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 1 campaign with victory over All-Ireland SFC 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 TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship final 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.
Advertisement
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.
This was a setback 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 their 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 their Munster counterparts to create significant daylight between the teams on 37 minutes. O’Connell delivered a strong performance for the Kingdom from the middle of the pitch and she superbly drilled a shot beyond the reach of Jackies netminder Katie Moran Tighe for her side’s second goal of the game.
This provided Mark Bourke’s visitors with considerable breathing space and with O’Shea and Dwyer adding to their personal tallies, they were on course for maximum points moving into the closing quarter. 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 all three points for the 13-times league champions.
Scorers for Kerry: J Lucey, M O’Connell 1-0 each, S O’Shea 0-3 (3f), D O’Leary 0-2 (1f), R Dwyer 0-2, C Lynch, N Ní Chonchúir 0-1 each.
Scorers for Dublin: J Egan 0-4 (3f), E Gribben 0-2, A Nyhan, K Donaghy, O Keighran 0-1 each.
KERRY: ME Bolger; E Lynch, C Lynch, A Doherty; J Lynch, A Dillane, K Brosnan; M O’Connell, C Evans; L Boyle, N Ní Chonchúir, R Dwyer; J Lucey, S O’Shea, D O’Leary.
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).
DUBLIN: K Moran Tighe; N Crowley, A Nyhan, K Kenehan; A Doyle, H Leahy, E Gribben; R Hartnett, H McGinnis; E Kearney, O Nolan, K Donaghy; A Timothy, J Egan, O Keighran.
Related Reads
Battle of the champions, new rules, departures lounge - LGFA league lift-off
'I said if I ever get the chance again, I won't let them down' - Kerry's dual diamond
What do leading ladies football stars think of the new rules?
Subs: S McIntyre for Kearney (35), 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).
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Kerry goals key as league winners beat All-Ireland champions on opening day
Dublin 0-9
Kerry 2-9
Daire Walsh reports from JYSK Park
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 1 campaign with victory over All-Ireland SFC 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 TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship final 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.
This was a setback 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 their 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 their Munster counterparts to create significant daylight between the teams on 37 minutes. O’Connell delivered a strong performance for the Kingdom from the middle of the pitch and she superbly drilled a shot beyond the reach of Jackies netminder Katie Moran Tighe for her side’s second goal of the game.
This provided Mark Bourke’s visitors with considerable breathing space and with O’Shea and Dwyer adding to their personal tallies, they were on course for maximum points moving into the closing quarter. 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 all three points for the 13-times league champions.
Scorers for Kerry: J Lucey, M O’Connell 1-0 each, S O’Shea 0-3 (3f), D O’Leary 0-2 (1f), R Dwyer 0-2, C Lynch, N Ní Chonchúir 0-1 each.
Scorers for Dublin: J Egan 0-4 (3f), E Gribben 0-2, A Nyhan, K Donaghy, O Keighran 0-1 each.
KERRY: ME Bolger; E Lynch, C Lynch, A Doherty; J Lynch, A Dillane, K Brosnan; M O’Connell, C Evans; L Boyle, N Ní Chonchúir, R Dwyer; J Lucey, S O’Shea, D O’Leary.
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).
DUBLIN: K Moran Tighe; N Crowley, A Nyhan, K Kenehan; A Doyle, H Leahy, E Gribben; R Hartnett, H McGinnis; E Kearney, O Nolan, K Donaghy; A Timothy, J Egan, O Keighran.
Subs: S McIntyre for Kearney (35), 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).
Referee: Kevin Phelan (Laois).
*****
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Ladies Football LGFA Match Report