Derry manager PJ O’Mullan heaped praise on Aoife Shaw, whose point from a 45 rescued a draw for Derry in their Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate Championship semi-final with Kilkenny in FBD Semple Stadium Thurles last Saturday.
The Oak Leaf side made the most of the lifeline, taking control in extra-time to win by seven points and book a final date with Meath on August 6 at Croke Park
“Aoife showed great courage and composure to slot the 45. It was nothing more than we deserved in the game, but what a pressure score! Absolutely no nerves from her at all and the rest of us finding it very hard just to watch.
“For long periods we were the better team. It was a very physical match and was played at a savage pace from start to finish.
“Both teams started well but Derry took control midway through the first half,” assessed the Loughgiel man who was in charge when his home club claimed their second All-Ireland Club hurling title in 2012.
“A couple of stray passes and a couple of wides kind of let Kilkenny off the hook. We should have been more than a point ahead at half-time.
“Then for 22 minutes of the second half we were excellent. We held Kilkenny scoreless during that period. Our defence was excellent including our forwards filtering back through midfield and working their socks off.
“Maybe we thought we had done enough when five points up and took our foot of the pedal and in last 10 minutes. Then Kilkenny did what Kilkenny teams do and stormed into the game.”
The Leinster team hit six unanswered points to take the lead in injury-time and O’Mullan admitted that the Derry management was worried at that stage.
“Thankfully we got a late chance through Mary (Hegarty) and Aoife (Shaw) showed great courage and composure.
“In extra time we were magnificent showing how good this team is. We scored 10 points and deservingly won the game. The girls stood up, took responsibility and fought to the final whistle and we are really proud of them.”
Meath, meanwhile, beat Westmeath by 1-11 to 0-10 in their semi-final, a game that was delayed by over half an hour by extra-time in Derry’s game. It wasn’t decided until a 60th-minute goal from Amy Gaffney.
O’Mullan watched the game and was impressed by Meath.
“They will be a different and extremely difficult opponent in the final. They are physically very strong with excellent players all over the pitch.
‘‘Meath have already beaten us in the league and have played in Croke Park in the league final. But that is the challenge ahead of us and one that we are relishing as a group.”
O’Mullan only took over Derry at the start of the season and asked for two years to allow him to build a team. Reaching Croke Park in year one is a great achievement for a group that had only five starters from last year’s team available. It is essentially a new team.
“The journey to date has had its ups and downs,” said O’Mullan.
“The league performances had glimpses of what we could do but we were very inconsistent.
“As a group we had a very open and frank discussion prior to playing Antrim in the Ulster championship. It seemed to do the trick. We didn’t win that game, but we played well and probably deserved to win.
“The All-Ireland journey has been good so far. We have played four games and won four. The loss of a couple of key players to injury has further galvanised the group.
“There is a real bond between the girls and we have 24 players who are committed to each other and are determined to achieve their goal on August 6th.”
