Champions book quarter-final spot with win over Donegal

All-Ireland Ladies SFC

Dublin 2-13

Donegal 0-5

By Daire Walsh

NIAMH Hetherton and Caoimhe O’Connor struck second half goals at Parnell Park on Saturday as defending champions Dublin booked their place in the TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship quarter-finals with a commanding group stage triumph over Donegal.

TG4 Player of the Match when her county secured the Brendan Martin Cup with a final win over Meath at Croke Park last August, Orlagh Nolan edged Dublin in front by pointing a third minute free. Donegal eventually fired back with a fine score from corner-forward Eva Gallagher and while Nolan subsequently doubled her account, the visitors were once again back on level terms when Gallagher also bagged her second of the day just shy of the first-quarter mark.

Dublin’s Jodi Egan and Susanne White of Donegal proceeded to trade points in what was proving to be a largely tentative opening period, before the Jackies created some daylight between the teams when O’Connor and Annabelle Timothy split the posts in quick succession.

While the impressive Gallagher curled over her third point of the game, Kate Donaghy later added her name to the scoresheet to guide Dublin towards a 0-6 to 0-4 interval lead.

This left them in a strong position to push on for the victory they craved and with just over a minute played on the resumption, the raiding Hetherton fired home her third goal in just two games off a fast-paced attack.

This goal was quickly followed by further points from the boots of Nolan and Timothy and despite Donegal having opportunities to reduce their deficit in the wake of this scoring blitz, their Leinster counterparts ultimately extended their cushion with an excellent point on the run by the influential Nolan.

The final outcome was effectively beyond doubt moving into the closing quarter, but Dublin, who played with a wind advantage in the second half, continued to pick off scores with a single effort from Egan being supplemented by three points on the bounce courtesy of Nolan.

The industrious O’Connor was then on hand to drill home another Dublin goal on the hour mark and even though Donegal finally kicked their first score of the second period when Gallagher knocked over a 64th minute free, the Jackies comfortably claimed top spot in Group 3 – as well as a home fixture in the last-eight of the All-Ireland series.

Scorers
Dublin: O Nolan 0-7 (5f), C O’Connor 1-1, N Hetherton 1-0, A Timothy, J Egan 0-2 each, K Donaghy 0-1.

Donegal: E Gallagher 0-4 (2f), S White 0-1.

DUBLIN: A Shiels; N Crowley, R Hartnett, H Leahy; S McIntyre, H McGinnis, N Donlon; N Hetherton, L Magee; A Timothy, O Nolan, C O’Connor; K Donaghy, L Grendon, J Egan.
Subs: K Sullivan for Donaghy (h-t), E Kearney for Timothy (48), C Coffey for Donlon (52), A Nyhan for Hartnett, O Keighran for Grendon (both 56).

DONEGAL: C Friel; N Carr, N Boyle, S McFeely; T Hegarty, F McManamon, S McFadden; R McColgan, E McGinley; B McLaughlin, A McDermott, K Dowds; S White, A McGranaghan, E Gallagher.
Subs: U Boyle for McLaughlin (43), C Gillespie for McFadden (49), A Walsh for White, A Caulfield for McDermott (both 52), O Faul for McGranaghan (56).

Referee: Anthony Marron (Monaghan).