All-Ireland Senior Championship: Down 0-11 Dublin 1-9
A GOAL from Aisling Maher one minute from the end of normal time secured Dublin’s status in the All-Ireland senior championship for next season and plunged Down into a relegation battle after a mistake-ridden game in Páirc Esler on Saturday.
The statistics will not sit well with Down; they dominated the play, particularly during the first half when they scored just five points and sent seven shots wide of the target. During the second half they added a further eight wides.
Down started Sara Louise Graffin who had missed the 1-13 to 0-10 loss to Cork through injury and were putting in a solid enough performance with Dearbhla Magee for the second game running a dominant influence at the back.
However, their problems were in shooting and it was the 20th minute before Niamh Mallon scored their first point from open play. Anna Rogan’s effort a few minutes before half-time was their only other score from open play in the first half at the end of which they led by 0-5 to 0-4.
Sorcha McCartan opened the second half scoring and there were just a further point for each team during the third quarter. Then Dublin hit their purple patch with a point from Emma Flanagan and two from Aisling Maher putting them into a 0-8 to 0-7 lead in the 50th minute.
Sorcha McCartan equalised four minutes later and Mallon and Graffin cleverly worked an opening for a point from a free a minute later. When McCartan launched a long-range point in the next attack, it looked as if Down were on their way to victory.
However, a lapse at the back left Maher in the clear and she beat Catherine McGourty from close range while substitute Cliodhna Nicolletti fired over a point a minute later.
Down were awarded a free in dying moments on the 20-metre line which Niamh Mallon elected to fire over as there were still 90 seconds left on the clock, but the game ended with Mallon in possession unable to get in the shot for the equaliser.
Elsewhere, Westmeath lost to 2-12 to 0-12 to Clare and Limerick came from behind to beat Offaly 0-17 to 2-9. Which means that Down, Westmeath and Offaly are the three teams in the relegation battle with a draw required to determine the first pairing, the loser of which will face the remaining team on August 21.
At the business end of the championship Galway defeated All-Ireland and League winners Kilkenny by a single point, while Cork topped Down’s group with a comfortable 2-19 to 3-8 win over Waterford.
Down: C McGourty; C Caldwell, D Magee, B Savage; D Savage, K McMullan, C Rocks; A Keown, B Fitzpatrick; A McAleenan, SL Graffin, S McCartan (0-4, 0-1 free); N Mallon (0-6, 0-3 frees), L Clarke, A Rogan (0-1).
Sub: C Fitzpatrick for A McAleenan (51)
Dublin: F McCarthy; D Johnstone, E O’Brien, M Kelleher; R Baker, A Carolan, H Hegarty; E Flannagan (0-1), L Butler, N Gannon (0-2), A Maguire, E McGovern (0-2), J Couch, K Finnegan, A Maher (1-3, 0-1 free).
Subs: A Twomey for A Maguire (39), A Whelan for R Baker (45), C Nicolletti (0-1) for J Couch (45), A Walsh for E McGovern (51).
Referee: R Kelly (Kildare).
All-Ireland Senior championship
Offaly 2-9 Limerick 0-17
Clare 2-12 Westmeath 0-12
Cork 2-19 Waterford 3-8
Kilkenny 0-15 Galway 1-13
Tipperary v Wexford
All-Ireland Intermediate championship
Galway 4-19 Carlow 0-4
Kildare 0-7 Cork 1-14
Laois 0-10 Derry 1-19
Kerry 1-11 Tipperary 0-11
Meath 1-19 Dublin 1-10
Antrim 2-12 Kilkenny 1-12
All-Ireland Premier Junior Championship
Roscommon 0-9 Clare 1-10
Waterford 2-4 Wexford 1-12
Down 1-6 Limerick 2-13
