Match Report - Kilmacud Crokes vs Castleisland Desmonds

  • Nov 17,2014

Tesco Homegrown All Ireland Intermediate Club Semi-Final

 

Castleisland Desmonds 0-16       Kilmacud Crokes 3-3 (AET)

 

At Castleisland Desmonds GAA

 

By Donal Barry

 

There were just minutes away from a place in the All Ireland final. It was that close. Kilmacud Crokes held a two-point lead as the fourth official signalled 3 minutes of injury time. They had battled hard all day with their illustrious opponents and despite their lack of physical strength posed a real menace on the counter.

Desmonds made much of the running in the first half but Lauren Magee’s strike on 10 minutes gave them a 1-0 to 0-2 lead for the first time and even though they surrendered it again within minutes they turned the game on its head in the 24th minute when first Holly Greer and then Rachel Gallagher found the net. It gave them 3-0 to 0-5 lead but two missed frees proved costly as Desmonds added a late point to reduce the gap to just 3 points at the break.

The second half proved a fractious affair as the sides could only muster 3 points in the first 20 minutes between them as both sets of defences proved more than capable of dealing with each other’s forwards divisions.

Desmonds got back to within a point with time almost up but Lauren Magee’s fine point from 40 yards seemed to settle it. However, Desmonds pushed forward late and Kerry star Lorraine Scanlon began to cause all sorts of problems with her height advantage at the edge of the square. She was fouled late on twice and Leanne Mangan’s two late frees levelled matters.

Kilmacud Crokes were slow off the blocks in the first period of extra time as they failed to control Desmonds who were now attacking in waves. Desmonds added four points in that ten minutes and it proved a bridge too far for the Dublin side to bridge despite regaining their composure in the final period of extra time.

 

 

 

Castleisland Desmonds: Melissa Holland, Marian Shine, Aoife Lyons, Mariah Curtin, Tina Mangan, Cait Lynch, Eda Mangan, Aisling Leonard, Eilis Lynch, Rachel Cronin, Lorraine Scanlon 0-2, Andrea Murphy 0-2, Stephanie Murphy 0-1, Leanne Mangan 0-11 (0-6F), Aine O’Connor

Kilmacud Crokes: Marta O’Connor, Aisling Whitely, Claire Kavanagh, Ciara Regan, Ann-Marie McBarron, Philippa Green, Anna O’Grady, Molly Lamb, Lauren Magee 1-1, Aoife Kane, Aife Kavanagh 0-1, Eabha Rutledge 0-1F, Rachel Gallagher 1-0, Michelle Davoren, Holly Greer 1-0

Subs: Alanah Jones for Aife Kavanagh (50), Helen Egan for AM McBarron (72)

Referee: Keith Delahunty (Tipperary)