Kildare v Dublin Match report

Ladies Leinster Junior Championship Venue: Radley Park,
Leixlip
Date: Sunday 22/06/2003
Time: 3 PM
Kildare 6 – 25 Dublin 0 – 8
Score at Half Time: 5-6 to 0-3
Score at Full Time: 6-25 to 0-8

Kildare got away to a flying start in this first outing
in defence of the Leinster title.

Having kicked a wide in their first attack, Kildare went
on the rampage and by the time a second Kildare wide was
chalked up after sixteen minutes the dominant Lillies lead
3-8 to 0-2. In that spell they had first reeled off five
points in a row through Simone Gilabert – 2, Noelle Earley
– 2 and Julie Cunningham – 1 in just five minutes, had a
two minute breather and then effectively ended the game
as a contest with three goals inside two minutes. For the
first Julie Cunningham charged forward from half back, exchanged
passes with Noelle Earley and gave the perfect pass to Grainne
Heduan who blasted home. From the kickout Aisling Lambe
broke the ball, Simone Gilabert collected, raced away from
her marker and slammed in number two. Then Julie Cunningham
won the kickout, directed to the other side of the field,
her long delivery was inch perfect for her sister Nicola
racing in from the left corner to gather and slide neatly
to the corner and the clock had not yet registered ten minutes.
Further points by Yvonne Murphy when she bravely won Brianne
Leahy’s long free and Grainne Heduan who was set up by Simone
Gilabert.

In the twelfth minute, Dublin tried remedial action, introducing
Dearbhla Crowe for Maeve Redmond in a vain attempt to pin
down the flying Maynooth winger. Dublin did mount a couple
of attacks, won two close range frees which Angela Gallagher
expertly pointed but Kildare were soon back in control.
Maria Moolick shot a point on the quarter, the first of
her considerable haul but the next three Kildare attempts
went wide. Maria again showed the way, shooting over even
though under strong pressure. Noelle Earley did likewise
and then Maria Moolick was flattened from behind as she
was about to pull the trigger with only the keeper to beat.
Simone Gilabert did just that as she coolly shot the penalty
low and hard. Within a minute, she potted the free as Maria
was again fouled while the referee wagged an admonishing
finger and the next ball in was collected and pointed by
the sixteen year old full forward. The Cunningham sisters
combined for Nicola to add a pint, Yvonne Murphy took Maria
Moolick’s pass to add the next and then three minutes from
the break, Mairead Whelehan found Maria Moolick who buried
goal number five and Dublin’s slim hopes. There was still
time for Simone and Noelle to score solo points and for
a Dublin point by sub Elena Griffen before the interval
and Kildare’s 28 point lead was well deserved after the
best half hour’s football this team has ever produced, with
the possible exception of the second half of the 2001 Leinster
Final.

Dublin, with wind advantages, matched Kildare score for
score in the third quarter as both sides shot four points,
Kildare’s being scored b Simone Gilabert Maria Moolick -2
and Noelle Earley with Roisín Staunton -1 and Angela Gallagher
-3, two from frees being on the mark for the dubs but Kildare
pulled away in the final quarter. Deirdre Gately marked
her introduction by setting up that point for Noelle Earley
and she then converted a thirty metre free after being fouled
and was followed onto the score sheet by Brianne Leahy whose
effort, a bullet, just cleared the crossbar. Lizzie Hughes
pointed for Dublin as Tracy Noone, held in reserve because
of a minor injury, joined the Kildare attack. Maria Moolick
pointed and was then on hand as Noelle Earley’s shot, after
a great run through the middle, was parried by the Dublin
goalkeeper, to shoot home her second goal and it was left
to Tracy Noone, who won and pointed the free, and Grainne
Heduan at the end of midfield partner Brianne Leahy’s run
and pass to finish the scoring and notch up the twenty five
points. Team mate Therese Martin, resting on the sideline,
was encouraging her colleagues to record.

While this was a mighty impressive win for Kildare, Dublin
were a disappointment. Their defence could not, despite
switches and substitutions, pin down Simone Gilabert, Noelle
Earley and Maria Moolick who ran riot all through. Grainne
Heduan and Brianne Leahy had a stranglehold on midfield
while the Kildare defence was always solid. Margaret McCormack
was a spectator for long periods and did not have even one
shot to save, Ann Hughes and Therese Martin were prominent
early on in the full back line while Edel Delaney, after
a quiet start, provided a real blinder and, in one great
move, combined with Aisling Lambe to end up shooting for
goal at the other end and only being denied by an unpunished
foot block. Aisling Lambe dominated her wing and attacked
with purpose, Kate Leahy minded the goals with authority
in the middle and, on her left, Julie Cunningham defended
resolutely and attacked with enthusiasm while Mairead Whelehan,
Yvonne Murphy and Nicola Cunningham also did their bit in
attack. Of the five subs, Emma McCartney, Deirdre Gately
and Tracy Noone showed their class when they joined the
attack. Leah Purcell looked accomplished in an unfamiliar
corner back role but Aisling Holton at wing back for the
last twelve minutes was the star turn, tight, tigerish and
accomplished while not yet sixteen.

For Dublin, Ann Marie Whelan was a brave goalkeeper, Louise
Kidd, Dawn Cantwell and Denise Masterson tried hard to stem
the white tide, Anna McGillicuddy fought the good fight
at midfield while, in attack, Angela Gallagher was Dublin’s
best with support from Roisín Staunton and Lizzie Hughes.


Scorers:

Kildare: Maria Moolick 2-6, Simone Gilabert 2-5 (1-0
pen, 0-1 free), Noelle Earley 0-5, Grainne Heduan 1-2, Nicola
Cunningham 1-1, Yvonne Murphy 0-2, Julie Cunningham 0-1,
Deirdre Gately 0-1 (free), Brianne Leahy 0-1, Tracy Noone
0-1 (free)

Dublin: Angela Gallagher 0-5 (0-4 frees), Elena Griffin
0-1, Roisin Staunton 0-1, Lizzie Hughes 0-1

Teams
Kildare:
1 Margaret McCormack 2 Edel Delaney 3 Ann Hughes 4 Therese
Martin 5 Aisling Lambe 6 Kate Leahy 7 Julie Cunningham 8
Brianne Leahy (Captain) 9 Grainne Heduan 10 Simone Gilabert
11 Noelle Earley 12 Mairead Whelehan 13 Yvonne Murphy 14
Maria Moolick 15 Nicola Cunningham
Subs Played: Deirdre Gately for M. Whelehan(40 mins)
Emma McCartney for Y. Murphy(40 mins) Leah Purcell for T.
Martin(48 mins) Aisling Holton for A. Lambe(48 mins) Tracy
Noone for N. Cunningham(51 mins)

Dublin: 1 Anne Marie Whelan 2 Fiona Walsh 3 Karen
Moore 4 Louise Kidd (Captain) 5 Dawn Cantwell 6 Denise Masterson
7 Maeve Redmond 8 Katie Joyce 9 Anna McGillicuddy 10 Jenny
Weldon 11 Anne Clarke 12 Roisin Staunton 13 Helena Reddy
14 Lizzie Hughes 15 Angela Gallagher
Subs Used: Dearbhla Crowe for M. Redmond(12 mins)
Elena Griffin for K. Joyce(21 mins) Patricia Gordon for
F. Walsh(27 mins) Aimee Louise Hazley for J. Weldon(31 mins)
Janette Beirnes for K. Moore(37 mins)

Referee: John Doran

Report By: Tom Ryan
http://www.clubi.ie/seagull/kelf/