Women 10 – Old Belvedere 13

Old Belvedere's Women claimed their second Paul Flood in as many years at Seapoint on Saturday over Connacht's Galwegians, with an all-important first score into the wind after halftime.

Poised 10-nil to the locals at the 40minute mark, Old Belvedere surrendered a stiff tail wind to Galwegians for the second half. For the next half hour it was all they surrendered giving little away on defence and even posting the first points through a penalty kick to go 13-nil ahead.

Galwegians were comfortable enough at the break 10 points in arrears confident they would string together a second half onslaught so typical of their post-Christmas campaign. They did not disappoint.

That said, the black-and-whites opposite had done their homework and scuppered two lengthy Galwegians spells deep in Belvedere territory before lockforward Laura Feely shot through two sets of legs on the goal-line to close the gap to eight 5-13.

The last time these two met Old Belvedere chalked up their third try on the 15minute mark catching a sluggish (and silent) Galwegians outfit on the hop shortly after kick-off. Galwegians weathered the initial onslaught this time around surviving the first quarter-hour at nil-all but faltered five minutes later stuck for numbers out wide on their right.  Old Belvedere followed up the unconverted try with their first penalty of the afternoon seven minutes later and carried a 10point lead into the break.

Defensively, both sides were classy, and occasionally brutal. Tiring bodies lingered longer on the ground later in the day as gang-tackles tried to secure all-important turnovers.

Whereas Old Belvedere's lineout was shambolic throughout and their scrum did all it could to counter Galwegians' set-piece superiority, their breakdown dominance and general play was superb. Galwegians found left winger Mary Healy on three occasions to great effect but Old Belvedere sent the ball through the chain several times over freeing up both east coast wingers and a fullback to run in space. This ability to string four and five wide passes together on demand has stood them in good stead throughout this winter and earned them just reward in the feature cup final.

While it was a game Galwegians could have won, victory would have hung on an Old Belvedere meltdown - an meltdown which never came. That both teams were up for it was evident, but Old Belvedere was the more clinical in broken play. Given expansive football involves far more broken play than set-piece it was little wonder then that Old Belvedere retained the Paul Flood against the side which denied them that honour two seasons ago.