‘Boro edge out Piltown to claim League Title

Piltown 1-11 Dicksboro 1-13

by Jason O’Brien, Piltown PRO

Dicksboro were victorious in the Michael Lyng Motors Senior League final played in Blacks & Whites GAAs Tom Walsh Pk where they overcame a gallant Piltown side.

The two sides had already met in the League, way back in round 1 when the city team came out on top by 5 points. Their victory here wasn’t as cut and dry with the game still there to be won deep into injury time.

The game was barely 4 minutes old when Aoife Doyle went down injured after she went over on her ankle, this forced an early change and Lorna OShea came in. The youngest Doyle sister, Aine, had the first chance of the game in the 5th minute as she stood over a free, and she made no mistake as she struck into the breeze and the driving rain.

Straight from Kirsty Mahers puck out, The Boro had their first chance of a score after Rachel Dowling was fouled and Aoife Prendergast hit it over the bar to draw the sides level.

Conditions were tough, with a stiff breeze and driving rain and a very heavy pitch underfoot, it wasn’t affecting either team though as they fought hard to get on top. Aobha OGorman put The Boro back on top with a point in the 9th minute before Heather Phelan got her first point in the 11th minute. Dicksboro had the wind and were slowly gaining momentum, as the forward players were getting on a lot of ball. Aoife Prendergast had a second free in the 13th minute to edge them ahead again, but immediately from Aoife Norris’s puck out down the right wing of Piltown, Ellen OKeeffe won possession and was fouled near the sideline. Aine Doyle went over to take it and she drove the sliotar towards the left side of the goalmouth, Katie Power jumped and challenged Kirsty Maher and Angela Carroll for the high ball. It was hard to see clearly but the ball was struck into net and Power ran away celebrating.

The points were swapped as another free from Heather Phelan increased the lead to 3 points in the 19th minute before Aobha OGorman and Aoife Prendergast nabbed points for The Boro. It was a great reaction to the Piltown goal and then The Boro had a goal of their own as Rachel Dowling was set up after a great run from midfield by Prendergast, drew the defender and put it in over her head to Dowling and from the left side, she gave Aoife Norris no chance in the Piltown goal.

Dicksboro were on top now, and three frees from the hurley of Prendergast was making the differencE, with Aobha OGorman and Caoimhe Dowling also tapping over points in a 10 minute purple patch for the team in maroon. They ended up with just two wides and 11 scores in this half. The last score of the half was a free from the hurley of Heather Phelan to leave the scores at half time: Piltown 1-04 Dicksboro 1-10

Ref Shane Foley restarted the game with Piltown now having the breeze and after scoring the last of the first, she scored the first of the second from the right side, for Heathers fourth point of the game. Piltown were now more settled and organised and were on top, with Aine Doyle and Katie Power adding more points to the score. It took the Boro 13 mins to score when Aoife Prendergast put over her seventh in the 43rd minute and soon followed by a point from Asha McHardy. It was a five point lead now, but Piltown were on top, although scoring chances were at a premium, they were controlling things. Aine Doyle scored another two frees to reduce the deficit to three with 10 mins left.

It was then a stalemate for the next 10minutes until Lorna OShea broke through the middle and you could see she thought about going for goal but took her point to leave two between them. Heather put her fifth free of the game over the bar deep into injury time, before Rachel Dowling put her free over the bar in the 66th minute to make the final score Piltown 1-11 Dicksboro 1-13.

Scorers – Piltown – Heather Phelan 0-5 (5f), Aine Doyle 0-4 (3f), Katie Power 1-1, Lorna OShea 0-1

Dicksboro – Aoife Prendergast 0-7 (6f), Rachel Dowling 1-1 (1f), Aobha OGorman 0-3, Caoimhe Dowling, Asha McHardy 0-1 each

PILTOWN – AOIFE NORRIS, LORRAINE LONG, KELLYANN DOYLE, JENNI O’DEA, EMER LONG, LAURA NORRIS, EMILY MCCARTHY, AOIFE DOYLE, KATIE POWER, AINE DOYLE, NIAMH CULLETON, ELLEN O’KEEFFE, SOPHIE HOLDEN, HEATHER PHELAN, SINEAD MCCARTHY

SUBS – LORNA O’SHEA FOR AOIFE DOYLE, MAIRE BETH KIRBY, ALICE TALBOT, CHLOE POWER, LEAH COONEY, EDEL LONG, NICOLA PHELAN, CIARA DUNNE, RACHEL O’SHEA, SARAH NORRIS, LISA NORRIS, CHLOE HOLDEN, KATELYN PHELAN, SOPHIE LONG, AOIFE O’SHEA, KAREN DUGGAN

DICKSBORO – KIRSTY MAHER, ANGELA CARROLL, JANE CASS, KATIE BYRNE, NIAMH PHELAN, CAOIMHE DOWLING (CAPT), TARA MCGRATH, CIARA PHELAN, CIARA O’SHEA, ASHA MCHARDY, AOBHA O’GORMAN, RACHEL DOWLING, AOIFE PRENDERGAST, AMY CLIFFORD, AISLING BROWNE

SUBS – RACHEL EGAN, DANIELLE KENNY, CAOIMHE CARROLL, BRONAGH DOHENY, SARAH O’GORMAN, BECKY PETERS, KATE O’NEILL, ORLAITH O’SHEA, ORLAITH MOORE, EMER PHELAN, SINEAD CARROLL, ISSEY CARROLL, ISABELLE FAHY, ISABELLE EGAN, CARA DUGGAN, ISABEL ROBERTS, TARA CLIFFORD, ORLA HANRICK, JENNY CLIFFORD, ROSE KELLY, NIAMH O’DONOGUE