Master class show as the Longford Slashers ladies are crowned All-Ireland champions

Longford Slashers . . . 4-11   Mullinahone (Tipperary) . . . 2-8 

Spurred on by a very enthusiastic large band of supporters who certainly made their presence felt, Slashers never looked back from the moment the inspirational captain Aisling Cosgove scored the first of the four goals in the early stages of the All-Ireland Club Intermediate Championship Final on a bitterly cold day at GAA headquarters.

History was made as Slashers became the first gaelic football team from Longford to win an All-Ireland club title. 

The all conquering county champions were superior in most positions on the pitch in utilising the wide open spaces of Croke Park to excellent effect in demolishing the Munster champions. 

When centre-half-back Orla Nevin blasted an unstoppable shot to the back of the net in the 51st minute, Slashers had established a massive 15 points advantage (4-10 to 0-7) advantage and this exhibition of pure football was a joy to watch.

While Mullinahone closed the gap with a couple of consolation goals from their top scorer  Lorraine O’Shea, nobody can argue with the fact that Slashers were in a different league with dynamic midfielder Grace Shannon a deserving winner of the player of the match award. 

Rising young star Shannon was in full flow as she tormented the under pressure Mullinahone defence and scored two goals in the process of gracing Croke Park with a tremendous performance.

Not very far behind in the order of merit was the exciting attacking defender Orla Nevin who registered 1-2 and the cracking goal she scored in the closing stages of the match was a superb strike. 

Aisling Cosgrove was another player to make a major impact and the conductor was most effective at centre-half-forward in orchestrating a lot of the penetrating attacks.

After shooting to the net with just four minutes gone in the game, the clever Cosgrove had a hand in the other three goals and this was a captain who truly led by example.

Emily Reilly in the full-back-line also played a most prominent role in this terrific triumph and particularly so when Mullinahone enjoyed their best spell in the first quarter of the contest.

After clearing a shot from Chloe Gunn off the line in the 7th minute, Reilly came to the rescue again when blocking a goal attempt from Lorraine O’Shea in the 14th minute. 

Emily then made a vital interception to stop the dangerous O’Shea getting through and the Mullinahone attacker was denied again late in the game when her goal attempt was blocked on the line by the resilient Slashers No. 3. 

Wing back Clare Farrell (who carried an injury into the final) was also to the fore when Slashers needed her most in the first half while full-forward Jessica Barry was involved in creating a couple of the goals, apart from firing over three points (two frees).  

A strong second half display from corner-forward Kate Shannon saw her register three points (all from play) and it must be said that the support play and immense workrate by the entire team was top class in the overall package. 

The manager Conor Clarke is a very shrewd coach, to say the least, with the game plan executed by him and his fellow mentors Bryan Farrell and Shaun Cunningham working to perfection in plotting the downfall of the Tipperary Intermediate champions.  

Despite shooting a total of six wides in the first half, Slashers still ended up in a comfortable 2-4 to 0-4 lead at the break with Kara Shannon putting Aisling Cosgrove through for the early goal. 

Cosgrove linked up with Grace Shannon for the second goal in the 23rd minute with a speculative shot from Shannon ending up in the back of the net to leave Slashers 2-3 to 0-3 in front. 

This was a big turning point in the battle for the All-Ireland Intermediate title and there was really no way back for Mullinahone. 

Just a solitary point (1-1 to 0-3) separated the sides midway through the first half with Clare Farrell shooting over the bar in the 12th minute. 

The Mullinahone scores were registered by the O’Shea sisters Lorraine (two frees) and Aoibhe but they were restricted to just one more point during the remainder of the first half with Lorraine converting another free. 

Slashers got their second point in the 21st minute when Jessica Barry fired over a free and moments later Orla Nevin blasted a first-time shot over the bar when another goal might well have materialised.  

Barry set up Nevin for another point in the 25th minute as Slashers went into the half-time break in a good position. 

Although Mullinahone got the opening score in the second half when Lorraine O’Shea converted a fourth free, Slashers replied almost immediately with a point from Jessica Barry (free).

Whatever hope Mullinahone had of pulling the game out of the fire were burned when a close range shot from Grace Shannon, after receiving the ball from Barry, was deflected to the net in the 36th minute.

Moments later Kyana Lee (one of four Killashee girls on the team) landed a point with her shot clipping the crossbar and while Mullinahone replied with a score from Aoibhe O’Shea, Slashers came storming back to consolidate their firm grip on the game.

Three fine points in a row (all from play) through Kate Shannon (2) and Jessica Barry left Mullinahone in a state of despair, although they did create a goal chance when a flicked effort from Michaela Kenneally was saved by the Slashers keeper Emer Casey.

After Aoibhe O’Shea kicked a point for the losers, Slashers replied with another score from Kate Shannon before the best move in the match yielded a spectacular goal from Orla Nevin with Aisling Cosgrove providing the perfect final pass.  That brilliant score capped a famous success for Longford Slashers and it mattered little when Lorraine O’Shea broke clean through to shoot a couple of well-taken goals in the 52nd and 57th minutes.

That late Mullinahone burst gave the final scoreline a more respectable look with Kara Shannon landing the last point for Slashers in the 55th minute as the three sisters all got their names on the scoresheet. 

Denise Gaule fired over a late consolation point for Mullinahone who were just no match for a slick and sharp Longford Slashers side who have brought great honour to the county in this memorable historic success.

LONGFORD SLASHERS: Emer Casey; Grace Kenny, Eimear O’Brien, Emily Reilly, Laura Kenny, Orla Nevin (1-2), Clare Farrell (0-1); Aoife O’Brien, Grace Shannon (2-0); Lisa Nolan, Aisling Cosgrove (1-0), Kyana Lee (0-1); Kate Shannon (0-3), Jessica Barry (0-3, 1f), Kara Shannon (0-1).

Subs:- Jill Glennon for L Nolan (49 mins); Grace O’Donnell for L Kenny (52 mins).  

MULLINAHONE: Alice Browning; Eimear Horan, Grainne Horan, Aoife O’Brien; Emma Cody, Molly Walsh, Jennifer Brett; Nicole Shelly, Lauren Dowling; Katie Egan, Michaela Kenneally, Aoibhe O’Shea (0-3); Chloe Gunn, Lorraine O’Shea (2-4, 4f), Denise Gaule (0-1).

Subs:- Lucy White for K Egan (43 mins); Ailish Langton for L Dowling (51 mins); Aimee Moloney for G Horan, Claire Egan for M Kenneally and Marion Gillman for C Gunn (all in the 59th minute). 

Referee: Gus Chapman (Sligo).