Dubs hit killer goals after break
LADIES FOOTBALL
Daire Walsh
DUBLIN…………………………………………. 3-10
CORK…………………………………………….. 1-13
SECOND-HALF goals by Amy Ring and Carla Rowe were crucial at Parnell Park yesterday where Cork succumbed to their third league defeat of the 2016 NFL Division One campaign by Dublin.
The Rebels were hoping to build on their recent triumph over Tyrone, and they enjoyed a dream opening as Kinsale’s Orla Finn fired past Dublin netminder Ciara Trant after four minutes. This three-pointer was a massive tonic for the visitors, and Finn subsequently punished some wasteful shooting from Dublin by registering points on the eighth and 11th minutes.
Dublin eventually opened their account through Carla Rowe, but Cork put further daylight between the teams with unanswered points by Doireann O’Sullivan, Annie Walsh and midfielder maestro Briege Corkery.
Back-to-back scores by Nicole Owens and Rowe (free) lifted the spirits of the Sky Blues, and even though a second point from Doireann O’Sullivan arrived in the 26th-minute, a superb stoppage-time goal by Dublin centre-forward Lyndsey Davey reduced the Cork advantage.
But a third free from Finn helped Cork towards a 1-7 to 1-3 interval buffer and they extended their lead with another Finn point two minutes after the restart. Yet, a purple patch from Dublin was kick-started on 33 minutes when Amy Ring flicked a long delivery from Noelle Healy over the head of Martina O’Brien.
This boosted the confidence levels of the hosts and following quick-fire scores from Owens, Healy and Rowe, Dublin found themselves in the ascendancy. However, Cork brought this scoring sequence to an end with a much-needed Finn free, and after dual star Corkery cancelled out a Davey point for Dublin, the sides were on level terms moving into the final 20 minutes of play.
The champions then suffered another hammer blow 17 minutes from time when Rowe claimed a third major for Dublin – after Aherne had palmed a high ball into her path. Cork now found themselves chasing the game, and with Ring adding a pointed free for Dublin on the 45-minute mark, they were facing into a four-point deficit.
The Munster kingpins were not prepared to go down without a fight, however, and points by Corkery and Doireann O’Sullivan did settle their nerves to a degree. Sinead Aherne split the posts in superb fashion from the left-wing for Dublin, but with raiding centre-back Brid Stack raising a white flag on 49 minutes, Cork remained within touching distance.
Unfortunately, this was their final score, and despite conceding just one point to Dublin in the latter stages (to the increasingly prominent Rowe), Cork came up just short in the end.
Scorers for Dublin: Carla Rowe 1-4 (0-1f), Lyndsey Davey, Amy Ring (0-1f), 1-1 each, Nicole Owens 0-2, Noelle Healy, Sinead Aherne 0-1 each.
Cork: Orla Finn 1-6 (0-5f), Doireann O’Sullivan 0-3 (1f), Briege Corkery 0-2, Annie Walsh, Brid Stack 0-1 each.
DUBLIN: Ciara Trant; Olwen Carey, Leah Caffrey, Fiona Hudson; Sinead Goldrick, Sinead Finnegan, Niamh Collins; Amy Connolly, Noelle Healy; Nicole Owens, Lyndsey Davey, Carla Rowe; Amy Ring, Niamh McEvoy, Sinead Aherne.
Subs: Muireann Ni Scanaill for Carey (18), Martha Byrne for Hudson (39), Siobhan Woods for Connolly (52), Olivia Leonard for Aherne (61).
CORK: Martina O’Brien; Marie Ambrose, Roisín Phelan, Aisling Barrett; Vera Foley, Brid Stack, Shauna Kelly; Annie Walsh, Briege Corkery; Rena Buckley, Aisling Hutchings, Orlagh Farmer; Ciara O’Sullivan, Doireann O’Sullivan, Orla Finn.
Subs: Jess O’Shea for D O’Sullivan (49), Emma Farmer for Hutchings (51).
Referee: Niall McCormack (Laois).