Rowe on the double as Jackies battle past Donegal

Mon, 2nd August 2021

TG4 ALL-IRELAND LADIES SFC QUARTER-FINAL

DUBLIN 2-12 DONEGAL 2-7

Carla Rowe struck 2-3 as Dublin booked their place in the TG4 All-Ireland SFC semi final after Mick Bohan’s charges saw off a spirited Donegal challenge at Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada on Monday afternoon.

Donegal were handed the perfect opening when Geraldine McLaughlin hit 1-2 inside the first three minutes while Dublin goalkeeper Ciara Trant also made a great save to deny Donegal of an early second goal.

After converting a first-minute free, Donegal turned over the Dublin kickout before Geraldine McLaughlin's shot, though parried by Dublin goalkeeper Ciara Trant, spun into the net. McLaughlin added to her tally with a second free a minute later.

Despite that electric opening Donegal couldn’t build on their lead. While Dublin had to wait until the sixth minute before Hannah Tyrrell got the reigning champions’ first score.

The influential Carla Rowe converted a free to bring the gap back to three points after ten minutes, while Sinéad Aherne also grabbed a point to reduce the deficit to just two.

Dublin were given a lifeline just before the water break when Carla Rowe found the net. Lyndsey Davey passed to Rowe, she turned two defenders and clipped the ball past Aoife McColgan, which gave Dublin the lead for the first time.

A brace of points from Hannah Tyrrell and Lyndsey Davey pushed the Jackies three points ahead, before substitute Siobhán Killeen made it four with five minutes left in the opening half.

Without a score since their early salvo Donegal looked to be in trouble, but Katy Herron found the net at the end of a patient team move to close Dublin’s lead to 1-6 to 2-2 by the half-time interval.

However, Dublin hit the ground running in the second half. Carla Rowe converted a free while Siobhán Killeen followed it up with a point from play a minute later.

And although McLaughlin added her third free to bring the gap back to three, Carla Rowe grabbed her second goal to increase Dublin’s advantage after a clever quick free from Siobhán Killeen created the opportunity.

Dublin continued to build on that advantage and Hannah Tyrrell added two quick scores, which opened up a seven-point gap.

Geraldine McLaughlin’s freetaking kept Donegal in touch in the closing stages, but points from Lyndsey Davey and Carla Rowe ensured Dublin progressed to a semi final meeting with Mayo.

SCORERS – Dublin: C Rowe 2-3 (0-3f), H Tyrrell 0-4 (0-2f), L Davey, S Killeen 0-2 each, S Aherne 0-1. Donegal: G McLaughlin 1-7 (7f), K Herron 1-0.

DUBLIN: C Trant; M Byrne, N Collins, O Carey; O Nolan, S McGrath, L Caffrey; J Dunne, L Magee; L Davey, N McEvoy, C Rowe; S Aherne, H Tyrrell, C O’Connor. Subs: S Killeen for O’Connor (24), A Kane for Carey (38), N Hetherton for McEvoy (45), K Sullivan for Aherne (45).

DONEGAL: A McColgan; C Boyle, E McGinley, AM Logue; T Jenkins, Nicole McLaughlin, A Boyle Carr; K Herron, S Twohig; B McLaughlin, Niamh McLaughlin, N Boyle; N Hegarty, K Guthrie, G McLaughlin. Subs: K Kearney for B McLaughlin (41), R Rodgers for Boyle (45), S White for Logue (45).

REF: S Curley (Galway).