Women’s Division One: Dublin 0-9 Kerry 2-9
Jadyn Lucey and Mary O’Connell struck crucial goals at a rain-soaked Jysk Park in Clondalkin on Saturday afternoon as title holders Kerry kick-started their Lidl National Football League Division One campaign with victory over All-Ireland champions Dublin.
Playing under the new playing rule enhancements that are being trialled by the LGFA in this year’s league, a wind-assisted Dublin side featuring just three starters from their All-Ireland triumph against Meath last August opened the scoring through Jodi Egan’s close-range free in the third minute.
The Kingdom did respond with scores from corner forward Danielle O’Leary and raiding defender Cait Lynch, but Dublin restored parity just shy of the first-quarter mark with a point courtesy of Kate Donaghy.
However, Kerry were enjoying the lion’s share of possession and moments after she had split the posts, a superb run from deep by team captain Siofra O’Shea provided the platform for Lucey to rattle the opposition net on 16 minutes.
READ MORE
This was a set-back for the home side, but they subsequently established a purple patch with unanswered efforts from Egan (two), Orla Keighran and wing back Ellen Gribben. While this meant the teams were inseparable once again, Rachel Dwyer, Danielle O’Leary – taking advantage of the solo and go rule – and O’Shea all found the range to leave Kerry 1-6 to 0-6 in front at the interval.
Lively Dublin attacker Egan kicked her fourth point on the resumption to bring the gap down to two, only for Kerry to create significant daylight between the teams on 37 minutes when O’Connell superbly drilled a shot beyond the reach of Dublin goalkeeper Katie Moran Tighe for her side’s second goal of the game.
This provided Mark Bourke’s visitors with considerable breathing space, with O’Shea and Dwyer also adding to their personal tallies. A plethora of substitutes were introduced by both sets of management as the action progressed, but it was contributions from starting defenders Ashling Nyhan and Gribben that brought Dublin to within five points of their opponents.
Yet Kerry remained in control and a late score from Niamh Ní Chonchúir convincingly sealed the points for the 13-times league champions.
DUBLIN: K Moran Tighe; N Crowley, A Nyhan (0-1), K Kenehan; A Doyle, H Leahy, E Gribben (0-2); R Hartnett, H McGinnis; E Kearney, O Nolan, K Donaghy (0-1); A Timothy, J Egan (0-4, 3f), O Keighran (0-1).
Subs: S McIntyre for Kearney (35 mins); N Byrne for Donaghy (41); C Almeida for Kenehan, S Birnie for Doyle (both 45); G Connolly for Keighran (48); E Leddy Doyle for Hartnett, C Murphy for Leahy (both 58).
KERRY: ME Bolger; E Lynch, C Lynch (0-1), A Doherty; J Lynch, A Dillane, K Brosnan; M O’Connell (1-0), C Evans; L Boyle, N Ní Chonchúir (0-1), R Dwyer (0-2); J Lucey (1-0), S O’Shea (0-3, 3f), D O’Leary (0-2, 1f).
Subs: A Galvin for J Lynch (39); M Mulvihill for Boyle, M O’Connor for Lucey (both 43); K Ryan for Brosnan, K McGrath for Doherty, J Curtin for Evans (all 48).
Referee: Kevin Phelan (Laois).
