Kildare ladies come up short against All-Ireland champions Dublin

Leinster Senior Football Championship Round 1

Dublin 4-15

Kildare 2-4

It was a tough start to life at Senior level for the Kildare ladies, who began their journey with a heavy defeat to All-Ireland champions Dublin in Parnell Park. Dublin showed their class, experience and demonstrated the gap in physicality throughout this game en-route to a big win.

The loss of Róisín Byrne to a hamstring injury pre-match was a massive blow to Kildare chances and likely spirits as The Lilies lost their free-scoring forward.

The pre-existing loss of Laoise Lenehan and half-time departure of Aoife Clifford meant that Kildare were definitely not at full strength for this tie. The inclusion of those three may not have changed the result on the day against an excellent Dublin team, but it sure would have been nice to find out.

Dublin hit hard and hit early in this game as they registered 1-2 in the opening two minutes. Hannah Tyrell opened the game’s scoring with a simple free before the real trouble began as Kildare struggled to nail their kickout game. Both of Mary Hulgraine’s kick-outs landed into the waiting arms of a Dublin player.

The first would be punished by Kate Sullivan with a brilliant curling effort over the bar. The second lost kickout would result in a goal as Caoimhe O’Connor sprinted goalwards in possession, the Clontarf forward blasted her effort into the net to seal a perfect Dublin start.

This game will have been an enlightening experience for the Kildare team. The physicality of the top side in the country coupled with realising how little time you will have on the ball will have been jarring.

The Dubs continued their scoring points from Orlagh Nolan and Carla Rowe to extend their advantage.
Kildare would open their account for the day with a fine free from Ellen Dowling as they began to find their feet.

Ellen Dowling would also get Kildare’s second point of the day with another well-taken free. There was then a 12-minute gap between scores as The Lilies had more of the ball and Dublin’s next goal would come from a Kildare chance as they sprung a counter-attack.

The blistering move would finish with a handpass from Hannah Tyrell to Kate Sullivan who spun and smashed her effort into the net to make this game 2-6 to 0-2. The Dubs were ruthless whenever a chance was afforded to them.

Dublin were magic at the back too and, like all top-level sides in ladies football, seemed to be wise in navigating the stringent tackling laws of the game. The Dubs tackling game was your standard misdirect, watch the hand I’m waving so you don’t see what the other one is doing. Referee Barry Redmond was strict on the day and there is no doubt that the home side also used all their experience to know when and where to foul the opposition.

Dublin kicked four of the next five scores before the break, with the sole Kildare effort being a fine point from Niamh Farrelly. The team’s went in at half-time at 2-10 to 0-3.

It was more of the same just after the break Carla Rowe found the net following a slick Dublin move that left her with a simple punch into the net.

There was a superb Kildare fan contingent in Parnell Park and they were all on their feet as Kildare hit the net just a minute later with the goal of the day. Niamh Farrelly did it all on her own too as she took off on a driving run.

The young Kill forward used her pace and was being fouled and pulled every which way when she coolly finished underneath Abby Shiels in the Dublin goal.

An outstanding moment of quality from the young player and Róisín Byrne’s late replacement is making her case for her staying in the side with Byrne when she returns.

Dublin’s fourth goal would come from the spot as Orlagh Nolan calmly dispatched a penalty. The contest was over, but there was still plenty of fight in the wounded Lilies.

Substitute Sarah Munnelly found Niamh Farrelly up the pitch one-on-one and the Kill forward used a brilliant change of pace to evade her opposite number and once again provided a perfect finish.

It was a hard afternoon for Kildare, who looked physically outmatched and a few steps away from their opposition on the day. However, this isn’t an overnight process and the newly-promoted side have a lot of exciting years ahead, especially with players like Niamh Farrelly coming through the ranks.

Scorers: Dublin, Carla Rowe 1-4 (0-3 frees), Orlagh Nolan 1-3 (1-0 Penalty), Kate Sullivan 1-1, Hannah Tyrell 0-4 (0-3 frees), Caoimhe O'Connor 1-0, Jennifer Dunne 0-2, Chloe Darby 0-1.

Kildare, Niamh Farrelly 2-2 (0-2 frees), Ellen Dowling 0-2 (0-2 frees).

DUBLIN: Abby Shiels; Martha Byrne, Leah Caffrey, Jessicq Tobin; Niamh Crowley, Olwen Carey, Niamh Donlon; Jennifer Dunne, Grace Kós; Caoimhe O'Connor, Niamh Hetherton, Orlagh Nolan; Hannah Tyrell, Carla Rowe, Kate Sullivan. Subs: Sinéad Goldrick for Martha Byrne (Half-time), Nicole Owens for Kate Sullivan (35 minutes), Chloe Darby for Grace Kós (38 minutes), Aoife Kane for Jessica Tobin (44 minutes), Annabelle Timothy for Carla Rowe (46 minutes).

KILDARE: Mary Hulgraine; Fiona Troute, Mia Doherty, Aoife Clifford; Lauren Murtagh, Ruth Sargent, Lara Gilbert; Grace Clifford, Hazel McLoughlin; Trina Duggan, Ellen Dowling, Claire Sullivan; Neasa Dooley, Niamh Farrelly, Aoife Rattigan. Subs: Lara Curran for Niamh Farrelly (19 minutes, Blood Sub), Niamh Farrelly for Lara Curran (27 minutes), Ellie O'Toole for Aoife Clifford (Half-time), Sarah Munnelly for Hazel McLoughlin (41 minutes), Leah Doran for Trina Duggan (42 minutes), Lara Curran for Ellen Dowling (47 minutes), Lisa Shaw for Lauren Murtagh (56 minutes), Alex Reynolds for Neasa Dooley (61 minutes).

Referee: Barry Redmond (Wexford)