Rowe and Davoren help Dubs kickstart campaign and down Kildare
ON SONG:Carla Rowe of Dublin. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile
Carla Rowe and Michelle Davoren struck second half goals at Parnell Park on Sunday as holders Dublin kick-started their quest for a 13th successive TG4 Leinster senior football championship title with a six-point triumph over Kildare.
Playing for the first time since the end of their Lidl National Football League Division 1 campaign, Dublin edged in front with just 10 seconds on the clock as Kate Donaghy released Niamh Hetherton for a point at the end of a fine run.
Kildare, for their part, were aiming to build on last weekend’s opening round success over Meath in Summerhill and were quickly back on level terms when Aoife Rattigan curled superbly between the posts in the third minute.
Hetherton and full-forward Laura Grendon subsequently added to Dublin’s tally, but Alannah Prizeman and midfielder Gillian Wheeler were both on hand to cancel out these efforts. A two-point salvo from the impressive Grendon offered Dublin some breathing space as the half progressed, only for the Wheeler sisters – Gillian and Ciara – to cancel out their lead once again at the opposite end.
Yet Hetherton was maintaining her top form for the hosts and a further brace of points by the Clontarf ace guided Dublin towards a 0-7 to 0-5 interval cushion.
Although Rattigan brought the Kildare deficit back down to the bare minimum on the resumption, consecutive points from half-time substitute Caoimhe O’Connor and Donaghy were supplemented by Rowe finishing to the net on 34 minutes after Dublin pounced on a short kick-out.
This provided Dublin with a strong platform to push on for victory and even though Rattigan swapped points with the outstanding Grendon, a routine Rowe free left the home team seven to the good (1-11 to 0-7) inside the final-quarter.
Kildare suffered an additional blow when Aoife Murnane was yellow carded not long after her introduction as a substitute, but the Lilies initially coped admirably with 14 players as the reliable Rattigan converted a brace of frees.
A Davoren goal on the stroke of 60 minutes ensured Dublin had sealed a win that puts them on the brink of another provincial final appearance ahead of their meeting with Meath next weekend, but Kildare did end the action on a high when the returning Murnane fired home a three-pointer of her own deep into stoppage-time.
C Rowe 1-3 (0-1f), N Hetherton, L Grendon 0-4 each, M Davoren 1-0, O Nolan, K Donaghy, C O’Connor 0-1 each.
A Rattigan 0-6 (3f), A Murnane 1-0, G Wheeler, A Prizeman 0-2 each, C Wheeler 0-1.
: A Shiels; N Crowley, L Caffrey, H Leahy; S McIntyre, R Hartnett, H McGinnis; N Hetherton, O Nolan; A Timothy, C Rowe, K Donaghy; M Davoren, L Grendon, J Egan.
C O’Connor for Egan (h-t), L Magee for Donaghy (34), E Kearney for Grendon (57), A Curran for Timothy (61), C Coffey for Hetherton (62).
: R Fennin; A Mernagh, E Wheeler, L Shaw; H McLoughlin, R Sargent, L Lenehan; A Irhue, G Wheeler; L Curran, C Wheeler, M Aspell; A Rattigan, M Doyle, A Prizeman.
M Doherty for Irhue (40), A Cahill for Shaw, J Harney for C Wheeler (both 43), A Murnane for Doyle (47), A Mahon for Aspell (57).
: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow).
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