It’s not over until it’s over.
Cork and Meath’s camogie sides played out an end-to-end thriller in Croke Park on Sunday, in their All-Ireland Intermediate final clash, but unfortunately the main talking point of the day will be referee Liz Dempsey’s decision to blow up for full time, with Meath having a legitimate chance of a score in front of them.
Cork’s intermediates looked bound for glory as the game entered it’s 61st minute, and they held a one point lead over the Royal County, but it was far from over.
This was the theme of the game, as Cork went into the half-time interval with a four-point lead over their opponents. Meath, however, were dogged, they were resilient, and they weren’t taking no for an answer.
Gradually, as the second half reached its dying stages, Meath reeled the Rebelettes in, and when Jane Dolan pointed from a late free under serious pressure with ice-cool execution, they weren’t even satisfied then.
Meath and Cork will meet again after Jane Dolan's injury-time free ended the intermediate final at 1-09 apiece Live: https://t.co/B3MXZFVwDv pic.twitter.com/gojRfMH2cn
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) September 10, 2017
No, they wanted to push on from there. They wanted to go on and win the competition for the first time in their history.
They had lost at this stage last year but they were ready to push on and, with Cork flailing with 14 players, Meath smelt blood and went for it.
They did as much as they possibly could, they worked a scoring opportunity for midfielder Megan Thynne who burst through the challenge and set herself up with a chance of winning, but just as she was about to take her shot at the posts, referee Dempsey blew up the final whistle for full-time.
Harsh on Meath there pic.twitter.com/0ug80ncUYC
— Niall McIntyre (@NiallMcintyre) September 10, 2017
Onlookers took to Twitter to reveal their disappointment in the referee’s decision, and for the Meath women, who will now face a replay against Cork on October 1.
Poor timing from the referee to blow the intermediate final up while Meath were on the attack and just about to shoot.
— Killeavy13 (@StevenMcD13) September 10, 2017
Meath players reacted well to the ridiculous final whistle, there would have been a serious row if it happened in a men's match
— Damien Mc Anespie (@dmcaphotos) September 10, 2017
Poor from ref, surely she should have allowed the attack to play out.
— Fran Bellew (@FranBTweets) September 10, 2017
https://twitter.com/Meabh_Lenehan20/status/906888204401483776
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