Jackies make changes for encounter with Meath

TG4 Leinster Senior Championship Rd 3

Saturday 25^th June, 2pm

Dublin v Meath

Summerhill GAA club, Co Meath

Dublin have the luxury of going into Saturday’s final round robin game with Meath safe in the knowledge that they have already qualified for the 2016 Provincial Final.

Leinster Council had originally scheduled the meeting of Dublin and Meath for Sunday June 26^th at 2pm however both counties mutually agreed to play the game a day earlier to avoid a clash with the Leinster U16 final involving the same two counties.

However the six day turnaround has come too quickly for four times All Star Sinead Goldrick to recover satisfactorily from the leg injury she picked up in the win over Westmeath. Goldrick was forced to leave the field of play last Sunday just before the half time interval with Colleen Barrett coming into replace the stricken Foxrock Cabinteely star.

Dublin’s bench this season is considered by many pundits to be extremley strong with a number of tussles going on amongst players to secure a coveted first team position. An indication as to the strength of the Dublin panel is seen when 6 players who started the 2015 All Ireland final versus Cork were listed amongst the substitutes for the Westmeath game.

In light of last Sunday’s tough encounter with Westmeath McGonigle and his management team has taken the decision to rest a number of players giving others an opportunity to push for a place in the starting line up on July 10^th.

So what are the changes, first up Fiona Hudson is named at corner back ahead of Olwen Carey with Cuala’s Martha Byrne receiving her first championship outing of the summer at right half back replacing the injured Sinead Goldrick. While Colleen Barrett takes up position on the opposite defensive wing to Byrne for Niamh Collins.

Up front Niamh McEvoy returns to the full forward line for Lyndsey Davey while Molly Lamb partners Sorcha Furlong at midfield in a direct swap with Kilmacud Crokes club mate, Lauren Magee.

Although Meath lost heavily to Westmeath in their opening championship game the Royal County bounced back last Sunday to earn a draw with Laois. Indeed Meath were fierce unlucky not to have registered a win over the O’Moore County. Meath where denied the win having hit the wood work late in injury time while Laois keeper Ciamh Dollard also performed some heroics to deny Meath a famous championship win.

However it has since come to light that Leinster Council passed a regulation at their fixtures meeting back on the 19th November that all 2016 senior championship fixtures must have a winner on the day.

Meath and Laois last Sunday as per the regulation passed should have played a period of extra time followed by a penalty shootout (if both teams were still level) after the extra period of play. Leinster Council ruled back in November that there was to be no draws, no playoffs and no semi-finals in the 2016 round robin senior championship.

So the scenario we have now is should Laois defeat Westmeath on Sunday then the Meath and Laois fixture will have to replayed in order to determine a winner, Friday July 1^st is being suggested as the date for the “replay”.

So for now whom Dublin meets in the Provincial decider on July 10^th is still very much up in the air with Westmeath, Laois and Meath still having a lot to play for.

Dublin LGFA will have LIVE score updates from Saturday’s game available via their Twitter page @dublinladiesg with half time and full time information posted on Facebook.

Dublin v Meath:

Ciara Trant (St Brigid’s), Fiona Hudson (Fingallians), Deirdre Murphy (St Brigid’s), Leah Caffrey (Na Fianna), Martha Byrne (Cuala), Sinead Finnegan (Fingallians), Colleen Barrett (St Brigid’s), Molly Lamb (Kilmacud Crokes), Sorcha Furlong (St Brigid’s), Noelle Healy (St Brigid’s), Nicole Owens (St Sylvester’s), Carla Rowe (Clann Mhuire), Siobhan Woods (Raheny), Sinead Aherne (St Sylvester’s), Niamh McEvoy (St Sylvester’s).

Dublin Panel:

Emer Ni Eafa (Fingallians), Olwen Carey (Thomas Davis), Ciara Ruddy (Ballyboden St Endas), Niamh Collins (Foxrock Cabinteely), Lyndsey Davey (Skerries Harps), Lauren Magee (Kilmacud Crokes), Amy Ring (Foxrock Cabinteely), Amy Connolly(Foxrock Cabinteely), Rebecca McDonnell (Clanna Gael Fontenoy), Olivia Leonard (St Maurs), Amy Conroy (Round Towers, C), Niamh Ryan (Foxrock Cabinteely), Aoife Curran (O’Dwyers), Emma Colgan (St Margaret’s), Lucy Collins (Na Fianna), Sinead Goldrick (Foxrock Cabinteely), Ciara Regan (Kilmacud Crokes), Muireann Ni Scanaill (St Margaret’s).