Second-half surge saves day for Dunboyne
Whatever was said at half-time in the Dunboyne dressingroom at Kinnegad to-day it certainly appeared to have had the desired effect as the Meath champions came out in the second-half of this Leinster Club SFC final and dominated, eventually winning by 2-11 to 2-8.
Powered by a new-found vigour Brendan Quinn's Dunboyne side outscored their opponents 2-7 to 1-3 in that rousing second-half display with captain Fiona O'Neill and the impressive Shelly Melia scoring their goals.
It was all part of a tour de force performance by what is a now very much new and formidable force in Leinster ladies football.
The Kinnegad club had everything in place for this final and the conditions were ideal; dry and firm underfoot.
This was Dunboyne's first Leinster SFC crown and in winning it they defeated a team who were past masters in claiming provincial titles.
Foxrock/Cabinteely were going for the seventh successive Leinster title and the odds suggested they would achieve that target - with something to spare.
That certainly looked how it would turn out to be at the interval when, despite facing into the breeze, the Dublin champions led 1-5 to 0-4. Surely Dunboyne would struggle even more in the second-half?
It didn't turn out like that as the Meath side tapped into something in their psyche to conjure up a powerhouse second-half performance.
They made changes and came out for the second-half with a new-found vigour and purpose - and the reigning champions simply couldn't live with them.
Foxrock/Cabinteely's cause wasn't helped by the fact they had two players sinbinned - one in the first-half, one in the second.
The contrast in halves was startling. In that opening 30 minutes it was Foxrock/Cabinteely who were pushing forward, their movement and general fluency a sight to behold. It was easy to see how and why they have dominated Dublin and Leinster football in recent times.
Dunboyne were just hanging in there, their hopes sustained by three converted frees by Emma Duggan while Vikki Wall also fired over early on.
The Meath side were really rocked back on their heels when in the lead up to half-time the hard-working, overstretched Dunboyne defence was exposed by a searing run by Foxrock/Cabinteely's Andrea Murphy. She crossed for colleague Katie McNally to palm to the net at the far post.
It was not unexpected. The Dublin side were dominant, sharp, strong. They looked hungry. At the break the large contingent of Dunboyne supporters in the big crowd had reason to feel pessimistic.
Any gloom felt by them soon reflected the weather - sunshine and blue skies.
Dunboyne were a team transformed as they set about rescuing their ambitions. Players such as Alison Jones, Annie Moffett, Dee Blaney, Wall, Honor Hickey, Melia, Emma Duggan and O'Neill really started to come to the fore.
Every Dunboyne player looked reinvigorated. Two points from Wall and one form Saoirse Quinn left it 1-5 to 0-7 after 36 minutes. Then Dunboyne struck with their first goal on 39 minutes.
The relentless Julie Kavanagh was involved in the move. So was Wall, O'Neill and Duggan. It finished with Duggan crossing for O'Neill to finish to the net.
Another super move by Dunboyne ended with O'Neill lofting over. Suddenly the Meath side led 1-8 to 1-5. Fortunes radically changed. O'Neill and Duggan tagged on further points, 1-9 to 1-5.
Just to remind folk that they hadn't gone away Foxrock/Cabinteely got a second goal on 46 minutes. This time Hannah O'Neill applied the coup de grace.
Dunboyne kept attacking as the tension rocketed. Wall and Duggan raised white flags before on 57 minutes arrived the score that confirmed this was indeed going to Dunboyne's day.
Dunboyne attacked. Wall, passed to Duggan who passed to Melia. She was on high alert. Melia finished superbly under pressure. How the Dunboyne supporters roared with delight. They knew their team now had it .
Foxrock/Cabinteely did tag on late points and apply some sustained pressure deep into injury time. Dunboyne, as they did for much of the afternoon, defended stoutly. They held out to complete an historic day for the club.
SCORERS
Dunboyne - Emma Duggan 0-5 four frees; Fiona O'Neill 1-1; Vikki Wall 0-4; Shelly Melia 1-0; Saoirse Quinn 0-1.
Foxrock/Cabinteely - Jodie Egan 0-5 four frees; Katie McNally 1-0; Hannah O'Neill 1-0; Andrea Murphy 0-1; Sinead Loughran 0-1; Ciara O'Riordan 0-1.
TEAMS
Dunboyne - Alison O'Sullivan; Rachel McDermott, Elaine Doyle, Dee Blaney; Aoife Delaney, Honor Hickey, Annie Moffett; Vikki Wall, Alison Jones; Julie Kavanagh, Shelly Melia, Saoirse Quinn; Hannah Nolan, Emma Duggan, Fiona O'Neill. Subs - Niamh Williams for Nolan half-time.
Foxrock/Cabinteely - Aisling Tarpey; Niamh Collins, Sarah Delahunty; Faye O'Connell Bell; Aidin Murray, Lorna Fuscardi; Fiona Claffey, Tara O'Sullivan; Sarah Dillon, Ciara O'Riordan, Sinead Loughran; Andrea Murphy, Jodie Egan Katie McNally. Subs - Ciara Murphy for Collins half-time, Hannah O'Neill for Fuscardi 41 mins, Ava Egan for McNally 61m.
Referee - John Bermingham (Wicklow).