TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship Final: Dublin 3-11 Cork 1-12
TWO Carla Rowe goals helped Dublin to back-to-back All-Ireland senior titles as they finally defeated Cork in a Croke Park final at the fifth time of asking at GAA Headquarters.
In front of 50,141 spectators - yet another record breaking attendance for Ladies Gaelic All-Ireland Finals Day for the second year running, easily surpassing last year’s 46,286 figure - Dublin successfully retained the Brendan Martin Cup for the first time.
Captain Sinead Aherne finished with 1-7 her 1-4 alone in the first half helping the champions to a 2-6 to 1-5 half-time lead. Two points from the St Sylvesters corner forward got Dublin up and running with seven and eight minute points and although Cork had to wait to the 10th minute for their first score, three Orla Finn frees put the challengers in front for the first and only time. Nicole Owens levelled matters at three apiece before Aherne duly dispatched from the penalty spot in the 18th minute after Lyndsey Davey was hauled down. However, the sides were level once again at 1-4 each after 24 minutes when Aine O’Sullivan curled a shot into the top corner, but Rowe’s crucially timed first goal in the 30th minute helped her side to a 2-6 to 1-5 half-time lead.
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Points from Aine O’Sullivan and Finn reduced the gap back to two after the resumption and there was just a point in it, 2-8 to 1-10, when Rowe struck the killer blow 11 minutes from time. Orla Finn had clawed back Dublin’s lead with three points from frees after they came close to a second goal but Niamh Collins cleared off the goal line to deny Eimear Scally.
Her finish was exquisite after a strong run from Martha Byrne to link with Davey who found Rowe and the Clann Mhuire player had time to cut back on her left and place her shot past Cork goalkeeper Martina O’Brien. to ensure the Brendan Martin Cup was staying in the capital for another year as Dublin got their hands on a third title overall.
Dublin: C Trant; N Collins, L Caffrey, M Byrne; S Goldrick (0-1), L Magee, S Finnegan; O Carey, N McEvoy (0-1); L Davey, S McGrath, C Rowe (2-0); S Aherne (1-7, 1-0pen, 0-4f), N Healy, N Owens (0-2)
Subs: J Dunne for Owens (52), H O’Neill for McEvoy (53), A Connolly for Healy (59)
Cork: M O’Brien; R Phelan, M Duggan, E Spillane; M O’Callaghan, E Meaney, S Kelly; A O’Sullivan (1-2), H Looney; D O’Sullivan (0-1f), A Hutchings, C O’Sullivan (0-1); L Coppinger, E Scally, O Finn (0-8f)
Subs: S Noonan for Coppinger (half-time), O Farmer for Looney (54), C Collins for Spillane (54)
Ref: Garryowen McMahon (Mayo)
TG4 All-Ireland Junior Championship Final: Limerick 5-6 Louth 0-8
LIMERICK will make an immediate return to intermediate football in 2019 after easing to victory over Louth in Sunday’s TG4 All-Ireland Junior Championship Final in Croke Park.
It may have taken the Treaty county until the 16th minute to score but three goals in five first half minutes saw Louth come undone and although they rallied early in the second half, another two Limerick majors, again in quick succession put an end to any hopes of Louth comeback.
Louth registered the first score of the game, a point from captain Kate Flood after they had missed two scoreable frees as both sides’ nerves were clear to be seen early on with Limerick also guilty of four wides and two balls that dropped short into Una Perason’s hands. Catriona Davis did finally get them off the mark in the 15th minute and then the floodgates opened. Mairead Kavanagh’s shot was deflected to the back of the net off team-mate Eimear Byrne and the corner forward then added a point before she turned provider for Rebecca Delee to fire to the roof of the net on 22 minutes and just a minute later the St Ailbe’s player made it 3-2 without reply when she flicked Davis’ free to the net to give her side a 10 point half-time lead.
Louth with nothing to lose looked like they might stage a remarkable comeback when captain Flood hit three unanswered points after the resumption but her and Louth’s hard work quickly became undone when the impressive Kavanagh once again turned provider for two Limerick goals in a minute from Cliona Ni Cheallaigh and Delee to dash Louth’s hopes as they easily saw the game out.
Limerick: M Giltenane; A Hartigan, S O’Sullivan, K Reidy; A McGrath, N Ryan, C Mee; M O’Shea, L Hanley; R Ambrose, R Delee (2-1), C Ní Cheallaigh (1-0); O Giltenane, C Davis (0-1, 0-1f), M Kavanagh (2-2)
Subs: K Heelan for Davis (39), C Hickey for Ní Cheallaigh (46), D O’Brien (0-2) for Ambrose (50), M Walsh for O’Sullivan (55), K Geary for McGrath (57)
Louth: U Pearson; M McMahon, E Murray, S McLoughlin; A Russell (0-1), E Byrne, C Nolan; R Carr, S Woods; J McGuinness, K Flood (0-3, 0-2f), N Rice; L Boyle (0-4, 0-3f), B Fleming, A Breen
Subs: R Kavanagh for McGuinness (45), E Hand for Murray (50), M McArdle for Byrne (58)
Ref: Niall McCormack (Laois)
