16-9-19 all ireland final
ALL IRELAND FINAL
REPLAY
DUBLIN 1-18 0-15 KERRY
MIGHTY MURTUGH
An absorbing first half ended with the sides locked at ten
points apiece, though in the early exchanges it was all one-way traffic as the
blue Dublin wave crashed into the Hill 16 end.
After nine minutes they were 0-05 to 0-01 ahead and Paul
Mannion dropped one short to keeper Shane Ryan. Such was their dominance at
this stage that another point would have put real distance between the sides.
Kerry tried route one early on, bombing ball after ball into
David Clifford and getting absolutely zero return. Mick Fitzsimons took over
the marking duty on Clifford from Jonny Cooper, who played a spare man in
defence having been sent off before half-time in the draw.
The Kingdom also tried a full-court press on Stephen
Cluxton’s early kick-outs early, but the Dubs’ captain, just like the
television ad, brings us the wonderful every day and he pinged the ball to his
men, drawing appreciative applause from the crowd. After a while Kerry sat off
and let Dublin go short and build.
After a while the Green and Gold got wise and begun to run
the ball and this is where they started to get joy, Clifford and Geaney both
registering three from play before the break.
Con O’Callaghan and Ciarán Kilkenny got the same for the
Boys in Blue and, in fact, all of their team’s scores before the break came
from play. They weren't awarded a single scoreable free by referee Conor Lane,
which was controversial on occasion, and didn’t hit a wide either in a
remarkably efficient shooting display.
At the other end there was confusion when Lane appeared to
black card Fitzsimons after Clifford was bundled over as he zeroed in on goals.
It was later clarified that he was ticked, though the main issue was that Con
O’Callaghan committed the foul, not his Cuala club mate.
The Dubs kept Kerry at arm’s length for most of the opening
period, but the Kingdom got the last two scores before the break to draw them
level.
One of those scores came after McCaffrey was turned over on
the attack, no foul was awarded though the ref went back after Kerry had
subsequently scored to book Brian Ó Beaglaoich. McCaffrey stayed down injured
and didn’t come out for the second half, replaced by Diarmuid Connolly.
The Dubs were four up inside 90 seconds, Murchan gathering
the break ball from the throw-in and lancing straight through on target
untouched, banging in a goal straight form the restart and Kilkenny followed up
with a point.
From here the four-time defending champions were always
going to be hard to catch, given their experience and so it proved, no matter
what Kerry tried.
Peter Keane on the line threw the kitchen sink at it,
bringing on the likes of Tommy Walsh, James O’Donoghue, Jack Sherwood and
Killian Spillane, but the momentum of this game wasn't to be shifted.
The air seemed to go out of Kerry little by little as
leaders like Geaney and David Moran hit wides when there were better options
on. This was a sign of a tiring team who had stood up so well to the Dubs’ for
so long.
Mannion clearly didn’t have his shooting boots on, but he
still added two to his total in the second half, Kilkenny kept the white flags
waving as well as pulling the strings while James McCarthy and Niall Scully
also chipped in with scores.
They turned over a few silly balls, but for the most part
they were patient in holding onto possession, building pressure, creating
chances and taking scores. In other words, it was a performance that typified
the latter Jim Gavin era of Dublin dominance.
There is no one who could say that they weren’t the better
team and they saw this one out with a degree of comfort.
MY
OPINION
This was definitely a battle in
the first half but when Dublin got their goal there was nothing that can be
done. To beat the Dubs at the moment means to me that you would need to have a
good team with both knowledgeable players and ones that don’t understand. You
could be talking 10 in sa row but this is more to do with money than anything
else
LADIES FOOTBALL
FINAL
DUBLIN 2-3 0-4 GALWAY
O NEILL ON FIRE
Sinead Goldrick hits the net! The first score of the game
arrives in dramatic fashion as Dublin raise a green flag. Jennifer Dunne and
Hannah O’Neill combined to play in Goldrick who had charged forward, did
brilliantly to gather under pressure and fired in a shot that looped to the
net. It might have taken a deflection off a Galway defender but that’s a real
boost for Dublin.
And finally Galway get off the mark. It’s a super point from
Sarah Conneelly as she floats over a shot off her right.
Great work by Niamh McEvoy and Hannah O’Neill to set up
Lyndsey Davey for an early Dublin point in this half.
That looks a crucial score for Dublin! Hannah O’Neill palms
to the net for Dublin after brilliant work by Niamh McEvoy, who took a quick
free, and Lyndsey Davey who cut in from the wing. Galway fight back with Tracey
Leonard tapping over a free.
Tracey Leonard points another free after Roisin Leonard was
fouled.
And there’s a score to cut the gap to three. Roisin Leonard
points, her shot going over via the crossbar.
But Dublin counter with an inspirational point from Sinead
Aherne and the margin is back out to four
Super run from distance by Noelle Healy along the left wing
and she rounds it off by clipping over a point. Five in it now, Dublin in the
driving seat.
MY
OPINION
This is an incredible result
from this bunch of ladies doing something considered impossible with the
difficult lives that they would have. I feel this side can push on for another
All Ireland but as the team is built around the senior players I don’t know how
long they might have
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