Kildare SFC champs exit Leinster after tense Quarter-Final with Milltown

Milltown 1-7

St Laurence's 0-6

St Laurence’s brilliant year came to an end at the hands of Westmeath champions Milltown on Sunday afternoon. The Kildare champs had the benefit of a home Leinster Quarter-Final, which took place on a soggy pitch and a wet day. In terms of the current Larries crop, it was Milltown that boasted more experience throughout their starting team with their intelligence and know-how telling at various crucial stages of this game.

It was the perfect start for the eventual winners who were awarded a penalty just three minutes into this fixture. Sinead Slevin was the player to earn it after the full-forward was on the wrong end of a collision inside the box.

Ray McBride signalled and a collective sigh rang out for the prospect of such an early setback. In a tense Leinster Quarter-Final, a three-point buffer off the bat was sure to be crucial.Leanne Slevin stood over the ball with a chance to get the Westmeath's champions off to a great start. The midfielder fired the ball into the top left corner with Chloe Wright in the Larries goal nowhere near it despite guessing the correct way.

Larries answered with their first point after seven minutes through Caoimhe O’Sullivan after the corner-forward was set up by Ciara Wheeler.

The Kildare SFC champs nearly went two goals down in the 11th minute when Leanne Slevin’s shot at the posts dipped underneath the crossbar and was patted down by Chloe Knight, who reacted superbly to also keep out the follow up and earn a free out.

Both goalkeepers were under pressure from the skies and Karen Walsh in the Milltown goal was scrambling when Ailbhe Hennessy’s shot that dropped short took a wicked bounce over her head. To the mighty relief of the visitors and particularly their stopper, the ball skidded wide.

Milltown were the team in command in the early part of this game but failed to add to their tally until past the 15-minute mark when Leanne Slevin extended their lead with a free-kick.

The restoration of their three-point lead was short lived however with Larries grabbing a point of their own just a minute later. Aoibheann O’Sullivan was the player to get it with a super score that was driven between the posts.

O’Sullivan’s point kicked off Larries’ best spell in the game with the home side on top and creating chances. Perhaps the Kildare side’s undoing was failing to capitalise in this stretch of the game.

A minute from the break and Larries did eventually close the gap back to one. Caoimhe O’Sullivan broke down the right and curled over to make this game 1-1 to 0-3 going in at half-time.

The conditions undoubtedly played their part with light rain during the game being paired with a soft and slippy surface.
In a tight Leinster Championship encounter, it was time for big players and Milltown captain Sarah Dillon was that player after half-time.

In a slow second-half, Dillon extended her side’s lead back to three. First scoring a brilliant point when facing away from goal and second when she cut inside off the left and fired over to make this game 1-3 to 0-3 after 38 minutes.

Larries got their fourth point from a free which was brought up for dissent and subsequently knocked over by Marie Kealy.

Caoimhe O’Sullivan got their fifth of the afternoon in the 44th minute and Larries probably should have levelled soon after with two free-kicks taken short and positive possession wasted.

It was Milltown who accelerated down the home stretch however and Kate Whyte put them two clear once again off her left foot.

Leanne Slevin put Milltown three clear with a well-taken free with 10 minutes left on the clock.

Despite Larries pushing as much as they could, the scores continued in the same direction and Sarah Dillon grabbed her third in the 54th minute when she latched onto a loose ball before scoring.

A minute later and the visitors were five clear thanks to Laura Kiernan’s first point of the afternoon.

Larries did get the game’s final score through Marie Kealy who burst through a gap between two Milltown defenders and scored her team’s sixth point.

The late point reduced the gap to four as the Westmeath side ran out 1-7 to 0-6 winners to progress in this year’s AIB Leinster Senior Football Championship.

MILLTOWN: Leanne Slevin 1-1 (1-0 penalty, 0-1 frees), Sarah Dillon 0-3, Kate Whyte 0-1, Sinead Slevin 0-1 (0-1 frees), Laura Kiernan 0-1.

ST LAURENCE'S: Caoimhe O'Sullivan 0-3, Marie Kealy 0-2 (0-1 frees), Aoibheann O'Sullivan 0-1.

MILLTOWN: Karen Walsh; Emma Ballesty, Aoife Kenny, Gemma Keena; Louise Kiernan, Kelly Boyce Jordan, Rachel Dillon; Leanne Slevin, Tracey Dillon; Orlaith Sheerin, Grainne Byrne, Laura Kiernan; Kate Whyte, Sinead Slevin, Sarah Dillon. Subs: Emma Murtagh for Emma Ballesty (43 minutes).

ST LAURENCE'S: Chloe Wright; Emma Wheeler, Niamh O'Connor, Niamh Miley; Elaine Marron, Ava Marron, Amy Cullen; Gillian Wheeler, Ciara Wheeler; Ailbhe Hennessy, Miah Ryan, Louise Waters; Aoibheann O'Sullivan, Marie Kealy, Caoimhe O'Sullivan. Subs: Jean Miley for Aoibheann O'Sullivan (35 minutes), Ciara Dempsey for Louise Waters (38 minutes), Megan Alcock for Ailbhe Hennessy (51 minutes), Ciara Downey for Niamh Miley (58 minutes).

Referee: Ray McBride (Dublin)

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