Dublin finish strongly to make it 12 in a row in Leinster

TG4 Leinster Senior Football Championship Final

Dublin 2-13

Meath 1-12

By Daire Walsh

Dublin produced a stirring final quarter display at Croke Park on Sunday afternoon to hold off a strong challenge from Meath and claim their 12th consecutive TG4 Leinster Senior Football Championship title.

Four points adrift in a game that took place as part of a double-header with the Leinster men’s decider featuring Meath and Louth in GAA HQ, Dublin registered an unanswered haul of 0-8 in the closing 15 minutes to keep a firm grip on the provincial prize.

Supplementing a brace of scores from Emma Duggan, Vikki Wall, Marion Farrelly and Ciara Smyth all found the target as Shane McCormack’s Meath pulled five points clear in a blistering start to the contest.

Yet Dublin finally got up and running through the reliable Hannah Tyrrell just shy of the first quarter mark and while Meath responded with a brace of successful Duggan frees, Tyrrell had Dublin back in contention when she rattled the net off her right foot on 21 minutes.

In fact, after a second goal from Eilish O’Dowd followed traded scores between Wall and Caoimhe O’Connor, raiding corner-back Niamh Donlon kicked an excellent 29th minute point to hand the Jackies a slender 2-3 to 0-8 interval cushion.

Dublin introduced Carla Rowe and Kate Sullivan on the resumption to join first half substitute Sinead Goldrick, but it was Meath who made the bright start to the second period as Niamh Gallogly smashed home a superb 32nd minute goal. Although Niamh Hetherton and Sullivan did find the range at the opposite end, a Duggan point from play in between these efforts ensured the Royals were in the ascendancy.

The dynamic Dunboyne duo of Duggan and Wall were dovetailing to excellent effect and they combined for three points to help the Royals establish a 1-12 to 2-5 buffer moving into the final-quarter.

However, Dublin were determined to hold onto their provincial crown and after Tyrrell kicked three points on the bounce, Rowe restored parity from a free on the stroke of 50 minutes.

The momentum was now suddenly with the Jackies once again and thanks to successive points from play by Hetherton, Goldrick, Rowe and Sullivan, they pushed on to retain their title.

Scorers – Dublin: H Tyrrell 1-4 (0-2f), E O’Dowd 1-0, N Hetherton, K Sullivan 0-2 each, C Rowe 0-2 (1f), N Donlon, C O’Connor, S Goldrick 0-1 each.

Meath: E Duggan 0-7 (5f), V Wall 0-3 (1f), N Gallogly 1-0, M Farrelly, C Smyth 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: A Shiels; J Tobin, L Caffrey, N Donlon; H McGinnis, M Byrne, L Magee; E O’Dowd, G Kos; C O’Connor, C Darby, S McIntyre; H Tyrrell, N Hetherton, A Timothy. Subs: S Goldrick for McGinnis (19), K Sullivan for Darby, C Rowe for Timothy (both h-t), N Crowley for Donlon (41), R McDonnell for McIntyre (60).

MEATH: R Murray; A Sheridan, MK Lynch, K Newe; A Cleary, S Wall, K Kealy; O Sheehy, M Farrelly; M Thynne, N Gallogly, C Smyth; E Duggan, V Wall, K Cole. Subs: K Bermingham for Farrelly (20), E Moyles for Smyth (45), M Collins for Cole (54).

 Referee: Barry Redmond (Wexford).