SORCHA MCCARTAN came off the bench for injured goal scorer Katrina Mackey to hit two huge points as Cork staved off a gritty Galway to win their 30th Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie title and second in a row. An official attendance of 27,811 turned up at Croke Park for the triple header and McCartan’s scores were pivotal, coming either side of a brilliant point by another sub, Clodagh Finn. They proved the difference in the end as the Rebels completed a senior/intermediate double, after Galway had responded to Cork’s burst for home at the start of the second half by reeling in the six-point difference to draw level thanks to among others, the inspirational Aoife Donohue, who finished with four points from play.
Those that believe in momentum as an irresistible force would have been all-in on the Maroons kicking on, but it was Cork’s depth that told down the stretch to turn fortunes back in their favour. All the Cork forward line scored in the first half but Galway would have been delighted with how they had shut out the goal chances after the Rebels had threatened in the early exchanges and by the final whistle, four of the sextet were watching from the sideline. What’s more, Cathal Murray’s side were causing problems, having thrown a bit of a curve ball at their opponents by locating Niamh Hanniffy and Carrie Dolan into the full-forward line, with the competition’s leading scorer from play prior to throw-in, Niamh Mallon moving from the edge of the square.