Kerry/Donegal used a tremendous history making performance by Marie Dargan to take home the Annie Kearney Cup. The full forward had a six pack of goals with four in the second half to lead her side to an inspiring victory.
It was an all-round team performance however with Cathriona Brady a close second in the honors list with an outstanding display in the middle of the park. It all started the wrong way however. They were 0-04 to 0-00 down after ten minutes and struggling to get into the contest. Brady and Ellen Cleary started to win the center however and that was the stepping stone to the comeback. It began with Marie Dargan’s first goal, granted a fortunate one when her free from the left side went all the way to the net.
After five points were split with Na Fianna on the larger seconds ticked down to the half. Denise Dunnion then sent a brilliant ball across the square to Collette McGoldrick who flocked to the inrushing Dargan who volleyed to the net.
They were ahead for the first time. Na Fianna tied the game up with three points to open the second half but then Dargan struck again for her third goal. After Joanna McKenna denied her with a brave save, Marie Dargan again hit the net to make the score 4-04 to 0-10 with fifteen minutes left. Na Fianna made a spirited comeback and replied with 1-01 with Aoife Herbert the goal getter but with time winding down, the Player of the game went at it again.
Dargan punched a dropping free to the net and then drove a thunderbolt to the roof of the net for the nine point victory.
Na Fianna 1 Joanne McKenna 2 Shannon Spillane 3 Katrina Lynch 4 Imelda Mullarkey 5 Marie Cox 6 Stephanie Tierney 7 Joanne Monaghan 8 Aine Dwyer (0-03)9 Margaret Brady (0-02)10 Tess Mackey 11 Brianna Tierney(0-02) 12 Mary O’Rourke (0-01)13 Kelly McCormack 14 Aoife Herbert (1-01) 15 Tasha Barnwell (0-02) Subs Kiera O’Connor Sarah Tracey Jenine Rynne
Kerry/Donegal 1 Deirdre Maher 2 Michelle Dowd 3 Naimh Britton 4 Amanda McGovern 5 KerryLynn O’Keefe 6 Ellen Cleary 7 Aoife Gill 8 Cathriona Brady (0-01)9 Anita McKenna 10 Aisling Daly 11 Kelly Keating 12 Collette McGoldrick 13 Denise Dunnion (0-01)14 Marie Dargan (6-02)15 Shannon Walsh Subs Marie O’Connor Jeanette Dalton,
Referee Jimmy Naughton
Player of the game Marie Dargan (Kerry/Donegal)
Senior Hurling - Offaly Points to win
Offaly 1-21 Tipperary 2-11
It was a point scoring extravaganza for Offaly as they got back on the winning trail against Tipperary. Ahead 0-011 to 0-06 at the break they used long range shooting from Eanna Slattery, frees and play, Brian Glynn and Donie Broderick to garnish the win. The game started slowly and the sides were tied on four occasions in the early going. Ger Morris from frees was keeping Tipperary in the contest while Slattery was finding the range at the other end. Any Tipperary early ball to the full forward line was been cobbled up by Tom O’Callaghan who had an excellent outing. It was just in the second quarter that the reigning county champions started to pull away. They had five unanswered points before the break to put distance between the sides. The second half continued in the same vain with points the story for Offaly before they added a goal to further extend their advantage Granted Tipperary battled on and hit the net twice in the waning moments, however they never looked like pulling back the big lead as time ran out.
Tipperary 1 Craig Harford 2 Paul Casey 4 Paul Delaney 5 Fintan Meehan 6 Paul Tracey 7 Francis Kennedy 8 Naophan O’Riordan 9 Owen Kelly 10 Tommy Keane 11 Ger Morris 12 Pat Egan 13 Owen O’Connor 15 Pa Ryan Subs Eddie Hogan Shane Slattery
Offaly 1 Alan Gleason 2 Dermot Sullivan 4 Tom O’Callaghan 5 Sean O’Connor 6 Michael Dolan 7 Kevin O’Keefe 8 Brian Glynn 9 Richie Hartnett 10 Noel Coughlin 11 Eanna Slattery 12 Keelan Hickey 13 Brian McNaughton 15 Donie Broderick Subs Padraig Kyne Keith Cants Naill Marshall
Man of the Match Tom O’Callaghan (Offaly)
Referee Eugene Kyne
Senior football
Cavan win battle
Cavan 1-16 Tyrone 1-05
Cavan took the points from Tyrone in this senior football contest but they lost two players to straight reds in the process. Sitting on a 0-03 to 0-01 lead Ciaran Shields struck out with eleven minutes gone to be the first to head for the showers, After a Gary Walsh point, he was joined by Ronan McGinley and Daniel Jackson, to open up the field 13 on 14. One would have thought Tyrone’s chances were going to be good but they could not come to terms with Enda Reilly and Walsh who accounted for 10 points over the hour. Tyrone’s few chances came from frees with Anthony McConville impressive with the ones that found the range although he was off the mark with a couple of efforts. The one huge plus for Tyrone was the form of keeper Andy O’Donaghue; he stopped three close range efforts from Gary Walsh who may have been trying to be too accurate with placed efforts. Might have been wiser to blast. The game was over as a contest by the break with Cavan ahead 0-08 to 0-03, before they doubled their point total in the second half and added a Conor Cosgrove goal for good measure
Cavan 1 Gavin Joyce 2 Ronan McGinley 3 Allan Carolan 4 Mike Holahan 5 Daniel King 6 Ciaran Shields 7 Martin Cary 8 Brendan O’Sullivan (0-01)9 Sean Kelly 10 Conor Cosgrove (1-00)11 Enda Reilly (0-06)12 James Connolly (0-02)13 Mickey Sloan 14 Gary Walsh (0-04)15 Richie Morgan (0-02)Subs Mike Reilly Mike Gavin
Tyrone 1 Anthony O’Donaghue 2 Dan Jackson 3 Joe Bell 4 Mick Gallagher 5 Naill Maguire 6 Darren O’Hagan 7 Steve Keating 8 Conor McNabb 9 Darren Doherty 10 Peader McMahon 11 Liam Carty 12 Barry Lennon 13 Colm McNabb (1-01)14 Anthony McConville (0-04)15 Paul Hagen
Man of the Match Enda Reilly (Cavan)
Referee John Fitzpatrick
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