Aherne blasts Dubs to Leinster crown

DUBLIN defeated Kildare to retain their TG4 Leinster Ladies Senior Football Championship crown yesterday.

Sinéad Aherne scored 3-4 for the Sky Blues in a one-sided affair at Dr Cullen Park in Carlow, as Gerry McGill’s outfit held onto their provincial title at the same venue where they defeated Laois last year.

Dublin’s impressive 5-8 to 0-12 win secured the provincial title for the fifth time, as the Dubs repeated their handsome Bord Gáis Energy National League victory against the same opposition.

At half time, Dublin led by 2-3 to 0-6, after Kildare had played with the breeze in the opening half.

Mary Nevin struck for Dublin’s opening goal on 14 minutes but Kildare were level by the 23rd minute, and soon went a point clear through Aisling Jennings.

Kildare’s lead was wiped out two minutes later when Dublin midfielder Lyndsey Peat soloed through for her side’s second goal. A minute before half-time, Kildare suffered another major blow when Gillian Behan received a yellow card and was sin-binned.

Early in the second half, the Lilywhites were rocked again when their influential star Brianne Leahy was forced off injured, and Dublin soon took control.

Aherne struck for her first goal after a short Kildare kick out was intercepted and while the Lilywhites did pull the score back to 0-9 to 3-3, that was as good as it got for the beaten finalists. Aherne added two further goals as Dublin booked their place in the All-Ireland quarter-finals, while Kildare must regroup for the qualifiers.

Scorers for Dublin: S Aherne 3-4, M Nevin & L Peat 1-1 each, E Kelly & L Davey 0-1 each.

Scorers for Kildare: A Jennings 0-7, G Behan 0-2, L Keatley, A Herbert & D Gately 0-1 each.