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Kearney Cup Cavan women outclass Mayo

February 16, 2011

By Staff Reporter

By Pierce O’Reilly

Cavan 2-15, Mayo 1-7

The Cavan women gobbled up poor Mayo in emphatic style on Sunday in the Anne Kearney Cup final at sun-drenched Gaelic Park.

The expected epic clash turned into another one-sided empty episode for the women’s association. Cavan were ruthless, shwoing no mercy to a poor Mayo side that lacked focus and force. Controversy surrounded the tie all week, with Mayo officials outraged with the suspension of top midfielder Ellen McGreal.

McGreal had been booked the previous week for a dirty tackle and then is reported to have kicked the ball out of the referee’s hands, earning a two-week suspension that Mayo appealed unsuccessfully.

The off-field antics clearly affected the Mayo performance and their display was off par. At the start of the game, Mayo once again aired their disgust with the suspension and deliberately hung McGreal’s No. 8 jersey on the dugout for the entire hour.

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The "play-protest" attitude backfired badly and Mayo themselves were psyched out by a much more accomplished and accurate outfit.

The Ulster women ignored the political problems off the field and went on a scoring rampage when the game began. The Mayo defense was hit from every angle by flying missiles in that opening quarter and when the dust settled, they faced an 8-point deficit. Cavan were awesome. They rattled the brave Mayo defenders with penetrating runs that bamboozled the Westerners. The ever-green Ger Mahon volleyed a wonderful goal to the back of the Mayo net after just two minutes and the trend for set for the entire hour. Further points from Gillian Bennett, Mahon and Sue Bennett gave the Breffini women their commanding lead.

Mayo, to their credit, refused to buckle, and with Denise Durnian, Pattie McGreal and the McKenna sisters, Cathy and Joanne, finding their range, they narrowed the gap to 1-8 to 0-4 at the interval.

Mayo’s manager, Paddy Ward, looked disheartened as he tried desperately to rally his troops along the sideline.

"Don’t let your heads down, this game can still be won,, Ward said as the Mayo women reentered the fray for the second 30 minutes. But no matter how Mayo tried they couldn’t find a path through the Cavan defense. Siobhan Neville and Mary Maguire gave virtuoso performances, and with Justine Clifford as playmaker, they hit inch-perfect passes to the frontrunners. The Mayo rearguard creaked ominously all afternoon and every Cavan attack made them look vulnerable.

The Ulster women applied the coup-de-grace to wounded Mayo in the second half, and with Ger Mahon and Gillian Bennett rifling over early points, they pulled further in front. Mayo’s Cathy McKenna responded with a good point from play after 10 minutes, but they lacked the overall cohesion and conviction to reel in their opponents.

The Westerners, with captain Louise McMahon playing her heart out at midfield, had a great goal opportunity five minutes later. Full forward Denise Durnian burrowed her way to the edge of the small square before unleashing a shot that was brilliantly parried by a recovering Martina Duggan.

At the other end, Cavan responded with another top-class goal from the lively and wiry Nadine Doherty. Doherty slipped inside the Mayo defense to shoot to the top of the net. Mayo were thrown a lifeline a minute later when Una Kennedy rattled the Cavan net for a well-worked goal involving five players. Kennedy kept her cool when the opportunity arose and slotted home from close range.

Five minutes later they were awarded a penalty, but injured Joanne McKenna spurned the chance and drove her shot high over the bar. Mayo ran out of options while Cavan moved the ball with panache and power. Three late points from Rosie O’Reilly and the Bennett sisters put the final nails in Mayo’s coffin.

The Ulster women deserved this victory for overwhelming their opponents with great skill, tremendous hunger and a doggedness born from their determination to exorcise the memory of their heavy loss at the hands of Mayo three weeks ago. In the final quarter, it was all-hands-on-deck for Cavan, who had some scary moments when Mayo threw caution to the wind.

Full Forward Gillian Bennett stood head and shoulders above everyone else in this period. Apart from kicking ten majestic points, Bennett was superb in every aspect of the game — fielding, blocking, tackling, passing and, most significantly, inspiring her teammates with a series of surging solo runs. It was always going to be difficult for Mayo to keep up the team’s morale and momentum in light of the McGreal controversy. Paddy Ward will regroup his troops in time for the championship, and the summer imports will bring new hope, but can anyone right now stop the Cavan machine as it grinds and bulldozes all it finds in it’s path.

Player of game: Gillian Bennett (Cavan)

Cavan: Sharon Levins, Pauline Coleman, Olive Lynch, Martina Duggan, Siobhan Neville, Mary Maguire, Nuala Carroll, Sue Bennett 0-2, Caroline O’Sullivan, Rosie O’Reilly 0-1, Ger Mahon 1-2, Justine Clifford, Karen Shalvey, Gillian Bennett 0-10, Nadine Doherty 1-0.

Mayo: Anne Marie McGrail, Mary Toolan, Louise Fox, Eleanor Fox, Elaine Donovan, Fiona Ward, Louise McMahon 0-1, Una Kennedy 1-0, Sharon Gallagher, Cathy McKenna 0-1, Colette McGoldrick, Pattie McGreal 0-1, Karen McCaffery, Denise Durnian 0-1, Joanne McKenna 0-3.

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