Dubs announce team for LFC SF vs Laois

  • Jul 03,2015

TG4 Leinster Senior Championship semi-final July 5th

3.00pm, Timahoe Co Laois

Referee: Colm McManus (Meath)

New Look Dub’s buoyed up for LFC Clash with Laois

 

Gregory McGonigle has named his championship starting line-up for this Sundays LFC semi-final clash with Laois. There are no fewer than eight changes to the side that lost out to Cork in last September’s All Ireland final in Croke Park.

 

Gone from the All Ireland final starting fifteen of last September is Cliodhna O’Connor (retired), Rachel Ruddy (injured), Leah Caffrey (travelling), Siobhan McGrath (travelling), Denise Masterson (retired), Natalia Hyland (travelling), Sinead Aherne (travelling) and Lindsey Peat (unavailable).

 

Dublin has been fortunate in recent years with an abundance of under- age talent coming through from their minor and U21 squads on into their senior set up.

 

Due to this ongoing player development a number of their recent U21 All Ireland winning side namely Ciara Trant, Olwen Carey, Muireann Ní Scanaill and Sarah McCaffrey have all been handed starting positions for Sunday’s encounter with the O’Moore County.

 

All four footballers played a key role for the Dub’s in the U21 championship and would have benefited enormously from their experiences throughout that campaign.

 

Other changes to the Dublin line up sees the welcome return of Fiona Hudson, Amy Connolly and Kim Flood to the championship scene the trio returned to the senior set up earlier in the year having opted off the panel in 2014 due to educational and family commitments.

 

Although the Dub’s have a new championship look they can still call upon the services of key players for Sunday’s encounter including current All Stars Sinead Goldrick, Noelle Healy and team captain Lyndsey Davey.

 

The winner of Sunday’s semi-final will play Westmeath in the TG4 Leinster final which is scheduled to take place on Sunday July 19th at 4pm in Dr Cullen Park, Carlow.

 

Laois have also lost the services of a number of key players including their taliswomen Tracey Lawlor the O’Moore County experienced a first round defeat to Westmeath in the round robin section of the championship only to bounce back with a convincing win over Meath in round two.

 

Some pundits are of the opinion that the standard of football is in decline in Leinster similar to that of the men’s code with the gap between Dublin and the other senior Leinster Counties growing wider.

 

Dub’s captain Lyndsey Davey is not of that believe, “Leinster teams have been training really hard in preparation for this year’s championship. I think it would be very foolish of us to write off any team in Leinster this year and we will be taking every game as it comes”.

 

Dublin LGFA will have live updates available from Sunday’s game via their twitter page @dublinladiesg

 

Dublin v Laois: Ciara Trant (St Brigid’s), Olwen Carey (Thomas Davis), Muireann Ní Scanaill (St Margaret’s), Fiona Hudson (Fingallians), Sinead Goldrick (Foxrock Cabinteely), Sorcha Furlong (St Brigid’s), Carla Rowe (Clann Mhuire), Molly Lamb (Kilmacud Crokes), Sinead Finnegan (Fingallians), Amy Connolly (Foxrock Cabinteely), Sarah McCaffrey (Clontarf), Kim Flood (Clanna Gael Fontenoy), Lyndsey Davey (Skerries Harps), Noelle Healy (St Brigid’s), Niamh McEvoy (St Sylvester’s)

 

Dublin Panel: Emer Ni Eafa (Fingallians), Hannah Noonan (Foxrock Cabinteely), Colleen Barrett (St Brigid’s), Niamh Rickard (Fingallians), Niamh Collins (Foxrock Cabinteely), Phillipa Green (Kilmacud Crokes), Olivia Leonard (St Maurs), Ciara Ruddy (Ballyboden St Endas), Nicole Owens (St Sylvester’s), Kate Fitzgibbon (O’Tooles), Eabha Rutledge (Kilmacud Crokes), Aoife Curran (O’Dwyers), Fiona Tuite (Na Fianna), Katie Murray (Clontarf), Lucy Collins (Na Fianna), Rachel Ruddy (Ballyboden St Endas), Margaret Mohan (Clontarf), Niamh Ryan (Foxrock Cabinteely)

 

Management:

Gregory McGonigle (Manager), Davy Burke (Selector), Bobby McNulty (Selector), Kathleen Colreavy (FLO)

 

Back room team: Liam Hogan (Physio), Declan Cassidy (Video Analyst), Ray Boyne (Statistical Analyst), Ronan McCann (Goal Keeping coach), Paul Kennedy (Kit Person)

 

End.