Heartbreak for Lismore at Croke Park

If you are from Lismore, a member of the towns Camogie Club, a supporter of the same club or even a supporter of the game in general, there can be no disputing that the past two years have proven to be a great time for all involved.

It’s well documented that the club under the Management of Seamus Prendergast, working along side Geraldine Barry, Austin Curran and Jim Russell began training for the year ahead on the weekend of Saint Patrick’s Day in 2013.

Everyone knows of the efforts put in by the top inter county and club sides over the past few years in a bid to win silverware. Everyone knows of the commitments shown by the players on these sides. What may be not known to many is that when it comes to the ladies games (Camogie and Ladies Football) the commitment and effort is just as big as what their male counterparts put in and sometimes the commitment is even greater.

Over the past two years, a great bond has been built up within the Lismore Camogie Club. How many club players for example involved in the club championships in the early part of the New Year will give up Saint Stephen’s morning to go training. Such is the bond built up by the Lismore players over the past two years, on Saint Stephen’s Day in 2013 after a training session the players sat down and ate a Christmas Dinner together.

While Lismore will be disappointed with this narrowest of narrow defeats, its possibly fair to say that some may take a short break away from the game now, but in a few weeks time, they will come back regroup and begin a new journey along what is a familiar road, beginning with an attempt to win the County Senior League Cup and then the championship and if successful head into Munster and hope to reach an All-Ireland Final at Croke Park, where they will be hoping that what they say about the third time does prove through.

This years All-Ireland Final was always going to be hard fought. Both sides qualified on merit, and whichever was going to come out on top be it after one game or two as was the case twelve months ago, they were going to be worthy winners.

Between them, the two respective sides lost just one game over the past twelve months.

The South Kilkenny side went into the game with a perfect record, winning the Kilkenny Intermediate League, the All-Kilkenny League, the Kilkenny Intermediate Championship and the Leinster Intermediate Championship.

Lismore went into the game having won last years All-Ireland Intermediate Club Final, the County Senior Championship and the Munster Intermediate Club Championship, their only competitive defeat in the past twelve months coming in the County Senior League Final against arch rivals Saint Annes.

While it was Piltown that made the better start to this game, it was Lismore that scored first, Aoife Hannon putting over her first of the afternoon from a free on three minutes.

Edel Long levelled matters on six minutes and from the restart Tanya Morrissey was adjudged to have come outside the fourteen metre line, a harsh call maybe as she appeared to have had the ball released from her grasp before momentum took her over the line. From the resulting strike from the forty-five metre line Katie Power made no mistake, sending the challengers into the lead, a lead they never lost.

Niamh Culleton gave her side a two point advantage on the score board on eight minutes and three minutes later, that lead when to five when following some good work by Katie Power and Niamh Culleton, Chloe Blackmore a player to keep an eye on in the coming years beat Tanya Morrissey with a low shot.

Nicola Morrissey who moved from corner forward in semi final win over Oranmore Maree to wing forward for this game pulled a point back for Lismore on seventeen minutes to leave her side trailing by four.

Katie Power from a ’45 restored a five point advantage with ten minutes of the half remaining but that lead was cut to three on twenty four minutes after Aoife Hannon put over a brace of frees.

Points from Katie Power from a free and Laura Norris followed for Piltown inside a minute of each other to open a five point lead once more with four minutes of the half remaining.

Lismore however went to the dressing rooms in a confident mood after a free won two minutes from the break was moved to a more favourable position after some descent from the Piltown players.

Aoife Hannon stepped up to take the free and she made no mistake in dispatching to the net which in a way makes the decision taken at Congress over the weekend look all the more controversial as when the player strikes the ball properly, the advantage is with the attacking player.

Coming out with a 1-6 to 1-4 advantage on the score board Piltown extended their leas by two within six minutes of the restart as Chloe Holden and Katie Power put over points.

Aoife Hannon had what looked like to be a point ruled out by the umpire soon afterwards, waving the effort wide. Was it some sort of “justice” for Lismore? In their County Final win over Saint Anne’s at Fraher Field at much the same point in the game, Saint Anne’s had what looked like a point waved wide, which if given the game would have ended in a draw.

Two points in a two minute spell did follow for Lismore both from Aoife Hannon to leave just two between the sides at the end of the third quarter.

Katie Power followed up with a brace points on forty-nine and fifty two minutes, the latter the only score from play in this game by the former WIT Ashbourne Cup winning captain to give the South Kilkenny outfit a 1-10 to 1-6 lead with eight minutes to play.

The sign of a good team is one that keeps going right to the end, and this is exactly what Lismore did.

Aisling O’Brien played the ball in around the Piltown goal with five minutes to play. Nicola Morrissey finished to the net, but before the Lismore support in the stand could raise what would be the loudest cheer of the day up to that point Peter Dowd gave a loud shrill of his whistle and indicated that the Lismore player was in the small square before the ball arrived in.

Lismore however still refused to give up. An Aoife Hannon effort went wide of the posts before she cut the Piltown lead to three with two minutes to play. Grainne Kennelly who impressed throughout followed up with another Lismore point on the hour mark and Aoife Hannon put over her sixth free of the game, her seventh point in total to leave just one between the sides

Time however ran out for Lismore. Piltown ran out winners 1-10 to 1-9. They will now play in the senior championship in 2015 and with a young team it will be interesting to see how they will get on.

Lismore too have a relatively young team, the most senior players still in their mid to late 20’s. There is no doubt the hunger is still there. They have played two All-Ireland’s at Croke Park. Neither has resulted in wins at the venue.

But it’s worth remembering that Lismore played in three All-Ireland semi finals before they won one. Maybe a third visit to Croke Park will result in win for Lismore. Can it happen?

Lismore: Tanya Morrissey; Niamh Molumphy, Shauna Prendergast, Marie Russell; Aoife Houlihan, Shauna Kiernan, Sarah Fenton; Grainne Kenneally Shona Curran; Nicola Morrissey, Aoife Hannon, Sharon Williams; Ruth Geoghegan, Catriona McGlone, Johanna Houlihan. Subs: Laura Buckley for Sharon Williams (28), Sarah Coughlan for Niamh Molumphy (h.t), Aisling O’Brien for Johanna Houlihan (46). Rest of the Panel: Sarah Geoghegan, Alice Russell, Kate Heneghan.

Scorers: Aoife Hannon 1-7(1-6fs); Nicola Morrissey, Grainne Kenneally 0-1 each

Piltown: Aoife Norris, Mairead Power, Elaine Kenny, Jennifer Norris: Debbie Phelan, Katie Duggan, Kelly-Ann Doyle; Laura Norris, Alice Talbot; Nicole Culleton, Katie Power, Edel Long; Chloe Holden, Chloe Blackmore, Lorraine Long. Subs: Georgina Culleton for Alice Talbot (47), Lisa McCarthy for Chloe Holden (59), Katelynn Phelan for Debbie Phelan (60+1). Rest of the Panel: Carol McCarthy, Niamh Dermody, Ellen Commins, Sinead McCarthy, Áine Power, Nicola Phelan, Maria Foley, Leanne Dunne, Siobhan Dermody, Fiona Long, Jean Power, Antonia Power.

Scorers: Katie Power 0-6(3fs, 2 ‘45); Chloe Blackmore 1-0; Laura Norris, Nicole Culleton, Edel Long, Chloe Holden 0-1 each

Referee: Peter Dowd (Meath)