Galway outclass Jackies in NFL semi-final

TESCO Home Grown NFL Division 1 Semi-final

FT Dublin 3-4 Galway 4-13

Venue: St Loman's GAA Club, Mullingar

Last year's beaten finalists Dublin bowed out of the league on Sunday afternoon with a somewhat below par performance against a Galway team who showed great character to see off the challenge from Dublin and book their place in the Division one decider versus Cork.

April showers was indeed a true and worthy saying as the opening 25mins of the semi final was played in weather that could only be described as an eastern monsoon. The heavy pelting rain made the playing and under foot conditions extremely difficult for both sides.

To their credit it was the tribe’s women who settled quickly adapting to the wet and slippery setting especially Galway Full forward Tracey Leonard who was in superb form from the start. The Corofin forward hit Dublin for two goals in the 11th and 20th minutes of the first half while also converting her sides opening point.

Half back Noelle Connolly then added further to Dublin’s woes when she popped up to finish a brilliant Galway move and bag her side’s third goal which came in the 23rd minute of the opening half.

Dublin responded quickly to Connolly’s goal when Nicole Owens pulled a goal back for Dublin a minute later but Galway finished out the half stronger and took a seven point lead into the dressing room at the interval. The half time scoreboard read Galway 3-04 Dublin 1-03.

McGonigles chargers needed a momentous second half effort in order to try and overcome and pull back the westerners lead.

But Dublin’s second half revival never materialised instead it was Galway who got the perfect restart hitting the Leinster champions with five unanswered points before centre forward Patricia Gleeson struck for the killer blow goal in the 37th minute.

To their credit Dublin kept plugging away and where rewarded with two additional goals in the 42nd and 44th minutes the first converted by the industrious Nicole Owens while the second came from second half sub Hannah Noonan.

Galway veteran Sinead Burke was sin binned in the 51st minute for a clumsy challenge on Dublin Captain Lyndsey Davey but Galway never looked like surrendering their lead or dominance of the game running out winners by 4-13 to 3-04.

So Kevin Reidy’s Galway who remarkably only claimed the division 2 NFL title last season can now look forward to a division 1 clash with reigning league champions Cork on May 9th in Parnell Park while Dublin will now have to turn their attentions to the defence of the Leinster crown.

Dublin: Ciara Trant (St Brigids), Olwen Carey (Thomas Davis), Sorcha Furlong (St Brigids), Fiona Hudson (Fingallians), Sinead Goldrick (Foxrock Cabinteely), Sinead Finnegan (Fingallians), Niamh Collins (Foxrock Cabinteely), Niamh McEvoy (St Sylvester’s), Sarah McCaffrey (Clontarf), Amy Connolly (Foxrock Cabinteely), Kim Flood (Clanna Gael Fontenoy), Noelle Healy (St Brigids), Nicole Owens (St Sylvester’s), Lyndsey Davey (Skerries Harps), Carla Rowe (Clann Mhuire) Subs: Muireann Ni Scanaill for Furlong, Niamh Rickard for Flood, Eabha Rutledge for Connolly, Hannah Noonan for Collins, Leah Caffrey for McCaffrey

Scorers: Nicole Owens 2-00, Hannah Noonan 1-00, Carla Rowe 0-02(1F), Amy Connolly 0-01 (1F), Sarah MCaffrey 0-01

Galway: Johanna Connolly, Sarah Gormelly, Emer Flaherty, Aine Seoighe, Noelle Connolly, Nicola Ward, Sinead Burke, Annette Clarke, Geraldine Conneally, Barbara Hannon, Patricia Gleeson, Louise Ward, Olivia Divilly, Tracey Leonard, Edel Concannon. Subs: Caitriona Cormican for Gleeson, Lorna Joyce for Concannon, Aoibheann Daly for Divilly.

Scorers: Tracey Leonard 2-03 (1F), Annette Clarke 0-04 (1F), Noelle Connolly 1-00, Patricia Gleeson 1-00, Barbara Hannon 0-02, Olivia Divilly, Louise Ward, Edel Concannon and Lorna Joyce 0-01 each

Referee: Maggie Farrelly (Cavan)