Dublin retain their leinster title

DUBLIN retained their TG4 Leinster Ladies senior football championship crown on Sunday as Sinéad Aherne scored 3-4 for the Sky Blues.

Gerry McGill’s outfit held onto their provincial title at Carlow’s Dr Cullen Park, the same venue where they defeated Laois in last year’s decider.

Dublin’s impressive 5-8 to 0-12 win ensured that they won the Leinster title for the fifth time, as the Jackies repeated their handsome Bord Gáis Energy National League victory against the same opposition.

At half time, Dublin led by 2-3 to 0-6, after Kildare had played with the breeze in the opening half.

With 14 minutes on the watch, Mary Nevin struck for Dublin’s opening goal but Kildare were back level by the 23rd minute, and soon went a point clear through Aisling Jennings.

Dublin Team Celebrate after winning.Marie Kavanagh ( Round Tower Clondalkin) is pictured with the cup, as lyndsey Davey (Skerries Harps) pours water over her head. Picture courtesy of Seamus Mc Kenna.

As play swung to the other end of the pitch, Kildare’s lead was wiped out in the 25th minute when Dublin midfielder Lyndsey Peat soled through for her side’s second goal.

A minute before half-time, Kildare suffered another major blow when Gillian Behan received a yellow card and was subsequently sin-binned.

Early in the second half, the Lilywhites were rocked again when their influential star Brianne Leahy was forced off injured, and Dublin soon took control.

Aherne struck for her first goal after a short Kildare kickout was intercepted and while the Lilywhites did pull the score back to 0-9 to 3-3, that was as good as it got for the beaten finalists.

Aherne added two further goals before the finish as Dublin booked their place in the All-Ireland quarter-finals, while Kildare must regroup for the qualifiers.

Dublin scorers: S Aherne 3-4, M Nevin & L Peat 1-1 each, E Kelly & L Davey 0-1 each.

Kildare scorers: A Jennings 0-7, G Behan 0-2, L Keatley, A Herbert & D Gately 0-1 each.