Can Longford Slashers master Mullinahone in the All-Ireland title decider?

What Slashers have achieved in their magnificent record of title triumphs in ladies football during the past few years is something really special and the foundations for the future were laid through the six-in-a-row county minor championship wins.

The subsequent successes in the Longford adult competitions, starting with the Junior championship in 2017, began to establish Slashers as a major force as they rose through the ranks in making rapid progress.  

The County Intermediate title was won in 2018, followed by the fantastic four-in-a-row in the Senior Championship (2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022) and the extremely talented Slashers team are now just a step away from reaching a massive high in their bid to be crowned All-Ireland champions.

Standing in their way in the big match at Croke Park (live on TG4) on Saturday (throw-in 3pm) are the Tipperary and Munster champions Mullinahone who have enjoyed a meteoric rise during the past couple of years. 

Situated close to the Kilkenny border, Mullinahone were operating in the Junior grade last season and what they have achieved in a short space of time is truly remarkable after winning their first Munster title in 2021.  

The Tipperary club are contesting their second successive All-Ireland Club final after suffering the bitter disappointment of defeat against St Jude’s (Dublin) in the Covid pandemic delayed 2021 Junior final back in February.  

While Mullinahone made a great start to lead by 1-3 to 0-0 after 10 minutes, the Leinster champions gradually asserted their superiority to run out comfortable winners in the finish on a 3-9 to 1-8 scoreline. 

There is a significant line of form through St Jude’s Leinster Junior title triumph last year in that they were hard pressed to beat Skryne (Meath) 3-7 to 1-10 in the quarter-final.

Slashers had four points (3-10 to 3-6) to spare over Skryne in this year’s Leinster Intermediate Club final and the experience gained by the Longford senior champions in the provincial competitions for the past few years will probably be a vital factor in the battle against Mullinahone. 

The Tipperary Intermediate champions were the underdogs against the Limerick senior champions Monagea but kept it very tight at the back in digging deep for a 2-4 to 0-7 victory in the Munster Club final. 

It was a similar story in the All-Ireland semi-final against the Fermanagh and Ulster champions Derrygonnelly Harps with the sides deadlocked at 1-4 apiece at the end of normal time.

Extra-time was required to settle the outcome at the Callan grounds in Co Kilkenny (situated a few miles from Mullinahone) and thanks to a late goal from Lorraine O’Shea the Munster champions emerged victorious on a 2-6 to 1-7 scoreline. 

Mullinahone are really revelling in their fierce desire to win an All-Ireland title and have a very strong half-forward-line in Denise Gaule and the O’Shea sisters Lorraine and Aoibhe.

Kilkenny Camogie All Star Gaule plays her club football with Mullinahone while the O’Shea girls have featured on the Tipperary ladies senior football team at different times in the recent past. 

The main threat will come from centre-half-forward Lorraine who scored 1-4 (3f) in the semi-final against Derrygonnelly while another player of note on the Mullinahone team is their centre-half-back Molly Walsh.       

Slashers are sweating on the fitness of one of their best players, Clare Farrell, with the dynamic wing back forced to retire injured (ankle) in the closing minutes of the All-Ireland semi-final against the Mayo and Connacht champions Charlestown at a packed Michael Fay Park.

A cracking goal from corner-forward Kate Shannon with ten minutes gone in the second half proved to be the decisive score as Slashers showed fierce resistance to consolidate their grip on their game and were full value for their excellent 1-11 to 0-10 win. 

It must be said that the inspirational manager Conor Clarke and his fellow mentors Bryan Farrell and Shaun Cunningham have carried out a tremendous job in guiding the Slashers girls to the All-Ireland Intermediate Club final.

With such a well-balanced team that have grown from strength to strength along with the inclusion of the Killashee quartet of Aisling Cosgrove, Lisa Nolan, Kyana Lee (who comprise the half-forward-line) and goalkeeper Emer Casey, it would be fair to say that Slashers will take some stopping.

The constant captain Cosgrove said that “getting to play in Croke Park was a dream come true” and Slashers will hopefully be crowned All-Ireland champions with their scoring power such a key element in this superb success story.

 Footnote: The second game on the programme at Croke Park on Saturday next is the currentaccount.ie Ladies Football All-Ireland Club Senior Championship Final between Donaghmoyne (Monaghan) and Kilkerrin-Clonberne (Galway), throw-in 5pm.