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Daragh Nolan, 13 Jun
TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Championship Group 1 Round 1
Kildare 5-10
Leitrim 4-8
Kildare got their All-Ireland Intermediate Championship off to a
chaotic but successful start away to Leitrim in opening clash Group 1.
In the goal-laden fixture, the Lilywhites had the firepower to come out
on top of a Leitrim who put themselves well in contention of taking
home the points with some superb finishing on the day.
It was neck and neck in the early exchanges and Leitrim took the lead
just before the 10 minute mark as Michelle Guckian knocked over her
second free of the afternoon. Guckian was consistent on her free-taking
and Kildare knew anything with a decent range would see the Leitrim
star taking aim at the posts.
Kildare had started well themselves with sharp passing and intent early
on but their shooting percentages for much of the opening half did
leave something to be desired.
The Lilies would retake the lead in an attack led by Grace Clifford.
Clifford held possession and looked for a pass and as her teammates
made runs around her.
Space for her own chance opened before her and the midfielder gladly
accelerated towards goal. After a quick one-two with RóisÃn Byrne,
Clifford was bearing down on Michelle McNulty and calmly finished past
the advancing ‘keeper.
The Kildare captain appears to reserve her main scoring contributions
for when her team needs it most. While they may not in and of itself be
true, the Eadestown woman’s ability to elevate her performance when her
county needs it is truly staggering as she kicked 1-2 in this game.
Kildare would kick on from here in a spell that many pessimistic home
fans thought might have seen their side out of this game. The visiting
Lilies added points through Lara Curran, Ellen Dowling and Clifford
once more.
Aoife Rattigan got forward and was looking to add her name to that
points scoring list but dropped her effort at the posts short and wide.
Miscommunication at the back for the home side meant the ball cannoned
off the two defenders looking to collect Rattigan’s effort. The ball
bounced back into the air and Neasa Dooley used all her intelligence to
slap the ball over the Leitrim keeper for a smartly-taken goal.
At 2-5 to 0-4, Kildare looked in control and were finally about to
start taking those chances that had been created in the 22 minutes to
that point.
However, just two minutes later when all were still trying to unpick
the mess prior to the Athy woman’s goal, Leitrim broke and Laura O’Dowd
raised her side’s first green flag of the afternoon with a brilliant
finish past Mary Hulgraine.
Kildare would lose the resulting kickout and only regained possession
of the ball thanks to a sloppy Leitrim pass. Kildare moved the ball
superbly up the field from there and there was no better person to
carve out another goalscoring opportunity for than Neasa Dooley. Dooley
took her chance with ease, smashing the ball past McNulty in the
Leitrim goal for her second.
The seven-point lead had been restored and the stands may have felt
that spell of madness had finally elapsed. They were wrong.
Just a minute later, following another Michelle Guckian free, SÃomha
Quinn found space down the right-hand side and absolutely leathered a
goal-bound effort past the Kildare ‘keeper.
When the dust settled from the shootout and the side exited the field
for half-time, Kildare led 3-5 to 2-5.
Leitrim would start the second half strong and have some possession of
their own after the restart. Something that hadn’t been familiar to
them in this game.
It would prove not to benefit them as the Kildare backline stood firm
and sprung a counter. Just three minutes into the second half, it was
hattrick time for Neasa Dooley as Ellen Dowling sent a super ball into
the Athy forward. Dooley had used her change of pace to steal a yard
from her marker and finished the move with an exemplary finish into the
top corner. A return to top form for Dooley who has been performing
well in recent weeks but perhaps below her own exceptional standards.
Dooley’s third was the score of the day to that point but 10 minutes
later Leitrim had their own contender as Vivienne Egan found the net in
stunning style. Egan fired her effort off the underside of the bar and
in to put the home side back in contention as the gap was reduced to
four once more.
The drama would reach its peak with six minutes remaining as Leah Fox
found the net for Leitrim. Fox, who had been quiet all day, came up
with a huge goal to make this a one-point game for the first time since
the 12th minute late on.
The now amplified pressure was being felt throughout the stands of the
strong attendance in Carrick-on-Shannon. It would be a Kildare
substitute that would step up the plate this time as Gráinne Kenneally
netted a superb goal just a minute later. Kenneally smashed her effort
low into the net for the ninth and final goal of the afternoon.
Kildare would close out the game from here with some smart game
management as they passed the ball with relative comfort around a
Leitrim side who had given their all in this game.
The game ended 5-10 to 4-8 and despite the chaos, it was a winning
start for the Lilywhites in the All-ireland Intermediate Championship.
Game at a Glance
MAIN PLAYER - NEASA DOOLEY
A superb hat-trick with three goals that each showed her variety of
attacking skills. The first using intelligence, getting the second and
third with great movement and ruthless finishing. An exceptional
contribution.
TURNING POINT
There seemed to be about 86 turning points in this game. Every ebb and
flow seemed more dramatic than the last but Gráinne Kenneally's goal
was the one that finally put this game to bed for Kildare.
TALKING POINT
Are the goals conceded a worry? Even when Kildare have won comfortably,
Diane O'Hora has often mentioned the wildly changeable nature of any
ladies football game. Added to that, Kildare's defence has been
exemplary this year and one game doesn't change that fact.
WHAT NOW?
Kildare have a week off before they face Louth at home for their final
Group 1 clash to see who from this group progresses into the knockout
stages.
Scorers
Kildare, Neasa Dooley 3-0, RóisÃn Byrne 0-6 (0-3 frees), Grace Clifford
1-2, Gráinne Kenneally 1-0, Lara Curran 0-1, Ellen Dowling 0-1.
Leitrim, Michelle Guckian 0-6 (0-6 frees), Vivienne Egan 1-1, Leah Fox
1-1, SÃomha Quinn 1-0, Laura O'Dowd 1-0.
Teams
KILDARE: Mary Hulgraine; Lauren Burke, Laoise Lenehan, Aoife Clifford;
Lara Gilbert, Ruth Sargent, Sarah Munnelly; Grace Clifford, Aoife
Rattigan; Claire Sullivan, Neasa Dooley, RóisÃn Byrne; Ellen Dowling,
Trina Duggan, Lara Curran. Subs: Lauren Murtagh for Sarah Munnelly (28
minutes), Gráinne Kenneally for Aoife Rattigan (46 minutes), Fiona
Troute for Lara Gilbert (52 minutes), Ciara Price for Lara Curran (54
minutes), Mia Doherty for Trina Duggan (60 minutes).
LEITRIM: Michelle McNulty; Charlene Tyrell, Jasmine Maye, Mollie
Murphy; Sarah Reynolds, Kasey Bruen, Carla La Guen; Megan McGovern,
Aoife Gilmartin; Laura O'Dowd, Vivienne Egan, SÃomha Quinn; Leah Fox,
Michelle Guckian, Elise Bruen. Subs: Ailbhe Clancy for Elise Bruen (44
minutes), Rebecca Rooney for Mollie Murphy (54 minutes), Niamh Tighe
for Aoife Gilmartin (59 minutes), Rachel McIntyre for Vivienne Egan (63
minutes).
Referee: Ger Canny, Mayo