Inexperienced Armagh look to O'Donnell

Women's Football All-Ireland Senior Final/Cork v Armagh: Presuming a more focused set of officials are on duty than for Armagh's semi-final victory over Galway, then football should take centre stage for the 33rd TG4 All-Ireland women's football final tomorrow.

Galway's unseen point has been well documented by now but one obvious lesson must be relearned: umpires should always liaise with one another. Thelaxness of the Canal End umpires at the camogie final was yet another case in point.

Entering the final minute of the All-Ireland semi-final on September 9th, Galway's Barbara Hannon pointed only for the umpire to wave it wide. The referee agreed. A subsequent RTÉ sports bulletin showed the wrong freeze frame. An objection to Central Council was rejected. Fixture deadlines were looming.

Unlike in the men's game, when county boards armed with a phalanx of solicitors appeal to the disputes resolution authority at the slighted hint of an angle, the Galway women's football board accepted the decision.

Armagh's historic victory stands but the error prevented a possible repeat of last year's All-Ireland final.

It was only in the aftermath of this controversy that the significance of Armagh's Sharon Duncan converting a 30-metre free in injury-time was realised.

While Armagh are the first team to compete in a senior All-Ireland final just 12 months after winning the junior title, it's not that novel a progression as both Galway and Monaghan made similar quantum leaps, albeit after two seasons.

What is crucial for the continued growth of woman's football is a competitive showing from Armagh tomorrow. If this Cork team repeat the heavy beating they handed them in the league quarter-final then the viewers will switch off en masse.

Victory over Galway displayed a quality team that possess the trademark Armagh steel. They must drag Cork into a similar war of attrition here. Captain Bronagh O'Donnell needs to do her impression of Kieran McGeeney in his pomp. Further up the field, they have quality finishers in Mairéad Tennyson and Aileen Matthews.

A surprise is conceivable but unlikely. Cork are a quality outfit and intend to stretch the Armagh cover on the leg-sapping Croke Park surface.

The camogie contingent's All-Ireland success had a positive impact last season when they returned to the camp. More of the same is required from Mary O'Connor, Briege Corkery and the other five dual players.

The Armagh management named an unchanged side with O'Donnell joined by four Crossmaglen team-mates including her twin sister Alma, Fiona Quinn, Sharon Duncan and Maria O'Donnell.

The Rockchapel club have four members in the Cork team - Bríd Stack, Sinéad O'Reilly, Norita Kelly and Deirdre O'Reilly - with a further three in reserve in Mairéad Kelly, Norma Kelly and Regina Curtin, who returns just seven weeks after surgery on an elbow badly fractured against Tipperary in the camogie championships.

Kerry are already well clear in the overall All-Ireland title charts with 11, including a nine-in-a-row in the 80's so Cork need to get cracking to start a dynasty of their own. There is no better start than a two in-a-row.

In the curtain-raiser tomorrow afternoon, Leitrim take on neighbours Sligo in the All-Ireland junior final at 1.15pm.

LEITRIM: L Loughlin; E Kelly, S Brennan, M Stenson; T Mylott, E McGlade, C Creegan; M Quinn, S McLoughlin; M McKeon, L Brennan, S Kerrigan; A Cox (capt) S Quinn, A Kelly.

SLIGO: K Connolly; F Maye, G O'Gara, M Keane; T O'Hara, C Kennedy, L Harte; B Byrne, S McTiernan; E Flanagan, S O'Reilly, A Doohan (capt); H Haran, N Gormley, T Marren.