Result: 2 – 2 to 0 – 7

Ballyboden St. Endas 2 – 2   St. Vincents 0 – 7

What an amazing finale.  Having gone the entire 40 minutes of the second half without a score, Boden are awarded a penalty after goalkeeper turned forward Sile nic Coitir is fouled inside the box.

Captain Ciara Lucey strolls up from centre back and carefully places the ball.  The run, the lift, the shot and the net is shaking as the Boden cries resound over the St. Peregrines Grounds.

It brought back memories of the Boden’s first championship win in 1999 when the captain that day Irene Kirwan slammed a free to the net with the last puck to claim victory against the same opposition.

Boden trailed by three points in the opening 16 minutes of the game until an opportunist goal from full-forward Sinead McNeela levelled the game.  Points from Anne Griffin (who was named Laoch an Cluiche) and Elaine Hickey pushed Boden 1 – 2 to 0 – 4 in front at half-time.

However in the mud and the rain, the game developed into a battle and defences were very much on top.  Boden’s defence was hurling very well with corner back Ciara Blair superb and Orla Smith and Ciara Lucey anchoring the central positions.

But it was Vincents who got the first score of the half thanks to Eimear Brannigan in the 32th minute.  It was to the half’s only score from play.

Boden’s Joanne O’Sullivan and Darrelle Dolan were hurling defiantly and despite suffering several knocks Noelle Comyn and Anne Griffin pursued their tasks with intensity.

But the Vincents full-back line were in charge and Boden could not find a way through.

With six minutes of normal time remaining, Vincents went in front when Aisling Jordan struck her third point.  This followed a Boden missed free.  It looked like at this stage that the Marino had taken a vital score.  This view appeared to be confirmed when the same player pointed a 45 to go two points up in the 56th minute.

At the same time Sile nic Coitir was moved from goals to the forwards as Sinead McNeela returned to the fray.

A number of stoppages ensured that added time would be substantial.  But Vincent’s still did not look like leaking a score.  Fiona Ní Chorcoráin won a great ball that landed in the box where Sile nic Coitir gained possession only to be fouled.  And the rest as they say is history.

Sile Nic Coiter, Ciara Blair, Orla Smith, Sorcha Farrelly, Joanne O’Sullivan, Ciara Lucey (1 – 0), Fiona Hughes, Anne Griffin (0 – 1), Fiona Ní Chorcoráin, Anne Hogan, Noelle Comyn, Darrelle Dolan, Emer Lucey, Sinead McNeela (1 – 0), Elaine Hickey (0 – 1).

Subs:  Sarah Crosbie for Hogan; Roisin Keaney for McNeela, Anne McCormack for Dolan, Sinead McNeela for Crosbie.