Kildare dominate at half-time in junior All-Ireland

TG4 All-Ireland Junior Ladies Football Final Half-Time:

KILDARE 2-5 SLIGO 0-3, Croke Park, 1.15pm

Kildare have one hand on the John Timmons Cup, despite hitting nine wides in the first half of this afternoon's TG4 All-Ireland Junior Ladies football final at Croke Park.

The Lilywhites, appearing in their third final in four years but still without a win at this level, lead first-time finalists Sligo 2-5 to 0-3 at the break.

The Leinster champions were headed by an Imelda McNulty point in the first minute, but soon came back.

Nippy forwards Elaine Dillon and Simone Gilabert have both struck for 1-1 apiece, with Suncroft teenager Dillon scoring his goal on 20 minutes, when fisting past Sligo 'keeper Katrina Connolly.

Maynooth corner forward Gilabert repeated the trick five minutes later as with Connolly racing out to clear, she hacked a left-foot finish to the Connacht side's net.

Noelle Gormley hit Sligo's first point for close to 20 minutes as she pointed in the closing stages.

Kildare: E O'Brien; M O'Brien, A Hughes, C Flanagan; A Lambe, A Holton, M Moolick; B Leahy (Capt), K Leahy; S Cannon, N Earley, E Dillon; S Gilabert, T Noone, J Cunningham.

Sligo: K Connolly; F Maye, G O’Gara, R Goodwin; M McGowan, J Mulligan (Capt), C Currid; A Doohan, B Byrne; L Brett, S O’Reilly, I McNulty; N Gormley, S McTiernan, L Harte.

Referee: B Gallagher (Tyrone)

Scorers: Kildare: E Dillon (1f), S Gilabert 1-1 each, T Noone 0-2 (1f), N Earley 0-1

Sligo: S O’Reilly, I McNulty, N Gormley 0-1 each