TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship semi-final: Dublin 2-10 Mayo 1-12
DUBLIN booked their place in a third successive All-Ireland senior final thanks to a last-gasp free from Sinead Aherne as they overcame Mayo in a titanic tussle at Kingspan Breffni Park on Saturday.
It was heartbreak for Mayo, who had managed to claw back an eight-point deficit from early in the second half, although they could not get their noses in front, with the illustrious Cora Staunton dragging a late effort, which would have put them in the lead, wide.
The winning chance then fell to player-of-the-match Aherne, who finished with 2-6, as she held her nerve to send Gregory McGonigle’s Dublin into yet another final, where they will meet either champions Cork or Ulster Monaghan on September 25.
The Leinster champions went 20 minutes without a score in the second half as Mayo mounted their comeback, hitting 1-5 to level the game 2-8 to 1-11. During that incredible passage of play, Mayo also had a goal disallowed, Staunton penalised for
over-carrying.
Dublin were well in command at half-time, leading 2-6 to 0-6 thanks to a brace from Aherne. They came out for the start all guns blazing, taking an early 0-5 to 0-1 lead and that was soon 1-5 to 0-1 when Aherne struck for the opening goal in the 12th minute, finishing clinically after Niamh McEvoy supplied the pass.
It was a crucial goal, coming just a minute after Sarah Rowe was denied by a superb Ciara Trant save at the other end of the pitch.
Nine minutes from half-time, Aherne bagged her second goal and a converted free from the same player three minutes later had Dublin eight clear – 2-6 to 0-4.
Two frees from Staunton approaching half-time kept Mayo in touch but Aherne had Dublin eight ahead again after the restart – another free followed by a sensational point from play.
But then Mayo took over in a game that was the perfect advertisement for ladies’ football hitting 1-5 as Dublin lost their hold on the game. Substitute Rachel Kearns’ goal levelled matters at 1-11 to 2-8 as the game looked to have turned in their favour but then they had Aileen Gilroy sinbinned.
As the nerves kicked in, Aherne missed a scoreable free and the numbers on the pitch were levelled up when Siobhán Woods was yellow-carded.
Nicole Owens ended a long Dublin wait for a score, some 20 minutes in fact, with a vital point seven minutes from home, before Mayo sub Carol Hegarty equalised. That set the scene for a dramatic finish with Stuanton off-target and ice cool Aherne’s winning point.
THE intermediate semi-final earlier had provided plenty of entertainment as Kildare prevailed 3-17 to 2-14 after extra-time against Sligo, Maria Moolick’s goal proving decisive. She was alert at the start of the second period of extra-time, drilling home a cracking effort after Tara Hallinan’s attempted effort bounced back into play off the upright. And Kildare, who could have been knocked out with the final kick of normal time, when Sligo’s Stephanie O’Reilly shot wide with the game level at 1-12 apiece, kicked for home.
