Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin) 5-13 Tinahely (Wicklow) 1-08
Niamh Cotter, Eabha Rutledge and Amy Conroy struck a combined tally of 5-07 as Kilmacud Crokes claimed their fourth successive AIB Leinster LGFA senior club championship crown with a commanding final victory over Wicklow’s Tinahely.
In last year’s decider against Eadestown at the same venue, Crokes bagged three goals inside the opening 10 minutes on their way to recording an emphatic triumph.
The 2024 All-Ireland SFC finalists hit the ground running in their latest provincial showpiece with early points from Laura Kane and Cotter. Tinahely subsequently came storming into the contest.
Supplementing points by Jackie Kinch (free) and Aoife Gorman, Aobha Harmon rattled the back of the opposition net just past the 10-minute mark off a fast-paced move to propel Gavin Weir’s charges into the ascendancy.
This threw down the gauntlet to Crokes and even though Cotter fired back with a brace of frees, Kinch also popped up with a place-ball score to keep Tinahely in the driving seat.
Yet unanswered points courtesy of Doireann Egan, Galway star Ailbhe Davoren and skipper Rutledge squeezed Crokes back in front and they pushed on from there with a strong finish to the opening period.
Following a further flurry of points from Michelle Davoren and Cotter, Rutledge shook the Tinahely net off a rebounded effort on the stroke of half-time to leave Kilmacud with a seven-point lead.
Tinahely reduced their deficit to six points with another successful free by Kinch on the resumption, before Crokes effectively placed the final outcome beyond doubt with a quick scoring blitz.
After her strike from close-range was deflected to the net by opposition defender Aine Byrne on 36 minutes, Amy Conroy got on the end of a Michelle Davoren pass moments later for her second goal – and Kilmacud’s third – of the game.
Donegal native Niamh Carr got forward for a fisted point on 41 minutes, but even though they were finding it increasingly difficult to curtail the attacking power of their opponents, Tinahely displayed admirable persistence by kicking three scores on the bounce through the boots of Kinch (two) and Eimear O’Sullivan.
Kinch also kicked a late score in advance of Crokes substitute Anna O’Grady doing likewise, but with these efforts being preceded by quickfire goals from the impressive duo of Cotter and Rutledge, Kilmacud eased into another All-Ireland senior club championship semi-final.
Kilmacud Crokes: D Gower; P Greene, E Sweeney, C Regan; S O’Donoghue, A Kane, N Carr (0-01); D Egan (0-01), K Murray; L Kane (0-01), A Davoren (0-01), N Cotter (1-06, 4f); A Conroy (2-00), M Davoren (0-01), E Rutledge (2-01)
Subs: A Bedford for O’Donoghue (42'), K McDaid for Egan (42'), E Kane for L Kane (42'), A O’Grady (0-01) for Murray (44'), A Jones for Regan (49'), L Carrigy for E Kane (64', blood).
Tinahely: B Clancy; R Byrne, C Stokes, A McDonald; S Goetelen, A Byrne, E O’Brien; A Stapleton, A Maher; E O’Sullivan (0-01), A Gorman (0-01), A Harmon (1-00); S Byrne, J Kinch (0-06, 5f), C Byrne.
Subs: E Mutton for R Byrne (57'), L Gilbert for Harmon (57'), E Mulhall for S Byrne (57'), A Mulhall for Stapleton (57').
Referee: Marion Hayden (Carlow).
