Na Fianna 4-12 Kerry/Donegal 2-14
Report courtesy of Eugene Kyne
Na Fianna are back in the final of the Sean Faherty Ladies Championship to defend the title they won last season, they were made to fight all the way however after an outstanding second half showing from Kerry/Donegal. The combination side outscored the winners 2-10 to 1-06 in that period to level the contest with six minutes on the clock. Na Fianna were able to run out the final four points for the victory but the second half showed some major kinks in the armor. Two yellow cards for two of their summer players affected the side and Kerry/Donegal took advantage before they ran out of time in the end.
Na Fianna had a shining start to the contest with a 2-02 to no score salvo. Mary O’Rourke blasted the first from the 14 when Molly O’Rourke set her up, and then Molly followed with number two eight minutes in. Kerry/Donegal battled back with the next three scores, points from Denise Dunnion, all three. The second arrived when Anita McKenna made an excellent catch on the edge of the square and fisted to the open Dunnion. The side was having hard work however moving the ball forward with Katherine O’Sullivan and Noelle Tierney defending excellently. Molly O’Rourke added a point before Brianna Tierney had their third goal. Again Molly O’Rourke was involved as she fed the wing forward on the run. Tierney lost control of the ball but then rifled it to the net soccer style on the half volley. While Sarah Grealis had a point in reply, Na Fianna ran off the final three points of the first stanza to give the side a 3-06 to 0-04 half time lead.
The second half opened with Kerry/Donegal on the comeback trail. It began with a Denise Dunnion goal when she was set free by Marie Cassels and she imitated Tierney from the first half by pulling on the rolling ball and slotting to the net. She followed with a point her fourth of the game before a mistake at the defensive end allowed Molly O’Rourke to capitalize and snatch Na Fianna’s fourth goal. Kerry/Donegal attacked again however and Denise Dunnion was again the scorer when she slotted over a free when she was fouled to the ground. It left her side trailing 1-06 to 4-06 but they were not worried as they continued to hunt in packs and battle across the field. On one such occasion the side moved the ball across the center filed line where Katherine O’Sullivan aggressively and was handed a yellow card and a sin bin of ten minutes. With 22 minutes still remaining their was plenty of time for a comeback and that’s what KD set about doing. Denise Dunnion had a brilliant score on the ten minute mark before she fired over a free after Fiona McHale was given a yellow card for the infraction. The second extra player did not last long however as almost immediately Jenny Moran was given a yellow at the other end for a foul. Mary O’Rourke did have a point from play for Na Fianna against the run of play and Kerry/Donegal stormed down the field again on attack. Five unanswered points from Clare Hannon,, three, Ali Kelly and Denise Dunnion had the side back within three with the defense stifling Na Fianna attacks with Benny Touhy getting a couple of clearances and the returning Moran, and Michelle McVann very prominent. With six minutes left on the clock the comeback was complete when Clare Hannon drove a long ball into Denise Dunnion and the brilliant corner forward shot to the net to level the tie at 2-14 to 4-08. The game looked poised to head for extra time akin to the other Ladies Semi final. The champions Na Fianna had other ideas. Fiona McHale and Noelle Tierney were involved when Kelly McCormack was set free and the native New Yorker fired her side back into the lead. Joanne McKenna followed with a brace with two minutes, the second and excellent score. Kerry/Donegal had two last attacks but they were cleared before Aine Dwyer had the clincher, a point from distance to finally secure the win.
A game of two half’s, Na Fianna dominated the first and then last five minutes of the second and it was enough against a game and courageous Kerry/Donegal. Katrina Lynch continues to excel at full back for the 2009 champions, Katherine O’Sullivan, and Noelle Tierney are brilliant going forward, the battle between Sully and Sarah Grealis was pivotal, O’Sullivan shaded it. Aine Dwyer had two important points while Fiona McHale played well; her sin bin took her out of the game in more ways than one. Brianna Tierney continues to grow at this level; her goal was an excellent conversion. Mary O’Rourke has secured her starting slot back; she definitely knows where the posts are. Kelly McCormack showed throughout with Joanne McKenna showing her experience in the closing moments. Molly O’Rourke had a quite game and still annexed 2-03. For Kerry/Donegal Jenny Moran did very well throughout and her marking job on Molly O’Rourke was important. The half back line was very active in the second half with Kathleen Hickey and Michelle McVann showing and harassing throughout. Catherina Brady came into the game in the second half, with Ali Kelly and Sarah Grealis having some quality contributions. Clare Hannon closed the game on fire with four serious scores with Denise Dunnion unbelievable in the corner, clinical.
Na Fianna 1 Alison Leydon 2 Imelda Mullarkey 3 Katrina Lynch 4 Aisling Brophy 5 Katherine O’Sullivan 6 Noelle Tierney 7 Stephanie Tierney 8 Aine Dwyer (0-02)9 Fiona McHale 10 Brianna Tierney (1-01)11 Joanne McKenna (0-02)12 Mary O’Rourke (1-02)13 Jeannine Rynne (0-01)14 Molly O’Rourke (2-03)15 Kelly McCormack (0-01) Subs Grace Kelly, Beth Higgins
Kerry/Donegal 1 Benny Touhy 2 Naimh Britton 3 Una Burke 4 Cathleen Enright 5 Jenny Moran 6 Michelle McVann 7 Kathleen Hickey 8 Kelly Roche 9 Catherina Brady 10 Anita McKenna 11 Ali Kelly (0-01)12 Sarah Grealis (0-01)13 Denise Dunnion (2-08)14 Clare Hannon (0-04)15 Marie Cassels Subs Thea Clarke Carol Herlihy
Referee Etaoine O’Keane Carrickmore County Tyrone.
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