Mayo keep their position by resolving not to budge

In a way, the marketing people got it right. "Who said it was just a man's game?" asked the back cover of the official programme and, in a tough and uncompromising encounter, the footballers of Mayo and Waterford provided the answer in the Bank of Ireland women's All-Ireland football final at Croke Park yesterday.

That Mayo should become the first winners of the trophy in this new millennium, augmenting the feat of last year when they became the last holders of the Brendan Martin Cup in the old millennium, was due to a performance that combined timely goal-taking with tremendous mental resolve in the closing minutes when they held out under fierce Waterford pressure.

Indeed, with just five seconds remaining on the countdown clock, Waterford defender Marion Troy had an opportunity to equalise, or even win the match, but tired legs as much as any extra pressure led to her sending the ball wide . . . and that was it, as, almost immediately, the hooter sounded to confirm Mayo's status as the country's top team for a second successive year and send their supporters in the crowd of 14,995 into wild celebrations.

On a heavy pitch, with rain in the hours before throw-in contributing to a greasy ball, the onus was on hard work and graft as much as out and out skill. No quarter was asked for or given in a match which swung one way and then the other.

Crucially, however, Waterford - who never managed to go any more than two points ahead on any of the occasions in which they nosed in front - failed to put sufficient daylight between themselves and a Mayo team who showed a greater ability to score goals.

In this regard, Mayo's full forward Cora Staunton remains in a class of her own. Although she was shackled for long stages of the match, particularly in the second-half when Mary O'Donnell retreated from centrefield to mark her, Staunton's ability to score when least expected was perfectly demonstrated in the 54th minute.

Having evaded her marker, Staunton's shot - which looked as if it was going over the bar - dipped viciously over the fingers of the Waterford goalkeeper Sarah Hickey.

It was her second goal of the match, and Mayo's third, and proved the most crucial of the game as it put them four points ahead. And, although Waterford threw everything but the kitchen sink at them in attempting to redress matters, it was sufficient to guarantee victory in the end by a single point.

Mayo's three goals, it must be said, all came at crucial stages. The first, in the 22nd minute, gave them the lead for the first time. After Waterford had opened up the scoring somewhat controversially inside two minutes with a "point" from O'Donnell (which was clearly wide to everyone in the Cusack Stand, a fact backed up by television pictures) and then moved 0-3 to 0-2 ahead, Staunton demonstrated her eye for goal by picking up a loose ball and rifling it to the net.

At half-time, Mayo, having played with the wind, held a precarious 1-3 to 0-5 advantage. However, a series of four unanswered Waterford points - from Anna-Lisa Crotty, Aoife Murphy, Claire Ryan and Geraldine O'Ryan - early on in the second-half indicated that Waterford were turning things around until Mayo's second goal arrived in the 44th minute.

The goal itself came from the penaltyspot, with wing back Yvonne Byrne dispatching the spot-kick with some aplomb, but the seven-player move that built up to goalkeeper Hickey eventually fouling Maria Staunton contained some of the game's best football.

Waterford's wandering wing back Julie Ann Torpey levelled matters in the 53rd minute with a finely taken point. However, Mayo's two killer blows arrived within the space of 30 seconds.

Firstly, Cora Staunton received a pass from the influential Diane O'Hora and kicked a point to edge them ahead and, almost from the kick-out, again received the ball, managed to escape from O'Donnell's clutches, and kicked her side's third goal.

Waterford, now four points down, came back with all they had. Mary O'Rourke, Geraldine O'Ryan and a Hallahan free reduced the deficit to just one point.

But, in the final act of the game, corner back Troy's shot flashed wide of the upright and Mayo could start celebrating.

MAYO: D Horan; N O'Shea, H Lohan, N Lally; O Casby, A Bohan (0-1), T Byrne (1-0, penalty); M Heffernan (0-1), R Barrett; M Staunton, C Heffernan (0-1), C Egan; D O'Hora (0- 1), C Staunton (2-2, one point free), S Bailey. Subs: D McDonagh for Bailey (38 mins), M O'Malley for M Staunton (49), I Mullarkey for Casby (50).

WATERFORD: S Hickey; M Troy, A Walsh, O Condon; B Hannigan, M O'Ryan; JA Torpey (0-1); AL Crotty (0-1), M O'Donnell (0-1); R Hallahan (0-2, one free), C Ryan (0-1, free), C Casey (0-3, frees); M O'Rourke (0-1), N Barry, G O'Ryan (0-3). Subs: A Murphy (0-1) for Casey (35 mins), T Whyte for Hannigan (54).

Referee: C Haughney (Carlow).