’ Driscoll and Ciaradh McCarthy worked tirelessly, connecting defense with attack, as well as snuffing out multiple attacks. On the wing Lydia Sutton was full of running and covered every inch of the artificial surface. Roisín Ni Bhuachalla was to the fore in this game and with her accurate kicking, unhinged the Galway defense as well as contributing to the score board with the point of the game. At half time the score board read 4 goals and three points to 1 goal and 8 in favour of the Galway outfit and with the wind at their backs for the second half it looked promising for the Colaiste Iognaid girls. 

The move of Millie Condon to the half forward line and Eimear O’ Brien to midfield, together with a tightening up of one-to-one marking, flipped the switch in the right direction, for Clonakilty as they stormed into the game, kicking 5 points without reply before the water break. Ruth Shanley and Alannah O’ Brien were magnificent at the back, with their excellent reading of the ball and strong running from defense, they lifted their team time and time again. They were ably assisted by Mary Murphy and Niamh Kennedy, when introduced. The bravehearted Kate O’ Donovan, playing through the pain barrier, was rock solid, fielding magnificently and holding the center of defense with the swagger of a player of genuine pedigree. A good team always instinctively knows when to turn the screw in a game and following the water break, an injection of urgency and pace saw Condon tormenting the Galway defense as she weaved her magic, finding gaps between a wall of players, every time she took it on. Then, the score of the game, with a 4-pass move starting with Shanley in defense, who found Ni Bhuachalla on the left wing and with great vision and accuracy she released Aoife Meade who in turn found Patwell who finished sublimely. It was as they say, a “Game Over” goal and epitomised a team now in flow! A late push from Colaiste Iognaid brough the best out of Katie Hearne the Clonakilty netminder, who had once again a very solid game. So it is, to the All-Ireland Final in 2 weeks' time. This gallant Sacred Heart team have reached their date with destiny with some wonderful team performances. One more of these would be a central part in deciding the outcome.