Carlow savour a sweet victory

The 2007 Leinster women’s football final provided the decent
Dr Cullen park attendance with just about everything a football
final should be. Carlow and Kilkenny served up super scores, equal
periods of dominance; sinbin moments and crucially a nail biting
finish. The game delivered just two goals each crucially in the
final moments of either half. the Kilkenny goal came in the 29th
minute of the opening half ;corner forward Marie Dargan from the
Railyard club driving her shot low to the right-hand side of carlow
keeper Jenny Kelly ONeill.this was Kilkenny’s first time to hit
the front and established a lead that the cats would enjoy until
the 32nd minute for the second half.D

argan was to hit a total of 1-3 for the Kilkenny women in a performance
that seemed for sixty minutes good enough to lift a first Leinster
crown for the footballing Kilkenny women. Carlow manager George
introduced two substitutes at half time Deirdre Tomlinson for
Marie Coady and Lisa Miley for Marie Griffith. Coleman’s changes
didn’t cut the mustard and as the second half opened Kilkenny
raced in a five point lead .Dargan again in scoring form for the
cats and substitute Orla McCormack from the James Stephens club
launching a cracking point 13 minutes into the 2nd half .Kilkenny
1-07 carlow 0-5. Carlow kept in touch with an Eilish Meaney free
mid way through the 2nd half to reduce the deficit to four points,
Carlow supreme Coleman then launched the afternoon’s biggest gamble
introducing Sinead Lyons with ten minutes remaining. Lyons quickly
repaid Colemans faith with a brace of points after good interplay
with Sinead Doyle. Lucinda gahan rejoined the game from the sin
bin with ninety seconds remaining and Kilkenny looked odds on
to lift the title. Lady luck shone on carlow though in the 32nd
minute just as the goals first goal had sickened carlow in the
first half.

Kilkenny could not believe their luck as carlow full forward Sinead
doyle levelled proceedings with a goal of her own..Sineads shot
was poorly struck directly into the path of Kilkenny keeper Noelle
Curran. In a nightmare lasting microseconds Doyle’s shot somehow
slipped in to the Kilkenny net. Dr Cullen Park erupted. Worse
was ahead for the cats -ninety seconds later carlow some how found
the winner. Eilish Meaney has already missed two scoreable frees
but the St Forcherns star launched a huge effort from 35 meters
to put carlow ahead 1-9 to 1-8. No time left as carlow savoured
a sweet victory