AFTER THE LAST four All-Ireland club finals finished as one-sided contests, it was anticipated this clash between the last two champions would be a close affair.
And so it transpired.
Cuala, the holders, and 2016 champions Na Piarsaigh were level nine times throughout this dramatic contest and even extra-time couldn’t separate them.
When man-of-the-match David Dempsey was interviewed by TG4 on the field shortly after the final whistle of the 2-19 to 1-22 draw, the disappointment was etched all over his face.
It was understandable. His 74th-minute point in the second period of extra-time looked like it would seal the Na Piarsaigh’s second All-Ireland in three years, before David Treacy’s 12th free of the afternoon sent the game to a replay.
It was the second time Cuala pulled the game out of the fire in injury-time. They trailed by three, 1-16 to 0-16, at the end of normal time when Colm Cronin was fouled on the 20m line.
Cuala’s regular placed ball shooter Treacy didn’t step-up, instead they gave the sliotar to centre-back Sean Moran whose rising shot was deflected into the net by the hurley of keeper Podge Kennedy.
It was a game that ebbed and flowed with the deadly free-taking of Treacy and Shane Dowling pivotal for their respective sides.
But Dowling’s missed free in the 61st minute stopped Na Piarsaigh from opening up a four-point cushion and left just enough time for Cuala to level the game through Moran.
It was an absorbing contest, played out in freezing conditions in Croke Park. Con O’Callaghan was well marshalled by Mike Casey and an organised Na Piarsaigh rearguard, but Cuala’s scorers were spread out with 10 of their starters on the scoresheet. That included David Treacy’s 0-12 (all frees) and Sean Treacy’s excellent haul of three points from midfield.
Adrian Breen and Kevin Downes scored 0-4 apiece in the Na Piarsaigh full-forward line, while David Breen hit 1-1 and Shane Dowling fired over 0-6, including four frees.
This was the first draw in the final of this competition in 23 years, after Birr and Dunloy finished level on 0-9 apiece back in 1995. The Offaly side won the second game comfortably, pulling away on a scoreline of 3-13 to 2-3.
In recent seasons the victors have won comfortably. Cuala beat Ballyea by 12 last March, while Na Piarsaigh saw off Ruairí Óg, Cushendall by 11 points the year before.
In 2015 Ballyhale Shamrocks had 12 points to spare against Kilmallock, while Portumna saw off Mount Leinster Rangers by eight in 2014.
In fact, the 18 finals that took place since 2000 have been decided by an average margin of 8.1 points.
Cuala could still become the eighth club side in either hurling or football to claim back-to-back All-Ireland crowns, while Na Piarisagh are hoping to move up to joint-seventh in the All-Ireland roll of honour.
Bring on the replay.
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Good luck girls tomorrow. Bronze probably the realistic target
Feel sorry for Kelly McGrory. Do all the hard work in qualifying only to be dropped for the final, cos another athlete who was more interested in personal success decides she now wants to be a team player
@WqM9AAv3: name of the game sadly
@WqM9AAv3: I’d imagine the rest of the team would get down on their knees and beg adeleke to start
@WqM9AAv3: erm, they actually want to win a medal. You pick your best available runners.
@WqM9AAv3: she wasn’t dropped. It’s a 6 person team, and you play your best cards in the final. They all do it. At least McGrory got to run. What about Lauren Cadden who didn’t get a run. Should we bring her in for the final because its the taking part that counts.
@WqM9AAv3: that’s how it rolls, she will get her medal if we do medal, if she is not subbed out, very unlikely to get a medal.
So it’s the best thing for her and the team to be subbed out
@WqM9AAv3: You are clueless. Go hibernate for another four years, and you can try and fail then to pretend you know a single thing about Athletics.
@WqM9AAv3: clown she couldn’t run semi as preparing for 400 final .
@WqM9AAv3: are you one of these lads who thinks we shouldn’t keep score in things and everyone would get the same medal after.
@WqM9AAv3: Not knockin McGrory but she was the weakest link in that semi final. Adeleke is a serous improvement for the final. Its basically the same as rotating your squad for the bigger games in soccer. Nothing wrong with it.
@WqM9AAv3: jed what planet are you living on
@WqM9AAv3: clueless
@WqM9AAv3: She probably knew that was going to happen. It’s cruel at times. But sports can be.
@WqM9AAv3: all the medalling teams, bar the 4×100 mens bronze for gb, are doing it. Very professional. Now go get Kelly her medal. Team Ireland!
@WqM9AAv3: it’s a meritocracy. You’re probably used to participation awards but at the Olympics that’s not how it works.
@WqM9AAv3: you think she should have not bothered with the individual? Hahaha wtf
@WqM9AAv3: win at all costs eh? No wonder the sport is clouded in controversy, performance enhancing narcs, men boxing women, athletes returning from doping bans to win medals (legit this time) athletes smashing their pb’s. Big big sigh
@WqM9AAv3: Men boxing women? Get the facts right before spouting nonsense. The ultimate test was done – are they capable of having a child? The answer is YES. Box away girls.
Hopefully a medal usa will win it jamaica most likely second all the other finalists will be up to get the bronze
@Square: USA and the Netherlands in that order. Bronze up for grabs.
@Ray Ridge: GB for silver, Netherlands bronze and gold to the girleens in green. US drop baton at last changeover whilst well ahead..
@Ray Ridge: stop will ya ireland will beat holland with RA in the team usa and jamaica top 2
@Ray Ridge: just saw u running there in the 10 thousand meters last
@Square: I wish I had a tan that good!
@Ray Ridge: netherlands aren’t better than gb, france and Jamaica. Americans to win and then it’s wide open.
@Ray Ridge: you tired yet over 30mins that race lol
@Kevin Dillon: im telling him that all day
@Kevin Dillon: Netherlands will medal. No doubt about it. Provided they don’t get the butter fingers. Forget about France.
@Square: You would be surprised how long I can go for baby!
@Ray Ridge: just wondering Ray are you from Portumna
@Ray Ridge: you’d expect the Dutch to medal alright but Bol has had a really tough week. She is a bit of a freak though
@Oliver Curley: Not from Portumna.
@munsterman: I think they will medal alright. Anything can happen in relays of course.
@Ray Ridge: FIND OUT 815 TOMMORRY USA JAMACIA IRELAND TOP 3
@Square: USA, Netherlands and GB.
Delighted. Girls will run a big race