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Dublin's Niamh Hetherton. Leah Scholes/INPHO

Dublin smash four goals past Kildare to keep Leinster 12-in-a-row bid on course

Meanwhile, Leitrim pushed Mayo all the way in Connacht before falling short by just three points.

Dublin 4-12
Kildare 1-5

Daire Walsh reports from St Conleth’s Park

NIAMH HETHERTON, CAOIMHE O’Connor, Chloe Darby and Niamh Crowley all shook the net at Cedral St Conleth’s Park on Sunday afternoon as a 12-in-a-row chasing Dublin qualified for the TG4 Leinster SFC final on 11 May with a commanding victory over Kildare.

After Hetherton edged Dublin in front with a second minute point, her inside partner Hannah Tyrrell found the target moments later to double their lead in the Newbridge venue.

Kildare recorded a 1-8 to 0-8 win when the two sides met in Division 1 of this year’s Lidl National Football League and the Lilies squeezed in front when a speculative strike from Aoife Rattigan drifted into the Dublin net on seven minutes.

Pat Sullivan’s hosts established another slender lead when Alannah Prizeman cancelled out a Tyrrell point, but the Jackies were back in the ascendancy after Hetherton (whose brother John registered 2-3 for the Dublin hurlers in their Leinster senior championship triumph over Wexford on Saturday) poked home for a 13th minute goal.

While Sophie McIntyre moved the visitors three clear with a fine point, Kildare were back on level terms thanks to unanswered contributions from Prizeman (two) and Roisin Byrne. Yet before Hetherton added to her haul with a white flag effort, O’Connor rattled the net on 28 minutes to propel Dublin towards a 2-5 to 1-4 interval cushion.

This handed the Jackies momentum heading into the second period and after another Hetherton single increased their advantage on the restart, the increasingly-prominent Darby kicked three points on the bounce to move the defending champions firmly into the driving seat.

Pobal Parnell star Darby was then on hand to fire home for a third Dublin goal in the 41st minute and while Prizeman finally enhanced Kildare’s tally in response to a Tyrrell score, Hetherton brought her personal tally up to 1-4 with a point on the run just past the third-quarter mark.

Dublin’s joint managers Paul Casey and Derek Murray used the closing stages of this contest as an opportunity to examine their reserve options and with Crowley helping herself to a spectacular 1-1 salvo off the bench, Dublin comfortably advanced to a provincial decider in Croke Park against either Kildare or Meath who clash in Newbridge next weekend.

Meanwhile in the Connacht SFC, Leitrim pushed Mayo to the pin of their collar upon their return to the senior ranks, but 14 wides cost them dearly in Swinford.

Mayo’s 2-11 to 1-11 victory largely came down to their trusted talismanic forward Sinead Walsh, who finished with a personal tally of 1-4.

Two goals from the outstanding Lauren McGregor in the first four minutes set Waterford on their way to victory over Tipperary in the TG4 Munster Senior Championship at Fethard Town Park on Sunday afternoon.

The visitors couldn’t have asked for a better start and with Katie Murray adding a point between the goals, they built up an early lead that they never surrendered.

A battling performance from Tipperary brought them back in contention and they got to within three points of Waterford, 2-7 to 1-7, with seven minutes left on the clock.

However, Waterford finished stronger, with late points from Katie Murray and a fisted effort from Kellyann Hogan pushing them over the line.

Scorers for Dublin: N Hetherton 1-4, C Darby 1-3 (0-1f), N Crowley 1-1, C O’Connor 1-0, H Tyrrell 0-3 (1f), S McIntyre 0-1.

Scorers for Kildare: A Prizeman 0-4 (3f), A Rattigan 1-0, R Byrne 0-1.

DUBLIN: A Shiels; J Tobin, L Caffrey, N Donlon; A Curran, L Magee, A Kane; É O’Dowd, G Kós; C O’Connor, C Darby, A Timothy; H Tyrrell, N Hetherton, S McIntyre. Subs: N Crowley for McIntyre (47), H Leahy for Kane (51), J Egan for Tyrrell (53), A Nyhan for Kós (56), S Birnie for Hetherton (58).

KILDARE: M Hulgraine; R Sargent, L Lenehan, E Wheeler; M Doherty, L Dunlea, M Aspel; C Sullivan, G Wheeler; C Wheeler, L Shaw, N Dooley; A Rattigan, A Prizeman, R Byrne. Subs: S Galvin for G Wheeler (h-t), C Moran for Sullivan (34), A Murnane for Dooley (40), E Dowling for Rattigan (45), L Gilbert for E Wheeler (49).

Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow).

Scorers for Mayo: S Walsh 1-4 (2f), S Lally 1-0, E Murray 0-2, A McDonnell, A Deveroux, N Mooney, A Gough (pen), L Hanley 0-1 each.

Scorers for Leitrim: M Devaney 1-4 (2f), A Clancy 0-4 (3f), C Owens, M Guckian (f), V Egan 0-1 each. 

MAYO: J Gawalkiewicz; L Wallace, N O’Malley, C Durkin; D Caldwell (capt.), E Brennan, S El Massry; H Reape, S Lally; R Jordan, N Mooney, A McDonnell; E Murray, S Walsh, A Devereux. Subs: L Hanley for N Mooney (37), K Sullivan for R Jordan (46), A Gough for A Devereux (49), L Hanley for A McDonnell (51), C Whyte for S Lally (57), S McNulty for E Murray (60).

LEITRIM: M Guckian, M Murphy, C Tyrell, J Maye; S Reynolds, C Owens, R McIntyre; N Tighe, C Dolan; A Quinn, V Egan, A Clancy; L Fox , M Devaney, L O’Dowd. Subs: E Shanley for C Dolan (44), S Ward for A Quinn (48), S Quinn for L Fox (52), L Tivnan for M Murphy (58).

Scorers for Waterford: L McGregor 2-0, K Hogan 0-5 (3f), K Murray 0-2, B McMaugh, C Walsh 0-1 each

Scorers for Tipperary: A Moloney 0-5 (3f), M Curley 1-0, K Crotty Ryan, A O’Shea 0-1 each.

WATERFORD: G Corcoran; A Murray, R Casey, C Murray; K McGrath, H Power, Á O’Neill; E Murray, E Power; B McMaugh, K Hogan, L Ni Harta; K Murray, C Walsh, L McGregor. Subs: C Fennell for Walsh (51), A Brazil for Ni Harta (52), A Power for O’Neill (54).

TIPPERARY: L Fitzpatrick; N Martin, L Morrissey, E Cronin; K Cashman; M Curley, B Condon; A.R. Kennedy, C Kennedy; H Spillane, A Ryan, A O’Shea; C Condon, K Crotty Ryan, A Moloney. Subs: S English for Cashman (ht), A Fennessy for C Condon (ht), A McGuigan for Spillane (42), S O’Carroll for B Condon (50).

Additional reporting by Stephen Grealis and Michael Heverin

Check out the latest episode of The42′s GAA Weekly podcast here

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