Annabelle Timothy scored a hat-trick of goals as Dublin recorded a comprehensive win over Laois in their second group game of the Leinster SFC to book their place in the TG4 Leinster final on 12 May at Croke Park against Meath.
The Dubs were clinical and ruthless. They scored 4-16 from play and Laois just couldn’t contain them.
Boosted by the return of Sinead Goldrick, Dublin started with a real purpose. With their first attack Nicole Owens brought a save out of Laois keeper Eimear Barry.
In the third minute Chloe Darby scored from the penalty spot to open the scoring for the Dubs. Barry saved from Caitlin Coffey minutes later before Owens kicked over her first point of the game.
Kate Sullivan, Annabelle Timothy and Darby all hit over points before Goldrick scored a neat point in the 15th minute to extend Dublin’s lead to eight points. Laois tried to muster up attacks but failed to trouble the Dublin defence. The home side were guilty of making mistakes which Dublin duly punished.
Darby, Coffey, Sullivan and Owens were on target to put 13 between the sides in the 26th minute. Dublin had been clinical in front of the posts and Sullivan kicked over their first point from a free in stoppage time.
Such was Dublin’s dominance in the opening half Laois failed to register a score in the opening half as they trailed by 14 points at the break.
Laois finally got off the mark in the 32nd minute when Mo Nerney kicked over a point. That score was cancelled out by a Niamh Hetherton point and by the 45th minute Dublin had stretched their advantage to 17 points. Barry had also saved an effort from Annabelle Timothy in the 41st minute.
Dublin got a second goal through Hetherton in the 51st minute and from the resulting kick-out the ball fell nicely to Timothy and she buried it to the net. Darby followed that up with an excellent point. Substitute Carla Rowe got her first score in the 56th minute as Mick Bohan’s side kept the scoreboard ticking over.
Timothy got her second and Dublin’s fourth goal in the 60th minute and minutes later she completed her hat-trick with the final score of the game.
Dublin: R Fleming; N Donlon, J Tobin, S Goldrick (0-01); H McGinnis, C Kirwan, K Murray; O Carey, G Kós (0-01); N Owens (0-03), C Coffey (0-01), K Sullivan (0-04); C Darby (1-03), A Timothy (3-03), N Hetherton (1-01).
Subs: E Deeley for Sullivan (ht), Hannah Hegarty for Curran (37), A Nyhan for Murray and C Rowe (0-02) for Owens (46)
Laois: E Barry; S Farrelly, C Dunne, I Finlay, G Lalor, M Cotter, A Ryle; O Hennessy, A Moore; L Kearney, C Malone, G Moran; M Nerney (0-01), E Lacey, K Donoghue.
Subs: R Reddin for Dunne (12), A Walsh for Hennessy (32), A Gorman for Malone (39), R Allen for Kearney (46), A Byron for Lacey (55), A Cummins for Reddin (60+2)
Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow).
First-half goals from Emma Duggan and Niamh Gallogly proved crucial as Meath defeated Kildare 2-11 to 0-12.
Duggan and Gallogly hit 2-04 between them in a game where they had to fight all the way to the finish.
Kildare were 2--7 to 0-05 adrift at the break and a much improved third quarter brought the deficit back to three points. However, they failed to land the killer blow and Meath reassembled and tagged on points through Meadhbh Byrne, Megan Thynne and Gallogly to ensure the win.
Meath: M McGuirk (C), Á Sheridan, MK Lynch, N Troy, N Gallogly (1-01), L Young, K Newe, M O'Shaughnessy (0-01), A Cleary (0-01), M Thynne (0-01), S Melia (0-01), C Smyth (0-01), E Moyles, M Farrelly (0-01), E Duggan (1-03).
Subs: C Lawlor for Sheridan (’15), M Byrne (0-01) for Farrelly (’40), A McCabe for Cleary (’59)
Kildare: M Hulgraine, F Troute, E O’Toole, M Doherty, L Murtagh, R Sargent (0-01), L Gilbert, G Clifford (C), H McLoughlin (0-02), T Duggan, E Dowling (0-02), C Sullivan, N Dooley (0-02), N Farrelly (0-04), A Rattigan.
Subs: L Lenehan for O’Toole ('15), L Doran for McLoughlin (’20), E Brereton Foley (0-01) for Rattigan (’41), S Munnelly (0-01) for Doherty (’56), H Tyrrell for G Clifford (‘57)
Referee: Paul McCaughey (Westmeath).
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