Dooley hattrick fires Kildare ladies past Leitrim in Championship opener
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 Róisín 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, Síomha 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, Róisín 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, Síomha 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, Róisín 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, Síomha 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