STEPPING UP TO THE SPOT…
Kildare’s Neasa Dooley talks to Daire Walsh about Lidl National Football Division 3 final triumph over Clare
Her previous attempt at scoring a penalty may have gone viral, but Kildare attacker Neasa Dooley ensured she didn’t leave anything to chance when it came to stepping up to the spot in her side’s dramatic Lidl National Football Division 3 final triumph over Clare at Parnell Park on April 16.
After her dead-ball strike against Wexford at Hawkfield in round seven of the NFL on March 26 rattled the underside of the crossbar, Dooley spectacularly volleyed the rebound into the back of the Slaneysiders’ net. This superb effort gained considerable traction across a variety of social media platforms and brought the Athy forward’s personal tally for 2023 up to 6-17.
Dooley admitted to having some mixed feelings about the way this score unfolded and it meant she was all the more determined to dispatch her penalty in the Division 3 decider with clinical precision.
“A good bit came out of that last penalty, but I obviously wasn’t happy I didn’t score it first time. You’re not going to get these things unless you practice, practice, practice. That’s what I did and I’m thankful it went into the back of the net,” Dooley acknowledged.
This was just one of many standout moments in a game that will live long in the memory of those who were lucky enough to be in attendance at the home of Dublin GAA. Having found themselves six points clear with three-quarters of normal time played, Kildare were subsequently pegged back by their Munster counterparts with a nerveless free from Fidelma Marrinan forcing the game into extra-time.
Clare appeared to have the upper hand when Marrinan added a goal in the additional periods, but three points without reply from Roisin Byrne – who finished with 0-10 to her name – made sure Kildare claimed their first Division 3 crown on a final score of 2-11 to 2-10.
Even though the Lilywhites had four players sin-binned over the course of 80 tension-filled minutes, their character shone through in the face of adversity.
“I was one of those girls who got a yellow card unfortunately. The first one [with less than two minutes played], we just talked amongst each other and decided ‘look, we need to start holding this ball now for the next 10 minutes’,” Dooley said.
“I think we did very well, but we knew coming into this game that Clare were going to be an absolutely excellent team and they proved that there today. It was ball for ball and I think anyone would have deserved to come away with the win today, but we’re lucky we were just on that end of it.”
After working alongside her predecessor Sean Finnegan for the 2022 season, this year has seen former Mayo footballer Diane O’Hora stepping up to the Kildare managerial hot seat. She has established a strong coaching pedigree since hanging up her playing boots with a number of different roles across the club and inter-county games.
Dooley views Ballina native O’Hora as a dream manager for this Kildare team, though she credits the entire backroom team for helping them to secure Division 2 football for 2024.
“She was in the set-up there last year and she was fantastic then. This year obviously she’s playing a different role in a managerial role and she has just been fantastic since day one. To have her experience there when she was with Mayo back then and winning All-Irelands with them. To have that experience in her with this team, it has proven really crucial.
“In all in one with the management there. The whole backroom team, they’re really pushed on with us and they’ve put in so much work with us. It’s paying off on days like this, so hopefully we can keep driving on now and win more.”
Given she just missed out on their TG4 All-Ireland intermediate football championship final win back in 2016 – which was also against Clare in a nail-biting affair – Dooley is now looking forward to what the summer might bring for this Kildare side. The league final victory has also left the 23-year-old student with boundless optimism for what the future will hold for ladies football within the county.
“We’re looking forward to championship now. Those are days you’re living for. We’re really looking forward to it now come summer. To look around here now at the minute, we’ve so many younger girls in the Kildare jersey and we heard them from the very first whistle to the very last,” Dooley added.
“To be honest, I think that was a huge push on for us, when we heard them chanting in the stadium. It’s fantastic to see. I’d hope to see them all in a Kildare jersey some day, in a few years’ time.”