JUST NO STOPPING HER Mayo's Cora Staunton bursts past Galway's Aoibheann Daly during Sunday's TG4 Connacht SFC Final at Tuam Stadium.
Cora the explorer leads Mayo home
Final
Mayo3-16
Galway3-15
(After Extra-Time)
Mike Finnerty
Tuam
EXPECT the unexpected. The phrase should be written in great bold letters in the match programme the next time these teams cross swords and continue their epic rivalry.
Last Sunday at Tuam Stadium they took us on a fascinating journey that ebbed and flowed for seventy minutes before ending in a manner that befitted the occasion.
As Mayo’s long-serving captain, Christina Heffernan, hoisted the CBE Cup towards the cloudy heavens, she reflected on the match that had just ended. She thanked Galway for the part they had played and paid tribute to her team-mates too. Nobody could have put it any better.
The teams were level six times during an absorbing match. Mayo led by five points after nine minutes yet Galway were nine clear with twenty minutes left. And still the defending champions had to dig out an equaliser with only six seconds remaining.
And the difference between the teams in the end? Well, Cora Staunton of course whose nerveless place-kicking defied logic. Despite missing a couple of frees here and there she still ended with the magnificent tally of 2-13, including the winning score that was swung over with typical nonchalance in the final minute of extra-time.
All of Cora’s points came from frees while one goal was a freakish score and the other came from a rebound after her penalty kick had been saved. It was as if she took a break from the rigours of single-handedly beating defences and decided to concentrate on the not-so-simple matter of kicking match-winning scores.
But if Cora drilled the points and earned the headlines there was no shortage of willing and able foot-soldiers either.
In defence, Helena Lohan, Marcella Heffernan, Martha Carter and Caroline McGing were competitive throughout and seldom paused for breath.
Lohan provided stability and grace under fire like only she can while Martha Carter subdued Galway’s leading light, Niamh Fahey, as well as anybody has in recent times.
Elsewhere, Claire Egan toiled honestly in the face of Galway’s totemic midfield partnership before eventually imposing her will on the match in the latter stages.
Her abrasive style and strong running were also instrumental in Mayo’s recovery in the final quarter.
Up front, link-play and free-flowing moves were all too rare for the most part but Fiona McHale, Ciara McDermott, Lisa Cafferkey and sub’ Aoife Herbert all showed flashes of ingenuity. Diane O’Hora also proved an anchor-like figure at full-forward until her departure and remains an integral figure.
In keeping with subsequent events, the match itself began frantically with Lisa Cafferkey side-footing a loose ball to the Galway net on six minutes after Fiona McHale had split the defence with an exquisite pass.
Cafferkey then tagged on a neat point to leave Mayo 1-2 to 0-0 clear and eleven minutes had elapsed before Galway opened their account through Niamh Fahey.
But the homeside gradually established a vice-like grip at midfield where Annette Clarke and Lisa Cohill used their strength, height and experience to good effect. The duo became the game’s most influential figures and by half-time had helped Galway into a 1-7 to 1-5 lead.
Points were reeled off from Patricia Gleeson and Clarke (free) before Niamh Fahey’s pile-driver was adjudged to have crossed the Mayo line despite the best efforts of Helena Lohan in the 21st minute.
An Ann-Marie McDonagh point a minute later drew Galway level and three further scores from Clarke (free), Lisa Cohill and Geraldine Conneally saw them edge head by the change of ends.
The early stages of the second half saw Galway make a break for the finish line as they rattled off 2-1 inside four minutes to streak eight points clear.
The purple patch was dazzling; Lisa Cohill drilling in a 25 yard thunder-bolt that flew past Yvonne Byrne before Edel Concannon deftly flicked the ball into the net as Mayo’s defence was torn apart at the seams.
Those goals were still being celebrated in the stand when Martha Carter was sent to the sin-bin and it felt like it might be one of those days for Mayo.
Cora Staunton did stop the rot with a free (her fifth of the game) in the 38th minute but when Niamh Fahey clipped a point in response, Galway were nine clear (3-9 to 1-6) with twenty minutes left.
Mayo’s cause seemed lost.
Little did we know that in the space of fourteen unbelievable minutes Cora Staunton would outscore Galway by 2-5 to 0-1.
It was a real one-woman band performance and was illuminated by her first goal in the 51st minute that changed the course of the game. It came when her shot for a point took a deflection and looped over the head of Tina Hughes and into the Galway net.
Four minutes later and her well-struck penalty was saved by Hughes but Cora gobbled up the rebound and buried it. A couple of superbly-struck frees later and she had dragged Mayo level. The madness continued when she swung over the lead score in the 58th minute. Galway seemed shell-shocked.
To their credit they came roaring back, Niamh Fahey putting Ann-Marie McDonagh in for the equaliser, six seconds from the hooter, to send the match to extra-time.
The twenty minutes that followed flew by. A brace of sweet scores from Ciara McDermott and another Staunton free had Mayo ahead by 3-14 to 3-13 by the break.
The home straight was a tense affair, Annette Clarke levelling the game before trading frees with Cora to restore the status quo. We wondered would we have a winner.
Predictably, the answer came from a familiar source, Claire Egan’s barnstorming run earning the free that would decide the match. Cora’s kick from 45 yards was sublime, never wavering as it sailed over.
Some days are diamonds and this was one of them.
Mayo
Y Byrne; S McGing, H Lohan, M Kelly; M Heffernan, M Carter, C McGing; C Egan, N O’Shea; C Staunton (2-13, 1-0 pen, 13fs), F McHale, C McDermott (0-2); C Heffernan, D O’Hora, L Cafferkey (1-1).
Subs used: J Moran for O’Shea; A Herbert for O’Hora; C O’Hara for Kelly; N O’Shea for C McGing.
Galway
T Hughes; M Glynn, E Flaherty, S Noone; M O’Connell (0-1), A Daly, AM McDonagh (0-1); A Clarke (0-4, 4fs), L Cohill (1-1); P Gleeson (0-1), N Fahey (1-4, 2fs ), G Conneely (0-1); E Concannon (1-0), S Cosgrave (0-2, 1f), R McPhilbin.
Subs used: S Fitzgerald for Glynn; B Hannon for McPhilbin; C Molloy for Concannon.
Referee: L McDonagh (Sligo)
