AIB All-Ireland Senior club semi-final
Dicksboro (Kilkenny) 2-13 Loughgiel (Antrim) 1-10
Loughgiel’s bid to get back to an All Ireland final was denied them by a very good Dicksboro team at Ashbourne on Saturday. The scoreline shows the Kilkenny champions winning by six points in the end but in truth it paints a deceptive picture for just two points separated the sides as the clock ticked into overtime. The Ulster champions had two frees which could have brought the game to extra time, but both were off target and Dicsboro took full advantage to add another goal and a point and book their place against reigning champions, Sarsfields of Galway in two weeks’ time.
Loughgiel will look back on this game and feel it was one that got away. Leading by five after a brilliant first half the Shamrocks saw that lead slip away in the first five minutes of the second half, the Boro goal coming from player of the match Asha Hardy. You feared a little for the Ulster champions at this stage but they steadied the ship and matched the Leinster champions for the remainder of the game and actually went back ahead with just minutes remaining.
The Kilkenny girls came back with three points, one from a penalty, to lead by two. They had two chances from very scoreable frees but were off target from both and Dicksboro took advantage as the brilliant McHardy got her second goal with just second of the five added minutes left to play
After a quick-fire start to the game in which Amy Clifford, Aoife Prenderghast (free) and Rachel Dowling had established a 0-3 to 0-1 lead for Dicksboro after just three minutes of play, Caitrín Dobbin cut through the Boro defence to score a brilliant individual goal to put the Shamrocks ahead.
Although Prenderghast levelled on six minutes, points from Róisín McCormick, Dobbin and then McCormick again, this time from a free, opened a gap that stretched to five points by the half-way point of the game.
Playing down the slope in the second half Dicksboro, sprang from the traps in emphatic fashion and in less than 90 seconds Orla Hanrick off-loaded a hand-pass to Asha McHardy who charged forward 20 metres and fired past Eimear Boyle in goals.
The same player quickly added a point and then Aoife Prenderghast pointed in the 35th minute from a wide angle on the right to level the game. The Leinster champions appeared to have taken control, but to their credit Loughgiel dug deep and matched their opponents through the next twenty minutes. The had a great chance of retaking the lead when a ball bobbled across the Dicksboro goal line but Oralagh Laverty could not make contact with the ball until it was too late and was very unlucky to see the ball go wide off the left had upright.
With just three minutes of normal time left to play the sides were level on 1-10 apiece, but Dicksboro finished the stronger to secure their place in their first All Ireland final.
Impressive half-time sub Lucinda Gahan was taken down on her way to goal and the Boro were awarded a penalty, but Prenderghast got under the sliotar and sent it inches over the bar. A minute later she stretched the lead to two with a long range free, her seventh score of the game, but when five minutes of added time were signalled the Shamrocks had a lifeline. Probably thinking that time was up both late frees were sent ‘in around the house, but both drifted wide and the chance was gone and Dicksboro finished with a flourish to seal the win.
Dicksboro: A McHardy 2-1, A Prenderghast 0-7, 6 frees, 1 pen, R Dowling 0-2, A Clifford 0-2, J Clifford 0-1
Loughgiel: C Dobbin 1-3, R McCormick 0-5, 4 frees, A Boyle 0-1, A Lynn 0-1
Dicksboro: K Maher; J Cass, T Clifford, K Byrne; N Phelan, C Dowling, C Phelan; C O’Shea, A O’Gorman; A McHardy, A Clifford, R Dowling; A Prendergast, O Hanrick, J Clifford capt.
Subs: L Gahan for C O’Shea (HT), R Kelly for O Hanrick (48)
Loughgiel: E Boyle; C Campbell, Ciara Laverty, M Lynn; E McFadden, C Boyle, C McKillop; A Boyle, L McNaughton; Christine Laverty capt, A Connolly, R McCormick; C Dobbin, A Lynn, O Laverty
Subs: K McKillop for O Laverty (48), M McGarry for C Boyle (57), Ú McNaugthon for A Connolly (58)
