Kildare edged by Dubs in thrilling first ever U20s game
The Kildare LGFA lined out their first ever U20 Championship side when they faced Dublin Manguard Park
Leinster LGFA U20 Championship
Dublin 4-8
Kildare 2-10
History was made in Manguard Park as Kildare LGFA lined out their first ever U20s Championship side. If that alone wasn’t worth the price of admission, Kildare and Dublin provided a six-goal thriller for fans in attendance.
Sarah McGovern got the first ever score for the new grade of Lilies ladies team with a well-taken free. The set-piece came after Robyn Lavin was fouled at the end of a slick Kildare move.
It was nip and tuck early on as the team’s felt their way into this game. The Dubs led 0-3 to 0-2 after scores from Kate Watson and Amber McCloskey were followed by one at the other end from Síofra Galvin.
It would be the visitors that eventually got the upper hand when they raised the first green flag of the game. Sophie McIntyre made a burst down the right-hand side and found Timea Kovacs in the middle. The Clontarf forward side-stepped Roisin Browne in the Kildare goal and finished coolly into the net.
Kildare would respond with a goal of their own when Sarah McGovern somehow found space in a crowded Dublin box before rifling her effort into the bottom corner.
Mayah Doyle nearly found the net again for Kildare, but saw her effort superbly parried over the bar by ‘keeper Kadie Martin.
The sides remained just a point apart as they added scores at each end before Dublin found the net for a second time just before the break. Kate Watson found herself in all kinds of space having made her way forward from midfield. The Erin’s Isle player made no mistake and laced her effort into the back of the net.
The team’s went in at the break at 2-4 to 1-3 in favour of The Dubs.
Kildare would respond well after the restart with a couple of points from Sarah McGovern that closed the gap to just two.
The Lilies resurgence would again be undone by their leaky defence as Dublin found a route to goal again. This time, Timea Kovacs turned provider when she fed through Amber McCloskey. The corner-forward produced a tidy finish underneath the on-rushing Kildare goalkeeper to put her side 3-4 to 0-5 ahead after 36 minutes.
The Lilies again came roaring back and hit four of the next five points in this game, including two brilliant scores from Maynooth’s Niamh Hayes to reduce the gap back to two points.
Dublin captain Amber McCloskey helped stem the flow with another point to give her side a 3-6 to 1-9 lead.
The winning of this game would come in the 52 minute when The Dubs hit the net for the fourth and final time. Christine
Moran found space to set up Dublin’s outstanding forward on the day, Timea Kovacs. This time the Clontarf forward let fly off her left side and found the bottom corner superbly to all but put this game to bed.
A fine point from Mayah Doyle brought Kildare back to within five with as many minutes to go.
Dublin’s Neala Byrne got the game’s next score before Doyle put the cat amongst the pigeons in the closing stages with a Kildare goal. The Ballymore centre-forward found the net to cut the Dublin lead in half with three minutes to go.
The leading side managed the closing stages well to shut down any hopes of a late Kildare revival and, after a spell of possession, Amber McCloskey got the game’s final score.
Kildare were just always a couple of scores behind because of those goals conceded throughout, but The Lilies showed plenty of attacking prowess themselves in this game. The visiting Dublin side were good value for their win.
This game was the first of its kind with U20s ladies football and what a brilliant advertisement for it.
Scorers: Dublin, Timea Kovacs 2-1, Kate Watson 1-3, Amber McCloskey 1-3 (0-1 frees), Neala Byrne 0-1.
Kildare, Sarah McGovern 1-4 (0-3 frees), Mayah Doyle 1-2, Niamh Hayes 0-2, Síofra Galvin 0-1, Leah McGovern 0-1.
DUBLIN: Kadie Martin; Saoirse Delaney, Rachel Callery, Hazel Grady; Lana Nolan, Niamh Redmond, Leah Pidgeon; Heather Bolger, Abi McKeating; Kate Donaghy, Sophie McIntyre, Amber McCloskey; Cait Phelan, Timea Kovacs, Kate Watson. Subs: Dominique Darby for Niamh Redmond (19 minutes), Christine Moran for Heather Bolger (Half-time), Neala Byrne for Lana Nolan (45 minutes).
KILDARE: Roisin Browne; Eimear Glancy, Ciara Corrigan, Claudia Gray; Siofra Galvin, Teigan McGonaghle, Jessica Doyle; Niamh Hayes, Joy Duggan; Aibhe Byrne, Mayah Doyle, Caoimhe O'Sullivan; Anna Leavy, Sarah McGovern, Robyn Lavin. Subs: Caoimhe Bagnall for Ciara Corrigan (32 minutes), Leah McGovern for Robyn Lavin (32 minutes), Ciara Kelly for Jessica Doyle (32 minutes), Eimear Shanahan for Caoimhe O'Sullivan (45 minutes), Ellen Coleman for Niamh Hayes (52 minutes), Caoimhe Ní Bhuircheal for Anna Leavy (52 minutes).
Referee: Henri Clifford (Meath)