CORK FACED YET another test of their credentials at half-time in yesterday’s TG4 All-Ireland ladies senior football final.
Level at 0-5 each with Dublin, the Rebelettes were in a tricky position against Dublin but inspiration was at hand in the form of last year’s final matchwinner Geraldine O’Flynn.
The ace wing-back was forced off injured after just 15 minutes but delivered a half-time speech similar to Jackie Tyrrell’s when Kilkenny beat Galway in the All-Ireland hurling final.
“She told us it was here for us to leave behind,” that we were plenty good enough to win,” team-mate Briege Corkery revealed.
“We had to get our hands and legs in motion, drive on and have no regrets coming off that pitch.”
Cork boss Eamonn Ryan smiled: “We do all be saying things at half-time.
“Being honest I don’t know really what she said because I didn’t hear her.
“I was with Don, who does the stats, and we were looking over them and getting annoyed at certain things.
“By the time we got in whatever she had said she had said. But we had a good chat then before we went out and I knew we were going to perform in the second half.
“Now I won’t say I knew we’d win, but I knew we’d go down with a ferocious fight.”
Cork captain Ciara O’Sullivan admitted that O’Flynn’s words had a significant impact.
“Even when Geraldine isn’t injured, whenever she talks everyone has massive respect for her,” O’Sullivan said.
“She’s an unbelievable player and has given unbelievable service to Cork, so on an ordinary day everyone would have massive respect for her, but today she was devastated, and she just wanted us to go out and do what she couldn’t do.
“We had the chance to do it and everyone wanted to do it for Ger, with all the games she’s won for us – none more so than last year, with the winning point.”
Originally published at 09.56
