17 September 2003 Mayo and Dublin set up dream final Share this Article 0 0 0 Shares! 0 Shares! Dublin and Mayo wins, sets up dream final The TG4 Semi-finals were held in very blustery conditions at OMoore Park Portlaoise on Saturday last. In 2 totally contrasting games Mayo and Dublin wins set up a mouth watering final which should attract a huge crowd to headquarters on Sunday October the 5th. Mayo 1-11 Galway 1-9. A.E.T This was a game of a lot of pulling and dragging, which was not helped, by an over fussy referee who awarded over 100 frees during the course of the game Galway played with the elements during the opening half and showed that they were not in awe of the more illustrious opponents, who were odds on favourites to reach their 5th decider in a row. They were not inhibited either by the fact that they had lost heavily to Mayo during their 2 previous championship encounters, during the Summer. Mayo gave their chances a huge boost when centre back Yvonne Byrne blasted a penalty to the net after Cora Staunton was adjudged to have been fouled in the square, with just five minutes gone on the clock. Undaunted Galway fought back and by the short whistle they had jumped into a 1-4 to 1-0 lead thanks to some fine play their goal coming from Niamh Fahy. Patricia Gleeson and Anette Clarke had a definite edge at midfield, their no 10 Lisa Cohill wandered all over the field like Cora Staunton and her work rate over the entire game was superb. The expected comeback by Mayo was very slow to materialise and in fact it was Galway who started the half better as they fired over 2 points. Their undoing was that they did not score until the end of the first period of extra time. Mayo chipped away at their lead and it took the free taking expertise of Cora Staunton to drag Mayo out of hole, in all she struck over 7 points, 5 coming from frees, two coming from Christine Heffernan and the other by Diane OHora who was making a return to the team. Before the end of normal time Galway missed some clear cut chances which could have sealed the game, the alertness of Mayo keeper Denise Horan kept them in the game. Extra time saw both teams leg weary but Mayo against the elements carried the game to Galway and scored 4 points to Galways one, they proved they had heart because they came at Mayo against the wind and they missed 2 scoreable frees, when they hit the post they did reduce the gap to just a point , before Chistina Hefferan whose late point squared the game and Gave them the insurance point they needed. It was heartbreaking for them to be just 2 points adrift in the end. Finbarr Egan and his team will thank their lucky stars that they got out of this one while Galway manager PJ Fahy will be disappointed that the game slipped away, he and his team will be consoled by the fact that they came so close to reaching their first decider after winning the Junior crown just a year ago. Scorers: Mayo: Cora Staunton 0-7 Yvonne Byrne 1-0 Christine Heffernan 0-2 Dianne OHora 0-1 Anette Gallagher 0-1 Galway: Geraldine Connealy 0-5 Niamh Fahy 1-2 Lorna Joyce, 0-1 Anette Clarke 0-1 Mayo: Denise Horan Nuala OShea, Helena Lohan capt. Mary T Garvey, Jackie Moran, Yvonne Byrne, Claire 0Hara, Claire Egan, Edel Biggins, Emma Mullins, Christine Heffernan, Michelle McGing, Ciara McDermott, Marcella Heffernan, Cora Staunton, Linda Connolly, Martha carter, Orla Casby, Paula Fitzgerald, Anette Gallagher, Caroline McGing. Sharon McGing, Trina McNicholas, Edel Reilly, Patricia Moran, Joyce OHara, Diane OHora, Maeve Ann OReilly, Deirdre Ryan. Galway: Una Carroll, Marie OConnell, Ruth Stephens, Fiona Wynne, Aoibheann Daly, Michelle Burke, Emer Flaherty, Anette Clarke, Patricia Gleeson, Lisa Cohill, Gillian Joyce, Geraldine Conneally, Rebecca McPhilbin, Lorna Joyce, Niamh Fahy. Johanna Connolly, Fiona Gilmore, Emma OMalley, Emma Curley, Michelle McGlynn. Deirdre Fallon. Marita Fahy, Catriona Kyne, Edel Concannon, Philomena Flaherty, Ann Maire Geraghty, Deirdre Heverin, Jenny Molloy, Helen Carroll, Michelle Delaney. Great 2nd Half earn the Dubs the spoils. Dublin 0-13 Kerry 0-8 In this open game of football expertly handled by referee Eugene OHare Dublin put in a great 2nd half performance to shatter Kerrys dream of All-Ireland glory. While Kerry led at the short whistle aided by the breeze and superb points from Geraldine OShea and Kacey ODriscoll, which saw them 7-3 ahead at the break it was all Dublin in the 2nd period. Dublin did give evidence in the first half with their surging runs and effective hand passing that they they would be a threat in the 2nd half and so it proved. Within a minute player of the match Angie McNally had fired over a point and as quickly as the 8th minute they had drawn level. Kerry were now in dire straights and even the sending off of Orla Colreavy fro a 2nd bookable offence mid way through the 2nd half did not affect the issue. Before her dismissal Orla and her half back colleagues Niamh Hurely and Martina Farrell was their strongest line. They were simply magnificent defending and going forward as well. They could also afford the luxury of a missed penalty, when fine Kerry keeper Andrea ODonoghue saved. Dublin kept their momentum going to the end and their victory and the manner in which it was achieved will have impressed all. Kerry kept trying till the end but the superior Dublin side fully deserved this victory. Scorers Dublin: Angie McNally 0-6, Karen Hopkins 0-2 Mary Nevis 0-2 Bernie Findlay 0-1 Gamma Fay 0-1 and Elaine Kelly 0-1 Kerry scorers: Geraldine OShea 0-4 Casey ODriscoll 0-3 Noreen Feeley Dublin: Cliodhna OConnor, Sorcha Farrelly, Louis Keegan, Maria Kavanagh, Niamh Hurley, Martina Farrell capt, Orla Colreavy, Angie McNally, Niamh McEvoy, Bernie Finlay, Gemma Fay, Karen Hopkins, Mary Nevin, Louis Kelly, Ashling McCormack, Emma Redmond, Tonya Allen, Caroline Ann Griffin, Elaine Kelly, Lorraine Roche, Sorcha Timmons, Orla Smith, Elaine Murphy, Anne Marie Cahill, Sarah Denvir, Sinead Ahern, Viviennne Naughton, Dearbhla Crowe, Lorna Hillerry, Siobhan McGrath Kerry: Andrea ODonoghue Laura Ross, Grainne Ni Fhlatharta, Jackie Murnane, Katie Gleason, Caroline Kelly, Sarah OConnor, Mairead Finnegan, Edel OConnell, Katie Kenneally, Kacey ODriscoll, Noreen Feeley, Patrice Dennehy, Geraldine OShea, Deirdre Corridon. Louise McCarthy, Deirdre OSullivan, Shari Delaney, Rhiona Ni Chinneide, Denise Shanahan, Neasa Ni Shuilleabhain, Jenny Johnson, Anne-Marie OShea, Evelyn OConnell, Deirdre Fenton, Catherine Sexton. TG4 Junior Championship Kildare scored a comprehensive 5-18 to 1-8 win over Tipperary in the the TG4 Junior Semi-final at Portarlington on Saturday evening. While on Sunday Donegal reached their 2nd Junior final in a row when they defeated Sligo 3-9 to 1-7. The Donegal-Kildare final should also be a thriller as a curtain raiser tothe Senior Final at Croke Park on October the 5th Fr Liam Kelleher PR0 Tel 087-8516984 Share this Article 0 0