Mercy girls determined to end season on a high

Given how Mercy College’s senior camogie side came agonisingly close to All-Ireland glory, it is safe to say the school’s ladies’ football team are determined to end the GAA year on a high.

David O’Reilly’s side will be trying to ensure that their Sixth Year contingent get another crack at national glory after the school’s flagship camogie team lost out narrowly in their recent All-Ireland Senior B final.

The Roscommon Town school will line out against two-in-a-row Munster champions, Skibbereen Community School, in the Lidl All-Ireland Post Primary Schools’ Senior A Championship semi-final this Wednesday at Fethard (throw in 3 p.m.).

Mercy College have enjoyed a tremendous season on the GAA field, but the desire within the group to finish the campaign in style is palpable, according to manager David O’Reilly.

“How many of these players will get to play in an All-Ireland semi-final at A level for their club, college or county going forward? It’s not every day it happens. It is a motivating factor to be among the four best schools in the country.

“It is nice to be at the top table. We enjoyed the Connacht final win, and we don’t want it to end yet. I think that is our biggest motivation. Whatever way the year ends for us — win or lose — we will be disappointed that it’s over,” he noted.

Mercy College avenged last year’s Connacht final loss when they overcame St. Attracta’s by a point. O’Reilly pinpoints the bond that has formed within the panel throughout the season as a key reason for that success.

“The improvement over the course of the year is huge but you would notice small things even as the year goes on. We would have a mix of girls from Third Year to Sixth Year. You would notice more mingling and chatting as the year goes on. It is nice to see. That is a key ingredient for any successful team.

“They have definitely grown closer as the year has gone on. They don’t want this to finish just yet. We are enjoying training. We are enjoying putting in the work but having the bit of craic as well, so we are definitely hoping we can keep it going for a little bit longer,” the Mercy College manager stated.

The Roscommon Town school came through a barnstorming provincial final that was played in the University of Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome, the day before the arrival of Storm Éowyn.

After leading 2-7 to 1-7 at the interval following an opening half where they spurned numerous opportunities, Mercy College found themselves a point behind entering the final quarter.

Yet they managed to grind out a win as a brace of late points from both Síofra Hession and Sarah Jane O’Connor helped them secure the Connacht title at ‘A’ level for the first time since 2009.

The Mercy College manager believes that his side’s tenacity in the dying embers can prove advantageous in Fethard.

“I think we showed great fight and great desire. That is what brought us over the line in the last ten minutes. Something we will take from the Connacht final is that if we are in a tight game the next day, we will know that we have been there before and we will be able to draw on that experience,” he claimed.

However, O’Reilly feels that his charges must be more ruthless in front of the posts on Wednesday.

“One of the biggest things for us to improve on from the last day will be our finishing. We need to be more clinical in front of goal. It has been a common theme for us this year.

“We create an awful lot of chances. We don’t always finish as much as we would like. We have been working on that and hopefully it will click soon. When it does click, we should put in close to a complete performance,” he noted.

O’Reilly admits that playing this All-Ireland semi-final on the 4G pitch in Fethard will lead to a more energy-sapping contest. Both sides won their provincial finals on this type of surface, noting that his side’s work off the ball when in and out of possession will be pivotal.

“The result the next day will be dictated by what players are doing off the ball, whether it be supporting each other when we have the ball or getting back to support each other. If we play the game and not the occasion, and if we bring everything we have been working on in training over the season, we can ask for no more than that,” O’Reilly concluded.