Aherne hits hat-trick as Jackies outclass Lilies

Mon, 23rd June 2014

TG4 SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

DUBLIN 6-14 KILDARE 1-9

Reigning champions Dublin booked their place in the TG4 Leinster Senior Championship semi-final on Sunday with a comprehensive 20 point victory over Kildare.

Three-times All-Star Sinead Aherne was in superb form in front of the Kildare posts, the diminutive St. Sylvester's forward finishing the game as the games top scorer having recorded an impressive personal tally of 3-06, all of Aherne's scores with the exception of 1 converted free came from play.

Indeed, Dublin's full forward line of Lyndsey Davey, Aherne and Lindsay Peat totally dominated the game with the trio accounting for 5-09 of Dublin's final tally of 6-14.

"Goals win games" as the old saying goes. Once again Dublin's ability to raise the green flag proved to be the deciding factor in seeing off the Kildare challenge. In the 8th, 9th and 10th minute Dublin hit Kildare with three successive goals in the space of three minutes. Noelle Healy, Sinead Aherne and Lyndsey Davey took their goals with aplomb past the helpless Rebecca McGuirk in the Kildare goal. At the interval Dublin took a 16-point lead into the dressing room, Dublin ahead on the score board by 4-08 to 0-04 with Lindsay Peat scoring her side's fourth goal in the 23^rd minute.

Kildare manager, former Galway All Ireland winner, John Divilly on the restart switched former All Star Aishling Holton from midfield into half forward. This move proved to be fruitful for the Lilywhites when in the 32^nd minute, the Balyna star popped up to score a crucial goal her low shot trailing past Dublin keeper, Cliodhna O'Connor. While Holton's goal did help spur on her team mates Kildare had given themselves too big a task and could not claw back Dublin's substantial lead. Kildare were thrown a life line of sorts when Wexford official Mags Doherty awarded the home team a penalty late in the second half but Elaine Dillon sent her shot left and wide of the Dublin post.

Sinead Aherne was in superb form for Dublin today, the former All Ireland winner was a constant thorn in the side of the Kildare back line. The Malahide star deservedly scored a hat trick when she struck for two second half goals in the 44^th and 58^th minute setting up Dublin for a semi-final appearance against Martin Flanagan's Westmeath on Sunday June 29th.

Dublin:

Players:

Cliodhna O' Connor, Rachel Ruddy, Sorcha Furlong, Leah Caffrey, Deirdre Murphy, Sinead Finnegan, Colleen Barrett, Sarah McCaffrey, Molly Lamb, Noelle Healy, Siobhan Woods, Carla Rowe, Lyndsey Davey, Sinead Aherne , Lindsay Peat.

Scorers:

Sinead Aherne 3-06 (1F), Lyndsey Davey 1-03, Noelle Healy 1-02, Lindsay Peat 1-00, Carla Rowe 0-02, Siobhan Woods 0-01

Subs:

Olivia Leonard for Woods, Niamh McEvoy for McCaffrey, Martha Byrne for Barrett, Natalia Hyland for Peat, Lucy Collins for Furlong

Kildare:

Rebecca McGuirk, Aileen Quinn, Kiri Lowry, Myra O' Reilly, Rachel Corrigan, Donna Berry, Ashling Curley, Paula Keatley, Aishling Holton, Mikaela McKenna, Roisin Byrne, Triona Duggan, Niamh Mulhall, Maria Moolick, Elaine Dillon