TESCO Home Grown Dublin Ladies Senior Final Replay

Fingallians 2-16
Na Fianna 4-06

By Sinead Farrelly

An entertaining final replay was promised with the match up of these two strong sides; but in the end Fingallians proved to be the stronger team on the night and took home the trophy for the Tesco Home Grown Club Championship.

Na Fianna started the game strong and immediately took the possession and brought the ball up to their forwards and Orlagh Egan scored the opening point for her team.

Fingallians got the ball back Amy McGuinness carried it up to the half forward line and scored a magnificent point in reply.

Fingallians kept the possession but could not convert it as they had two consecutive wides; however they kept pushing and Nicola Fitzgerald made the breakthrough and scored a point.

As the back was carried back up towards the Fingallians goal there was a slip up and the ball started to roll towards the goal with Na Fianna's Aoife Nolan closely following it and it rolled in for the opening goal of the game.

Na Fianna brought the ball back in front of the goal again but as the ball dropped short the keeper Emer Ni Hefa made a fantastic save
Na Fianna were awarded a free which was taken by Egan and she scored another point from it.

Fingallians' Lyndsey Davey shot another wide just as the lights in Parnell Park turned on.
Both teams played very well in the first ten minutes of the game and Na Fianna worked well to get the ball up the pitch and into Alma O'Donnell's hands but it landed safely with the keeper, however they kept the pressure on and Claire O'Hara scored a point.

Fingallians made the first substitution of the game by bringing on Siobhán Melvin in the place of Deborah Doherty.

Fingallians tried for a goal and it went in but was then disallowed; however as they won the kick out Niamh Rickard came right back up and scored a point. Straight after this Davey ran up and kicked for a goal but it was pushed away in a great piece of work from the Na Fianna's goalkeeper Sorcha Turnbull.
Na Fianna got the ball back up to the Fingallians goal and took a shot but it was pushed away by the Ni Hefa and Sinéad Finnegan played well to grab the ball and get it away. It travelled up the pitch and Rickard converted it into another point.
In replay, Orlagh Egan scored another point for Na Fianna.

Persistent fouling from Na Fianna's Fiona Maye lead to her being sin binned and she had to miss ten minutes of playing time.
Fingallians made the most of having the extra player when McGuinness came up and scored
two successive points to bring the scores level.

Another point for Fingallians from Ann Marie McDonagh then pushed them into the lead.
With just minutes left until half time Fingallians were awarded a free and Lyndsey Davey added another point and at half time the score was 1-04 to 0-09 in favour of Fingallians.
Keen to start strong in the second half Na Fianna took the possession. They then had a free awarded to them and Egan scored the opening point of the half.
Two minutes into the half Na Fianna's Maye came back onto the pitch to play.

Na Fianna had a free awarded to them in front of the goal and Egan took it but it went wide past the posts however they kept the pressure up and Laura Walsh scored a goal to help bring her team right back into it and two points ahead.
They wasted no time and as soon as they got the possession back they were in front of the goal again and Aoife Nolan got herself into position and scored a third goal for Na Fianna.

Fingallians made another substitution bringing on Denise McKenna for Nicola Fitzgerald.
McKenna did not take long to settle in and scored a point from a free within minutes of her being introduced into the game.
A free was also given to Na Fianna and Orlagh Egan scored a point.

In a very quick fight back Fingallians ran the length of the pitch with the ball and McDonagh scored a goal to bring them back into the game.
As Fingallians got the ball back in front of the Na Fianna goal McKenna passed off to McDonagh and she tried for a second goal, but Na Fianna's Leah Caffrey made a fantastic block and kept Fingallians from scoring. Fingallians won the kick out and Davey got the ball took a shot and it bounced off the cross bar but McGuinness wasted no time and straight away got the goal from the rebound and Fingallians were ahead by a point.
Fingallians made another substitution with Rebecca Davey off and Victoria Browne on.

They were given a free in to get them back the possession and Lyndsey Davey took another point from another free.
When McGuinness was given another free just minutes later she kicked another point to put Fingallians ahead by three points
But straight after this Fingallians' McGahan received a yellow card for a tackle and was sin binned. With less than ten minutes left in the game that was the last of her in the final.

Fingallians won the possession back again and McKenna kicked another stunning point to push her side further ahead with only five minutes left in the game.
Egan came within a chance of a goal, but it was stopped by a great block from the backs, Na Fianna pushed again for a point but it went wide.
Another free given to Fingallians was taken by Davey and once more it sailed over to bring Fingallians further ahead as the game entered injury time.
Another beautiful point from Fingallians' McGuinness brought them further ahead again but straight after she kicked it she went down with what looked like a cramp but she was able to continue playing.

Na Fianna got the ball back and brought it in front of the Fingallians goal and Egan and O'Hara both tried for goals but the Fingallians backs kept them away until Egan was awarded a penalty but it was saved by the Ni Hefa. The Na Fianna forwards kept pushing and Walsh took another shot at goal but Fingallians' McGahan made a great block to save it.

Fingallians won the ball back once more and carried it the length of the pitch and Rickard scored another point.
Na Fianna got the ball back again and were awarded another penalty to be taken by Egan. This time it went in for a goal but it was too late as the final whistle was blown just after. This brought the scores to 2-16 to 4-06 with Fingallians taking the trophy for the Tesco Home Grown Club Championship


Patricia Monahan,
County Administrator,
Dublin Ladies Gaelic Football Association,
(A)Le Cheile Community Centre, Donnycarney, Dublin 5
(M) 086-0285539 Tweet

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