Leinster U16 Final 2015

Dublin 3-10 Meath 1-10

Clane GAA Club, Co Kildare

 

Dublin are U16 champions of Leinster once again having recaptured the title for a remarkable sixth year in a row. The girls from the capital showed great resolve to hold off the challenge from Meath, the encounter was a pulsating contest from start to finish.

 

Those spectators who had made the short journey down the N4 to Clane were rewarded with a super game of football which had all the ingredients that you would expect from a local derby, passion, drama and pure determination.

 

Meath threw everything they had at their great rivals in the hope of recapturing the Leinster crown that they last held back in 2009. The Royal girls where swiftly out of the blocks rushing into a two point lead as Aoibhin Cleary and Ailbhe Leahy hit Dublin with two quick points.

 

Dublin were guilty of squandering a number of goal scoring opportunities before finally Rachel Brennan broke through the Meath defence  in the 9th minute to blast the ball past Judy Bobbett.  Cleary responded immediately for the Royals with a well taken point to bring the two sides level with 10 minutes gone in the game.

 

Both sides exchanged scores before the powerful Ciara McDunphy split open the Meath defence to blast home her sides second goal in the 19th minute pushing the Dubs lead out to four points.

 

As to be expected Meath kept chipping away at the Dublin lead registering three unanswered scores which came from the boot of Timmons (free) and two from full forward Kiah Geraghty.

 

At the interval Dublin's lead had been cut back to two points as the score board read, Dublin 2-04 Meath 0-08.

 

When the second half began the tension from both sets of players was palpable, the game was crying out for someone to take it by the scruff of the neck and show some leadership.

 

Up popped Dublin skipper Clara O'Sullivan, the Naomh Olaf forward took on the Meath backs and within four minutes of the restart the Sandyford flyer had bagged herself 1-01 pushing her side six points clear of Meath.

 

The game continued to ebb and flow with the Royals working hard to try and penetrate the Dublin defence in chase of that elusive goal. Their perseverance was rewarded when in the 40th minute corner forward Ailbhe Leahy was at the end of a fine Meath movement tucking her shot past Jenny Flaherty in the Dublin goal - game on!

 

Dublin received another blow when half back Shannon Murtagh was shown a yellow card for a clumsy challenge on Meath's Niamh Donnelly.

 

Despite being a player down it was Dublin who tagged on the next three scores courtesy of Michelle Carey, Danielle Lawless and the superb Caoimhe O'Connor pushing Dublin's lead out further to seven points.

 

Dublin's substitutes Aoibhe Bell and Dearbhla Snow brought freshness and pace into the game causing Meath some consternation in the dying moments of the game.

 

Bell tagged on Dublin's final point in the 60th minute, Timmons responded with a late Meath point deep into injury time but the result was never in doubt, the cup and the title would be heading back to the Capital for a 6th year in a row.

 

Dublin line out v Meath:

Jenny Flaherty (Ballyboden St Endas), Eve Reidy (Foxrock Cabinteely), Siabh Hannigan (Parnells), Sinead O'Donoghue (Kilmacud Crokes), Heather Bolger (Clontarf) , Sarah Fagan (Clontarf), Shannon Murtagh (Fingallians) , Jennifer Dunne (Cuala) , Michelle Carey (Ballinteer St Johns) , Niamh Carey   (Ballinteer St Johns) , Rachel Brennan (St Peregrines) , Ciara McDunphy (Raheny) , Caoimhe O'Connor   (Clontarf) , Danielle Lawless (St Sylvester's) , Clara O'Sullivan (Naomh Olaf)

Subs: Aoibhe Bell (Clontarf) for N Carey, Dearbhla Snow (Fingallians) for McDunphy, Orla Martin (St Oliver Plunkets ER) for Lawless

Scorers: Ciara McDunphy 1-01 (1f), Clara O'Sullivan 1-01, Rachel Breanna 1-00, Caoimhe O'Connor 0-03, Aoibhe Bell 0-02, Jennifer Dunne, Michelle Carey, Danielle Lawless 0-01 each

Panel:

Rachel Fleming (Kilmacud Crokes), Maria O'Dea (Clanna Gael Fontenoy), Eavan Fitzgerald (Ballinteer St Johns), Laura Dempsey (Fingallians), Aoife Foley (Fingallians), Riona McTavish (Round Towers Clondalkin), Jessica Darby (Parnells), Niamh Hetherton (Clontarf), Sadhbh Nic Uileagoid (Ballinteer St Johns), Sarah McMahon (Kilmacud Crokes), Eimear Loughlin (Cuala), Erin Healy (O'Dwyers)

 

Meath line out v Dublin:

Judy Bobbett, Emma McCarney, Laura Quinn, Martha Reidy, Laoise McDermott, Anna Brannigan, Emily O'Connor, Niamh Cassidy, Aoibhin Cleary, Tara Fay, Niamh Donnelly, Niamh Hand, Abbie Timmons, Kiah Geraghty, Ailbhe Leahy.

Sub: Becky Deery for Brannigan

Scorers: Ailbhe Leahy 1-01, Kiah Geraghty 0-02, Niamh Donnelly 0-02 (2f), Aoibhin Cleary 0-02, Abbie Timmons 0-02 (1f), Tara Fay 0-01

Player of the Match: Heather Bolger (Clontarf)

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