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Leinster champions Dublin and Munster surprise packets Kerry advanced to the semi-finals of the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Senior football Championship with hard-fought quarter-final victories at Banagher on Saturday.

Dublin, beaten All-Ireland finalists last year, had to dig really deep against this seasons Munster runners-up Clare before securing a 2-18 to 2-12 victory in a hugely entertaining game.

Earlier, Kerry continued their remarkable run through the back door as captain Bernie Breen inspired a narrow 2-9 to 1-11 victory against Connacht champions Galway.

Sinead Ahern scored 2-4 for Dublin and Player of the Match Elaine Kelly added 0-4 as the Sky Blues booked their place in the last four.

At half-time, Dublin led by just a single point against Clare, 1-7 to1-6, as the Jackies and the Banner County traded first half goals within two minutes of each other.

The teams were level three times in the opening sixteen minutes before Dublin were dealt a blow when full-back and Clare native Noelle Comyn was forced off with a knee injury.

Dublins luck changed in the 19th minute when they were awarded a soft penalty for a foul on Orla Egan and Ahern made no mistake for her first goal.

Two minutes later, Clare hit back when their joint top scorer Eimear Considine took advantage of a Rachel Ruddy error, ran through on goal and buried her shot past Dublins All-Star goalkeeper Cliodhna OConnor.

A minute before the break, Clare were rocked by Michelle Delaneys sin-binning and that numerical advantage told for Dublin in the opening minutes of the second half as they reeled off five unanswered scores to move six points clear.

Clare, now 1-6 to 1-12 in arrears, hit back with two points before Dublin responded by raising three white flags in quick succession to move 1-15 to 1-8 in front.

Back came Clare with a fine goal from their other joint top scorer Niamh ODea in the 46th minute and two further points cut the gap back to just two points again.

With ten minutes remaining, Clare could have edged ahead but Considine was denied by OConnors brilliant point blank save.

Three minutes later, the superb Ahern wriggled clear of two defenders before sending a low shot into the bottom corner, a score that effectively clinched victory for Dublin.

Dogged Clare hit back with two points from Niamh Keane and ODea, while Fiona Lafferty shot just wide, before Dublin closed out the game with scores from Ahern and Niamh Hurley to clinch a six-point win.

More images from the game can be viewed by clicking here http://gaapics.zenfolio.com/p997386440

Saturday August 14

Kerry 2-9 Galway 1-11 (Banagher).
Clare 2-12 Dublin 2-18 (Banagher).

Scorers for Clare: E Considine 1-3, N ODea 1-3, L Henchy 0-2, N Keane 0-2, E OConnor 0-1, R Lenihan 0-1.

Scorers for Dublin: S Ahern 2-4 (1-0 pen), E Kelly 0-4, N Hurley 0-3, C Barrett 0-2, M Nevin 0-1, L Davey 0-1, G Fay 0-1, LPeat 0-1, A McGuinness 0-1.