Late O’Gorman goal decisive for ‘Boro

Dicksboro 2-7      Thomastown 0-9

Dicksboro defeated reigning County Champions Thomastown last Sunday in a rain soaked Pairc Sheamuis Stiophan to set up a repeat of the 2019 County Final against Piltown

Aoife Prendergast opened the scoring with a point for Dicksboro in the 6^th minute on the 65m line out near the sideline. A minute later, Therese Donnelly doubled on the ball that Meighan Farrell had hit short from a free to equalise for Thomastown

Asha McHardy slotted over Dicksboro’s second point, before she hit a rasper passed Kate McDonald into the bottom corner of the net to put the Boro 1-2 to 0-1 ahead after 10 mins

Niamh Donnelly converted Thomastown’s second point a neat pass from Eva Hynes. Heading towards the waterbreak, through driving rain and wind, Lisa Donnelly added another point for Thomastown after several shots at the opposition goal had been blocked out by the Boro defence

After the mini break, an Aoife Prendergast free found Amy Clifford and the latter slotted over a point for the city side

From the 16^th to 23^rd minute, scores were hard to come by, due to great defending by both teams and to the bad weather conditions

The Boro’s Ciara Phelan broke the scoring lull in the 24^th minute after plucking the sliotar from a ruck and slotted over the bar. Aoife Prendergast extended the city side’s lead with a point from a 50m free

Thomastown were unable to convert any scores in the second quarter for all they tried, as the Boro defence stood strong. Half time Dicksboro 1-5 Thomastown 0-3

Niamh Donnelly narrowed the gap for Thomastown with a close in free early in the second half. Aoife Prendergast and Niamh Donnelly exchanged pointed frees by the 35^th minute before Donnelly brought it back to a three point game with a pointed free after Anna Farrell was fouled

Asha McHardy scored a great point for the city side from a tight angle while being harried and hassled by the Thomastown defence, leaving the score 1-7 (D) to 0-6 at the second waterbreak

Over the next nine minutes after the waterbreak, no team could add to their tally due to great hooking and blocking by both teams

In the 53^rd minute, Niamh Donnelly converted a point from play for Thomastown. Then in the 56^th minute, Eimear Farrell ran at the Boro defence, found substitute Sarah Barcoe and the latter slotted over a point under pressure to narrow the gap to two. Thomastown were now applying all the pressure on the Boro defence and Niamh Donnelly slotted over a 35m free to leave the bare minimum between the sides

From the puckout, Asha McHardy collected the sliotar out on the right wing and drew a number of the Thomastown defence but she passed the sliotar into the unmarked Aobha O’Gorman who tapped the sliotar passed the advanced Thomastown goalie into the back of the net with 3 minutes remaining. That turned out to be the last score of the match with the City side winning on a scoreline 2-7 to 0-9

Scorers – Dicksboro – Asha McHardy (1-2), Aoife Prendergast (0-3, 3f), Aobha O’Gorman (1-0), Amy Clifford, Ciara Phelan (0-1 each)

Thomastown – Niamh Donnelly (0-6, 4f), Therese Donnelly, Lisa Donnelly, Sarah Barcoe (0-1 each)

Dicksboro – Kirsty Maher, Kate Dempsey, Ciara O’Shea, Katie Byrne, Tara Clifford, Niamh Phelan, Jane Cass, Aoife Prendergast, Ciara Phelan, Asha McHardy, Lucinda Gahan, Caoimhe Dowling, Amy Clifford, Aobha O’Gorman, Jenny Clifford

Subs – Rachel Egan, Orla Hanrick, Issey Carroll, Caoimhe Carroll, Ellie Peters, Grainne Hennessy, Aisling Morrissey, Sarah O’Gorman, Emer Phelan, Rachel Dowling, Naomi Trait, Emily Doyle

Thomastown – Kate McDonald, Sinead O’Keeffe, Ailish Butler, Sally Teehan, Roisin O’Keeffe, Meighan Farrell, Joanne Fitzpatrick, Anna Farrell, Lisa Donnelly, Eva Hynes, Sarah Walsh, Eimear Donnelly, Niamh Donnelly, Therese Donnelly

Subs – Sarah Barcoe for Roisin O’Keeffe, Jenny Reddy for Eimear Donnelly, Niamh Bolger, Eimear Corr, Blathnaid Galway, Aine Kirwan, Orla O’Keeffe, Laura Tennyson, Niamh O’Se, Aoife Holden, Una Donnelly, Ruth Ryan, Michelle Donnelly, Lisa Carey, Aine Lannon

Referee – John Dooley