2024 Lidl National Ladies Football Division 1 – Dublin 2-10 Waterford 2-7

Two injury-time frees from All Star forward Hannah Tyrrell saw Dublin secure their third Division 1 win in a row on a Sunday afternoon of sunshine and showers at Fraher Field in Dungarvan.

Dublin 2-10 Waterford 2-7

By TOMÁS MCCARTHY

Waterford gave the defending All Ireland champions a late scare as Kellyann Hogan crashed a free to the top corner to leave just one point between the teams. Tyrrell stepped up to the plate for the Sky Blues with those two dead balls. The turning point of this entertaining contest came on 41 minutes when Dublin defender Leah Caffrey smothered a goalbound shot from Lauren McGregor. The ball was worked up to the other end of the pitch where Niamh Hetherton hit the Waterford net.

The home side, led by Katie Murray, Emma Murray and Aine O’Neill, emptied the tank but only took two of their eight goal chances. The Déise are now tied with Galway and Cork at the bottom of the table on three points.

The Sky Blues took the field with ten starters from the All Ireland final win over Kerry last August. The home side went for an unchanged line-up after their big victory away to Cork two weeks previous.

It was end to end stuff early on. Orlagh Nolan was denied a goal for Dublin while Clare Walsh saw her fisted effort disallowed for a square ball. A foul on Katie Murray gave Lauren McGregor the chance to send the home side ahead in the third minute. Murray was then thwarted by Dublin netminder Abby Shiels at the near post. Annabelle Timothy equalised for the away team. A lovely right footed effort from captain Hogan edged Waterford back in front. Ballymacarbry club mate Walsh made it 0-3 to 0-1 on the quarter hour.

Dublin clocked up four wides before points from Niamh Hetherton and Tyrrell tied the match. As the rain started to fall in Fraher Field, Kate Sullivan shot the visitors into the lead for the first time at 0-4 to 0-3. The marauding Murray continued to drive at the Dubs’ defence and a McGregor free levelled matters again in injury time. McGregor missed an opportunity to retake the lead from another dead ball.

Seven minutes into injury time, referee Jonathan Murphy signalled a Dublin penalty for a foul on defender Niamh Crowley and Nolan buried the ball in the bottom corner to leave 1-4 to 0-4 in favour of Mick Bohan’s side at the break.

Waterford made a blistering start to the second period. McGregor slammed home a penalty on 33 minutes after Shiels collided with Walsh. A McGregor free and a Brid McMaugh effort from play sent Pat Sullivan’s side 1-6 to 1-4 up.

On 41 minutes, Dublin went from one end of the field to the other as a Leah Caffrey block led to a Hetherton goal. Two points apiece by Sullivan and Tyrrell left the away side five to the good (2-8 to 1-6).

Mairead O’Brien fisted a ball off the Dublin crossbar when a McMaugh free dropped short. With two minutes left, Hogan let fly from a quickly taken free and the ball flew into the roof of the net. The volume lifted in the stand as the midfielder added a last minute point to cut the gap to 2-8 to 2-7 but Dublin survived the onslaught as Tyrrell tapped over two injury time frees.

Scorers — Dublin: H Tyrrell 0-5 (4fs), N Hetherton 1-1, O Nolan 1-0 (pen), K Sullivan 0-3 (1f), A Timothy 0-1.

Waterford: L McGregor 1-3 (1-0 pen, 3fs), K Hogan 1-2 (1-0f), C Walsh, B McMaugh 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: A Shiels; A Nyhan, M Byrne, N Donlon; A Kane, L Caffrey, N Crowley; J Dunne, N Hetherton; E Gribben, O Carey, K Sullivan; O Nolan, H Tyrrell, A Timothy
Subs: C O’Connor for Gribben (HT), K Murray for Nyhan (HT), G Kos for Kane (40), J Egan for Timothy (43), J Tobin for Murray (54), H McGinnis for Donlon (58), C Coffey for Nolan (62).

WATERFORD: E O’Brien; K McGrath, H Power, E Murray; A Murray, A McNulty, E Power; M O’Brien, C Carroll; A O’Neill, K Murray, K Hogan; B McMaugh, C Walsh, L McGregor
Subs: C McCarthy for Carroll (42), A Brazil for McGregor (51), M Comerford for McMaugh (55).

Referee: J Murphy (Carlow)