2023 Lidl Ladies NFL Division 1 – Dublin 4-13 Cork 3-15

Carla Rowe scored the last two points of the game as Dublin used all of their experience to get over the line in a thriller against Cork in the Lidl NFL Division 1.

Dublin 4-13 Cork 3-15

By ANTHONY NEWMAN

By half-time it looked like Dublin had secured the points when four first-half goals saw them lead by double scores, 4-8 to 0-10. However, a storming restart from Cork saw them back in contention and with five minutes to go they were in front at Páirc Ui Rinn.

The home side got two early second-half goals to put only three points between the sides at that stage. But a couple of late frees from Rowe saw the visitors run out winners by a single point.

Cork got off to the better start with Eimear Kiely putting them in front and from the kick-out they regained possession to see Katie Quirke add their second inside two minutes.

Daire Kiely set up her twin sister Eimear for her second score as Cork dominated the early exchanges. Hannah Tyrrell got Dublin off the mark before she set up Jennifer Dunne.

But the home side continued to dominate and points from Libby Coppinger, Quirke, Rachel Leahy and Eimear Kiely made it 0-7 to 0-2 after 14 minutes.

Ellen Gibben and Tyrrell scored for Dublin before a mistake by the Cork defence saw Kate Sullivan set up Rowe for Dublin’s opening goal. Three minutes later Dublin turned the game on its head when Rowe assisted Caoimhe O’Connor for her goal, to make it 2-5 to 0-8.

Sullivan and Quirke exchanged points before Abby Shiels made a point blank save from Quirke to deny Cork a goal. At the other end Dublin continued their ruthless streak with Tyrrell and Sullivan both finding the back of the net to make it 4-8 to 0-10 at half-time.

Cork started the second strongly and were back in contention when a ball from Erika O’Shea was palmed to the net by Dublin substitute Lauren Magee.

Then Eimear Kiely scored their second goal and it was game on. Three from Tyrrell kept Dublin in control as they lead 4-11 to 2-13 after 45 minutes.

Shiels made another great save, this time from Coppinger before Quirke pointed to make it a three-point game with 10 minutes go to.
Coppinger won possession from the kickout and she played in Orlaith Cahalane to put Cork back on level terms, 3-14 to 4-11. And with six minutes to go Quirke had Cork back in front.

Nevertheless, Rowe drew the sides level again from a free and she was on target from another placed ball to seal the win.

Scorers – Dublin: H Tyrrell 1-6, C Rowe 1-3 (2f), K Sullivan 1-2, C O’Connor 1-0, J Dunne 0-1, E Gribben 0-1.

Cork: E Kiely 1-3, K Quirke 0-6 (3f), L Magee 1-0 (OG), O Cahalane 1-0, L Coppinger 0-3, R Leahy 0-1, A Healy 0-1, H Looney 0-1.

DUBLIN: A Shiels; R Brennan, M Byrne, J Tobin; L Caffrey, D Lawless, E Deeley; J Dunne, E O’Dowd; O Nolan, C Rowe, E Gribben; C O’Connor, H Tyrrell, K Sullivan.
Subs: L Magee for Brennan (15), S Wylde for Deeley (22), K Owens for Sullivan (46), N Hetherton for Tyrrell (48).

CORK: M O’Sullivan; S Kelly, S Leahy, D Kiniry; A Healy, H Looney, M Duggan; M O’Callaghan, E O’Shea; E Cleary, L Coppinger, D Kiely; K Quirke, E Kiely, R Leahy.
Subs: L O’Mahony for O’Callaghan (ht), A Ryan for Kiniry (ht), O Cahalane for D Kiely (ht), B O’Sullivan for O’Shea (45), K Redmond for Leahy (46), R Phelan for Duggan (58), A Ring for Kiely (58).

Referee: Garryowen McMahon (Mayo).