Waterford 2-9
Tipperary 1-7
By Michael Heverin
Two goals from the outstanding Lauren McGregor in the first four minutes set Waterford on their way to victory over Tipperary in the TG4 Munster Senior Championship at Fethard Town Park on Sunday afternoon.
The visitors couldn’t have asked for a better start and with Katie Murray adding a point between the goals, they built up an early lead that they never surrendered.
A battling performance from Tipperary brought them back in contention and they got to within three points of Waterford, 2-7 to 1-7, with seven minutes left on the clock.
However, Waterford finished stronger, with late points from Katie Murray and a fisted effort from Kellyann Hogan pushing them over the line.
Hogan was a constant threat at the heart of the attack, with two points from play and three from frees.
The concession of 2-1 so early in the contest was a huge blow to Tipperary’s hopes but they will take some satisfaction in that they outscored their Division 1 opponents by 1-7 to 0-8 over the remaining 56 minutes
There was a minute's silence before the game, in memory of former Moyle Rovers player, Bronagh English, who was tragically killed in an accident during the week.
After the concession of the early 2-1, Tipperary were struggling to get the ball out of their own half, playing into the stiff breeze. They had their chances but unfortunately were off target from play and placed balls.
Tipperary had to wait until the 21st minute for their first score, a fine point from Aisling Moloney, which was followed soon after with an Aoibhe O'Shea point following great work in the build-up from Kirsty Crotty-Ryan and Moloney.
Waterford had their first point in over 24 minutes with a fine point from Kelly-Anne Hogan. Clare Walsh made it 2-3 to 0-2 in the 29th minute.
However, one of the best moves of the game saw Tipperary get through for a stunning goal, Moloney feeding Maria Curley, who finished from close range. The final action of the half was a point from Waterford's Brid McMaugh to leave the halftime score 2-4 to 1-2.
It was a more even contest in the second half. Aided by the stiff breeze, and with some outstanding play from Moloney, Ava Ryan and Maria Curley, Tipperary gave the home support plenty to cheer. With Waterford down to fourteen players following a yellow card for Emma Murray, Moloney pointed three frees, with Kirsty Crotty Ryan hitting a monster score.
But Kellyann Hogan kept the scoreboard ticking over for Waterford as they just managed to stay in front for a hard-earned win.
Scorers – Waterford: L McGregor 2-0, K Hogan 0-5 (3f), K Murray 0-2, B McMaugh, C Walsh 0-1 each
Tipperary: A Moloney 0-5 (3f), M Curley 1-0, K Crotty Ryan, A O’Shea 0-1 each.
WATERFORD: G Corcoran; A Murray, R Casey, C Murray; K McGrath, H Power, Á O’Neill; E Murray, E Power; B McMaugh, K Hogan, L Ni Harta; K Murray, C Walsh, L McGregor. Subs: C Fennell for Walsh (51), A Brazil for Ni Harta (52), A Power for O’Neill (54).
TIPPERARY: L Fitzpatrick; N Martin, L Morrissey, E Cronin; K Cashman; M Curley, B Condon; A.R. Kennedy, C Kennedy; H Spillane, A Ryan, A O’Shea; C Condon, K Crotty Ryan, A Moloney. Subs: S English for Cashman (ht), A Fennessy for C Condon (ht), A McGuigan for Spillane (42), S O’Carroll for B Condon (50).
Referee: Seamus Mulvihill (Kerry).
Mayo 2-11
Leitrim 1-11
By Stephen Grealis
Leitrim pushed Mayo to the pin of their collar upon their return to the senior ranks in this TG4 Connacht SFC opener, but 14 wides cost them dearly in Swinford.
Mayo's victory largely came down to their trusted talismanic forward Sinead Walsh, who finished with a personal tally of 1-4.
The hosts had the advantage of a strong breeze at their backs in the opening half and opened the scoring inside the first minute with a point by Erin Murray. Walsh soon added to this, before the dynamic Vivienne Egan got Leitrim off the mark with a well taken score.
Mayo soon landed four in a row, with a free from Walsh, and points from play from three championship debutants Niamh Mooney, Ava McDonnell and Alannah Devereux, the latter a superb strike from way out on the left wing.
Clare Owens responded for Leitrim after 20 minutes with their second point, before Murray and Walsh again pushed Mayo further in front. The game's first goal arrived on 27 minutes with Walsh turned provider for Saoirse Lally, and she delicately palmed the ball over onrushing Leitrim goalkeeper Michelle Guckian.
Leitrim got the final two scores of the half, a pair of frees from the left boot of Ailbhe Clancy leaving seven between the teams at the break at 1-8 0-4.
The visitors had a renewed purpose at the beginning of the second half, knocking over three points. A lot of this was down to the work rate and impact of their full forward Muireann Devaney kicking two of those.
But Mayo responded with the sucker punch as Walsh danced past four defenders before slotting to the back of the net.
The sides traded points before Mayo sub Annie Gough sent her penalty high and over the bar with three minutes to play.
Leitrim were not done however. Devaney took on two Mayo defenders before rifling home a goal to cut the gap to four. She added a free soon after to set up the grandstand finish, but Mayo held on for victory.
Scorers - Mayo: S Walsh 1-4 (2f), S Lally 1-0, E Murray 0-2, A McDonnell, A Deveroux, N Mooney, A Gough (pen), L Hanley 0-1 each.
Leitrim: M Devaney 1-4 (2f), A Clancy 0-4 (3f), C Owens, M Guckian (f), V Egan 0-1 each.
MAYO: J Gawalkiewicz; L Wallace, N O’Malley, C Durkin; D Caldwell (capt.), E Brennan, S El Massry; H Reape, S Lally; R Jordan, N Mooney, A McDonnell; E Murray, S Walsh, A Devereux. Subs: L Hanley for N Mooney (37), K Sullivan for R Jordan (46), A Gough for A Devereux (49), L Hanley for A McDonnell (51), C Whyte for S Lally (57), S McNulty for E Murray (60).
LEITRIM: M Guckian, M Murphy, C Tyrell, J Maye; S Reynolds, C Owens, R McIntyre; N Tighe, C Dolan; A Quinn, V Egan, A Clancy; L Fox , M Devaney, L O’Dowd. Subs: E Shanley for C Dolan (44), S Ward for A Quinn (48), S Quinn for L Fox (52), L Tivnan for M Murphy (58).
Referee: Shane Curley (Galway).
Dublin 4-12
Kildare 1-5
By Daire Walsh
Niamh Hetherton, Caoimhe O’Connor, Chloe Darby and Niamh Crowley all shook the net at Cedral St Conleth’s Park on Sunday afternoon as a 12-in-a-row chasing Dublin qualified for the TG4 Leinster SFC final on May 11 with a commanding victory over Kildare.
After Hetherton edged Dublin in front with a second minute point, her inside partner Hannah Tyrrell found the target moments later to double their lead in the Newbridge venue.
Kildare recorded a 1-8 to 0-8 win when the two sides met in Division 1 of this year's Lidl National Football League and the Lilies squeezed in front when a speculative strike from Aoife Rattigan drifted into the Dublin net on seven minutes.
Pat Sullivan’s hosts established another slender lead when Alannah Prizeman cancelled out a Tyrrell point, but the Jackies were back in the ascendancy after Hetherton (whose brother John registered 2-3 for the Dublin hurlers in their Leinster senior championship triumph over Wexford on Saturday) poked home for a 13th minute goal.
While Sophie McIntyre moved the visitors three clear with a fine point, Kildare were back on level terms thanks to unanswered contributions from Prizeman (two) and Roisin Byrne. Yet before Hetherton added to her haul with a white flag effort, O’Connor rattled the net on 28 minutes to propel Dublin towards a 2-5 to 1-4 interval cushion.
This handed the Jackies momentum heading into the second period and after another Hetherton single increased their advantage on the restart, the increasingly-prominent Darby kicked three points on the bounce to move the defending champions firmly into the driving seat.
Pobal Parnell star Darby was then on hand to fire home for a third Dublin goal in the 41st minute and while Prizeman finally enhanced Kildare’s tally in response to a Tyrrell score, Hetherton brought her personal tally up to 1-4 with a point on the run just past the third-quarter mark.
Dublin’s joint managers Paul Casey and Derek Murray used the closing stages of this contest as an opportunity to examine their reserve options and with Crowley helping herself to a spectacular 1-1 salvo off the bench, Dublin comfortably advanced to a provincial decider in Croke Park against either Kildare or Meath who clash in Newbridge next weekend.
Scorers – Dublin: N Hetherton 1-4, C Darby 1-3 (0-1f), N Crowley 1-1, C O’Connor 1-0, H Tyrrell 0-3 (1f), S McIntyre 0-1.
Kildare: A Prizeman 0-4 (3f), A Rattigan 1-0, R Byrne 0-1.
DUBLIN: A Shiels; J Tobin, L Caffrey, N Donlon; A Curran, L Magee, A Kane; É O’Dowd, G Kós; C O’Connor, C Darby, A Timothy; H Tyrrell, N Hetherton, S McIntyre. Subs: N Crowley for McIntyre (47), H Leahy for Kane (51), J Egan for Tyrrell (53), A Nyhan for Kós (56), S Birnie for Hetherton (58).
KILDARE: M Hulgraine; R Sargent, L Lenehan, E Wheeler; M Doherty, L Dunlea, M Aspel; C Sullivan, G Wheeler; C Wheeler, L Shaw, N Dooley; A Rattigan, A Prizeman, R Byrne. Subs: S Galvin for G Wheeler (h-t), C Moran for Sullivan (34), A Murnane for Dooley (40), E Dowling for Rattigan (45), L Gilbert for E Wheeler (49).
Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow).
