One of the most famous piece of soccer commentary of the past 30 years came in the 1999 Champions League final.
Trailing 1-0 to Bayern Munich, Manchester United had a corner kick in the dying moments of the match.
“Can they score?” ITV’s Clive Tyldesley asked. “They always score.”
He was right. They did score. Great teams tend to. And you could say the same thing for this remarkable Cork Ladies Gaelic Football team.
Briege Corkery and Co claimed heir sixth All-Ireland title on the bounce – and their 11th in 12 years – as they edged past a brave and committed Dublin side by a score of 1-07 to 1-06 in front of a record crowd at Croke Park.
WE DID IT! Record attendance at the @TG4TV @LadiesFootball All Ireland Final! #serioussupport pic.twitter.com/vIwkohlmMI
— Lidl Ireland (@lidl_ireland) September 25, 2016
In years to come, a glance at the list of winners of this competition may trick you into thinking that it was inevitable that Cork would win. Their dominance is total. The record books are all that matters, but even they can be deceiving.
That’s the cruelty of sport at the very highest level.
But those players in the blue of Dublin, their thousands of fans in the stands and watching live on TG4 will know the real truth.
That this was close. Really close. A few less wides and it would have been Dublin lifting the trophy.
There was controversy too.
Dublin appeared to score a perfectly legitimate point in the first half when Carla Rowe slotted over only for the umpire to judge that it was a wide.
At the break Dublin led by a point, but you knew, you just knew, that this Cork side weren’t going to go away.
You don’t become arguably the greatest GAA side this country has seen by letting your opponent pull away.
They are masters of the second half comeback and so it proved.
Can they come back? They always come back. They certainly did.
Inspired by Orla Finn and Doireann O’Sullivan, these warriors from Cork raced into a four point lead, despite Dublin dominating territory and possession for long periods.
In difficult weather conditions, Dublin hit 11 wides – not including Rowe’s disputed effort. It proved costly.
Another wide for Dublin. That's their 11th versus Cork's five.
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) September 25, 2016
A penalty in the final minute – slotted home by Sinead Aherne – brought the controversy over the umpire’s missed point back into play.
Dublin were beaten by a point. Cork are champions again. That’s what the record books will show.
The real story of the game is far more nuanced.
