Wexford produced a stunning team display at Croke Park to brilliantly topple defending champions Cork by 2-7 to 1-8 in an engrossing senior camogie decider. The Model girls led from start to finish and had to live on their nerves as six minutes of injury time were added, but Stellah Sinnott's team held on for a deserved win - their first All-Ireland senior camogie crown in 32 years. Una Leacy set the tone with a goal after three minutes and Wexford's greater hunger was evident as they went on to lift the O'Duffy Cup amid a sea of purple and gold that was reminiscent of 1996 at Headquarters. The celebrations that followed the final whistle were unbelievable and proved just how much this meant to the team captained so competently by centre half back Mary Leacy. The winners had already got the better of Cork in the first round of the group stage and that victory gave them the belief to go on and record an impressive win today. Wexford were absolutely outstanding in the first half and goals from their young scoring sensation Una Leacy in the third and fifteenth minutes propelled them into a 2-2 to 0-3 half-time advantage. The Leinster county were superb in the 34-minute opening moiety. They chased in packs, defended as a team and caused the Cork machine all kinds of problems with their clever movement and wonderful team play. Cork weren't allowed to settle on the ball and their obvious discomfort forced seven first-half wides from the defending champions. Inspired by roving midfielder Kate Kelly, Wexford dictated the tempo of the game from the off and bossed the first half in particular, playing with fluency and belief. Leacy's goals were magical, clinical finishes, while the Munster county failed to chink a clear opening. Jenny O'Leary had the Rebelettes ahead from a free after a minute and it was one-way traffic in the very early stages as the Leesiders continued to flow forward. Fortunately for Wexford, the next two Cork shots flew wide. The very first time the Model County got the ball into the Cork half, it went over everybody and through to ace assassin Una Leacy, who read the delivery well and had already turned. The No.13 found herself in a one-on-one with Aoife Murray and sent an unstoppable shot past the exposed Cork custodian. Kelly, who started at corner forward but soon resumed her customary midfield role, stretched the Wexford lead from a free but Cork replied instantly with a lovely Emer Dillon point from play. The Reds had two more wides before Bronagh Furlong provided the first wide for the Slaneysiders. On 15 minutes, Wexford No.13 Leacy demonstrated her uncanny goaltaking prowess when she found the net for the second time inside the first quarter. This time the corner forward improvised brilliantly, catching the advancing Murray out with a sneaky handpassed flick that trickled across the line into the bottom corner of the net at the Hill end. With quarter of the match played, the holders trailed by five points: 2-1 to 0-2. If Cork didn't already know they were in for a battle to make it three All-Irelands in a row, they certainly knew it now! Murray came off her line brilliantly to divert the next dangerous ball into their goalmouth and Wexford full forward Michelle Hearne felt the full force of a collision with the Rebel 'keeper. With just two points on the board in 22 minutes, the holders were under enormous pressure. Angela Walsh failed to relieve this pressure as her shot was pulled wide. Wexford's insatiable hunger was demonstrated by some tremendous teamwork. A feature of this was the Wexford forwards - most notably goalscorer Leacy - coming back deep into their own defence to harass the Leeside attackers. In contrast, the elusive Kelly found the space to clip over her second point of the match. Wexford were doubling up on the Cork forwards every time and the pre-match favourites were struggling to create scoring opportunities. Briege Corkery, who had a tremendous game in defeat, produced some rousing play in the Cork midfield in an attempt to lift her colleagues and full forward Orla Cotter took the cue as she came out deep to gather possession and float over an impressive point. Worryingly for Cork, it was their first score in some 25 minutes and only their third point of the entire first half. The Wexford full back line of Noeleen Lambert, Catherine O'Loughlin and Avis Nolan had a tremendous first half-hour and the underdogs were full value for their five-point interval cushion. Gemma O'Connor raised Cork spirits with the first score of the second half and Ursula Jacob replied with a rasping drive from close range after being set up by the ever-dangerous Kelly. The Rebelettes still had no answer to the considerable menace being wreaked by Wexford's No.8. Seven minutes into the second half, Cork were back in the match when Ballygarvan girl Emer Dillon drove emphatically to the net. A low ball from Sile Burns evaded Nolan as Dillon turned and the Cork No.13 found herself with just goalkeeper Mags D'Arcy to beat. The result was conclusive as Dillon - Player of the Match in the 2005 decider - made no mistake. Rosemary Breen and Angela Walsh swapped points and there were two points between the sides with 40 minutes of the hour played: 2-4 to 1-5. Cork were much more competitive than they had been in the first half and O'Connor landed another point from distance after a breath-taking spell of intense, frenetic camogie. Leacy almost got in for her third goal but this time her shot was blocked magnificently by Cork full back Caitriona Foley. Joanne O'Callaghan, who had switched corners to deal with the threat posed by Leacy, did well to repel the next Wexford attack and the Model County had a lucky escape when the ball squirmed across the face of their goal to safety in the 48th minute. The pressure from Cork was relentless now but O'Connor fired wide from out around the middle after great work from Amanda O'Regan and Walsh. The Leesiders continued to press for a leveller but they were restricted to shots from distance and the all-important score was not forthcoming. It was Kate Kelly who lifted the siege with a lovely Wexford score seven minutes from time and Ursula Jacob followed up almost immediately with a fine score from an acute angle on the left. Suddenly, Wexford were three points to the good, 2-6 to 1-6, and the holders were hanging on by a thread. Substitute Katrina Parrock provided the insurance point with three minutes remaining and O'Connor replied straight away with a timely individual point. When you're a goal ahead bidding for a first All-Ireland in 32 years, the last thing you want to hear is that there will be four minutes of injury time - but that's exactly what happened Wexford. D'Arcy made a fine save to deny Cotter in the last minute of normal time and Cork didn't manage another attack until Corkery ran at the heart of the Wexford defence and took her point in the 64th minute. With that, Cork's three-in-a-row bid was over as Wexford held on for a remarkable, historic victory. Wexford - M Darcy; N Lambert, C O'Loughlin, A Nolan; A Codd, M Leacy, D Codd; K Kelly (0-3, 1 free), C Murphy; B Furlong, RM Breen (0-1), M O'Leary; U Leacy (2-0), M Hearne, U Jacob (0-2). Subs - A O'Connor for A Codd (34), K Parrock (0-1) for O'Leary (41), C O'Connor for Nolan (65). Cork - A Murray; J O'Callaghan, C Foley, A O'Regan; R Buckley, M O'Connor, A Geary; B Corkery (0-1), G O'Connor (0-3); U O'Donoghue, A Walsh (0-1), J O'Leary (0-1, free); E Dillon (1-1), O Cotter (0-1), S Burns. Subs - E Watson for O'Donoghue (52), S O'Donovan for Walsh (56). Referee - John Morrissey (Tipperary). Tweet

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