Wexford defeated Galway by 2-7 to 1-8 in the 2011 senior camogie final at Croke Park.

This exciting match was played out in front of 14,974 fans at wet and windy Headquarters and JJ Doyle's charges showed great spirit to come back from the dead to land the O'Duffy Cup for the sixth time.

Trailing by 1-7 to 1-4 after 45 minutes, the champions outscored their opponents by 1-3 to 0-1 in the final quarter to win in style. Captain Ursula Jacob (1-4) led by example, striking a magnificent match-changing goal eight minutes from time and marching her side over the line with an unanswered 1-2 salvo in the last eight minutes.

Wexford - who failed to score from play in the first half - led by 1-2 to 0-3 at the end of a poor first half, where both sets of players struggled to cope with the swirling breeze. Both defences were on top in those opening exchanges, with the teams hitting twelve wides between them (seven from wind-assisted Galway).

Una Leacy got Wexford off to a flying start when she slammed a fourth-minute penalty to the roof of the net via a touch from unlucky Tribe 'keeper Susan Earner. Just as they had done in the intermediate decider, the Model County had opened with a goal! Justice was done as the flying Kate Kelly had hand-passed the ball to the net a split second after the penalty was awarded, but no advantage was forthcoming.

Corner back Therese Manton had unceremoniously stopped Kelly in her tracks but the foul and yellow card was all to no avail as the holders ended up with a goal anyway.

Galway replied with a nice Aislinn Connolly pointed free from out the field and Noreen Coen was almost through for a Galway goal chance only to be crowded out. Veronica Curtin - an All-Ireland winner in 1996 - registered the westerners' second point.

There was plenty of hard hitting in the opening stages, demonstrating how much this game mattered to both sets of players. The champions were playing into the swirling breeze in the opening half, but full forward Ursula Jacob doubled their lead from a beautifully-struck 19th-minute free: 1-1 to 0-2.

Curtin was unfortunate when her goal effort went straight at vigilant Wexford custodian Mags D'Arcy in the 22nd minute but Martina Conroy swivelled to close the gap to one point again with six minutes left before the short whistle.

Jacob replied with her second pointed free and Wexford were out of luck when corner forward Katrina Parrock struck the crossbar in first-half injury time with a great shot from an acute angle. In the third of five added minutes, Jacob surprisingly sent a free wide from in front of the posts, leaving just two between them at half time.

The elements had ruined the first half as a spectacle and the teams re-emerged knowing that glory was within their grasp…

Coen halved the deficit when she lobbed over a fantastic point within 30 seconds of the restart and the sides were level when Tara Ruttledge pointed with great aplomb 60 seconds later. At the other end, Earner earned her stripes with an excellent save from Parrock, who drilled a stinging shot goalwards from close range.

The sides remained deadlocked for seven minutes before, in the 38th minute, Ruttledge drilled a brilliant ground-stroke low to the Wexford net. The Model County replied with a Josie Dwyer point: 1-5 to 1-3 with 20 minutes left.

The concession of the goal seemed to have sparked the defending champions to life and they soon had a fourth point from Lenny Holohan. But Galway replied with two quickfire points from Niamh Kilkenny (free) and Connolly to lead by 1-7 to 1-4 at the end of the third quarter.

In the 50th minute, Jacob stroked over a lovely free that was won brilliantly by the industrious Una Leacy but substitute Orla Kilkenny immediately replied for Galway to leave three in it with ten minutes remaining, 1-8 to 1-5.

Wexford would take the silverware with a run of 1-2 without reply (all from Jacob) in the last ten minutes...

The challengers were unlucky when Ruttledge hit a post and, amazingly, in the 53rd minute, Wexford's inspirational captain Jacob struck a sensational goal. The inimitable No.14 made a stunning catch from a crossfield ball and turned to drill the ball left-handed to the roof of the net. Galway had looked home and dry but now, with seven minutes left, the sides were level for just the second time…

Two minutes from the end, Kelly was awarded a Wexford free in the centre of the D right in front of the goals and Jacob made no mistake as she stroked the decisive point over the bar. In the second minute of injury time, Jacob thumped over the insurance point from play and there was no way back for the shellshocked Galway girls.

Scorers
Wexford: U Jacob1-5(0-4fs); U Leacy 1-0(pen); J Dwyer, L Holohan 0-1 each
Galway: T Rutledge 1-1; A Connolly 0-2(1f); V Curtin, M Conroy, N Coen, N Kilkenny (45), O Kilkenny 0-1 each

Wexford: M D'Arcy; C O'Connor, C O'Loughlin, K Atkinson; N Lambert, M Leacy, A O'Connor; D Codd, J Dwyer; K Kelly, U Leacy,m M O'Leary; L Holohan, U Jacob, K Parrock. Subs: F Kavanagh for Codd (54); E Quigley for Holohan (56); C Storey for Atkinson (60+3)

Galway: S Earner; T Manton, S Cahalan, L Ryan; AM Hayes, T Maher, H Cooney; N Kilkenny, A< Starr; N Coen, M Conroy, A Connolly; T Rutledge, B Hanney, V Curtin. Sub: O Kilkenny for Curtin (39) Tweet

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