Devastating Dubs demolish Leitrim in chastening TG4 All-Ireland LGFA SFC outing

A devastating and deadly Dublin took their frustration from their first round draw with Waterford out on a helpless Leitrim on Sunday in the TG4 All-Ireland LGFA Senior Championship clash in The Naul in north county Dublin as they inflicted a merciless 35 point defeat on the Green & Gold.

After their first round draw against the Deise in Dungarvan last week, Dublin knew they needed a big win if they are to have any chance of topping Group 4 and unfortunately for Leitrim, they hit form in Sunday’s one-sided encounter on Clann Mhuire’s fantastic pitch last Sunday.

With the game refixed from after Parnell Park proved unplayable, Sunday’s second trip to the capital for the Green & Gold was just as deflating as Dublin’s pace and power ground them down over the first 20 minutes of the game before blowing them away in the ten minutes before halftime.

Playing against the strong wind, Leitrim would have been reasonably pleased to trail 1-6 to 0-3 after 21 minutes, the Dubs admittedly wasting a few chances but then the relentless pace the Sky Blues deployed told the tale, the floodgates bursting open as Kate Sullivan hit two goals in two minutes and Niamh Hetherton added another.

Dublin’s salvo landed them 3-6 to just one Leitrim point, completely taking away whatever slim hopes Jonny Garrity’s side had of making a contest of this encounter and the Dubs never let up in the second half, hitting another four goals to run up a staggering 35 point winning margin.

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Crucially Dublin were able to mix it up effectively with and against the wind - with the wind, they went long and quick with Kate Sullivan, Hannah Tyrell and Niamh Hetherton benefitting from the midfield dominance of Eilish O’Dowd and Hannah McGinnis. With Leitrim’s attack struggling to get a foothold against a tigerish and tight marking Dubs backline, chances were few and far between.

Against the wind in the second half, Dublin actually pushed up to pen Leitrim further back but when they won the ball, they held onto for long periods, utilising intricate moves to pass their way through an increasingly tired Leitrim defence that simply got no respite from their hosts.

That constant pressure and immense effort eventually told its tale as the precise passing of the Jackies saw them create a succession of goal chances, four of which were taken including two from the penalty spot as Leitrim were powerless to stop the blue wave constantly crashing against the Green & Gold defence.

Muireann Devaney tried manfully with very little ball coming her way but any time she did get the ball, she found Leah Caffrey stuck to her, limpet like, and Leitrim were never able to generate any real chances despite the hard running of Rachel McIntyre and Aoife Gilmartin.

The Leitrim team that was defeated by Dublin in The Naul on Sunday Picture: Willie Donnellan

Leitrim also struggled to hold onto the ball whenever there were contests for the ball, the physicality and experience of the former All-Ireland champions just too formidable and powerful for last year’s All-Ireland Intermediate champions to overcome.

With just six days to recover from their exertions in The Naul, it leaves Leitrim with a difficult task against a team that actually drew with Dublin just a week before. The Waterford women will have to chase a big score to top the group, leaving Leitrim with a much more difficult task.

The gap between the top teams in the Senior grade has never been more starkly illustrated as the Dubs hit eight goals to surpass the 25 point defeat Leitrim suffered at the hands of Galway in the Connacht Championship.

There was one Leitrim native happy after the game, if also more than a little conflicted as Eilish O'Dowd played a key role for the Dubs - the Ballinamore woman might not have got on the scoresheet but she played a key role in setting up quite a few goals and driving her team forward from the middle of the park.

Dublin gave an early sign of their potency with two early points from Hannah Tyrell and Chloe Darby, both after long passes with the wind at the home team’s back. Leitrim hit back with a successful Michelle Guckian free after a foul on Muireann Devaney to cut the deficit in half.

But whatever hope was there took a battering when Dublin went long to the dangerous Kate Sullivan who rounded the defender and charged forward before firing low to the bottom left hand corner to the Leitrim net just seven minutes into the contest.

Leitrim were making it difficult for the Dubs with the next ten minutes seeing just two points, one apiece from Tyrell and Sullivan as they kicked two wides, hit the post and saw Eilish O’Dowd penalised for a square ball as they threatened a goal.

Sullivan went close to a second goal but the shot was stopped by Guckian, Tyrell popping over the loose ball before the impressive Niamh Hetherton charged through to fist the ball over on 20 minutes.

Leitrim hit back with a strong run from Laura O’Dowd and good work from Devaney setting up Leah Fox for a good point and a minute later, Devaney converted a free after a foul on Vivienne Egan who was threatened to burst through the Dublin cover as she bore down on goal.

With 21 minutes gone, there was just six points between the teams, a scoreline few Leitrim fans would have been unhappy with given the strength of the wind at Dublin’s back but from there to halftime, the game just got away completely from the Green & Gold as the Jackies struck 3-6 to Leitrim’s solitary point.

Sophie McIntyre cut through to point when a goal looked on but they didn’t have long to wait, Dublin breaking quickly and Tyrell showing great footwork to dodge her way through the Leitrim defence to score.

Tyrell (free) and Tobin added points before keeper Michelle Guckian ventured outfield. Put under pressure, she went long but the ball was intercepted by Eilish O’Dowd. Two long passes later and Sullivan hit her second goal of the contest with a back-pedalling Leitrim defence exposed.

Leah Fox saw a shot blocked and Sullivan claimed her hat-trick just before halftime, Chloe Darby denied a goal by a great foot save from Michelle Guckian but Sullivan blasted the rebound home expertly.

Aoife Gilmartin lifted the siege with an excellent point but the Dubs weren’t finished before halftime, O’Dowd’s pass finding a charging Hetherton who blasted home far too easily. Points from Carla Rowe and Hetheron followed as Dublin led by a staggering 4-12 to 0-4 at halftime.

Whatever hope Leitrim had that they might use the wind in the second half was blown away and not even the introduction of Ailbhe Clancy could curb the onslaught. Michelle Guckian kicked a long range free wide before Hetherton and Rowe each added points, Leah Fox pointing after a long kickout to Clancy set her free.

The Dublin team who defeated Leitrim on Sunday Picture: Willie Donnellan

Dublin, however, responded with two goals from Hannah Tyrell - a strong Hannah McGinnis run found Sullivan who set up Tyrell for her first goal and the former Rugby international added a second after a push on Sullivan resulted in a penalty, the Na Fianna player scoring with ease.

Leah Fox had her third of the game after a long ball to the hard working but under pressure Muireann Devaney who was expertly marked by Leah Caffrey. Michelle Guckian denied Carla Rowe a certain goal but was penalised for a touch on the ground, Rowe converting on her home ground.

The Dublin captain added a seventh goal for the Dubs midway through the half, Tyrell robbing Michelle Guckian out the field and Dublin virtually walking the ball into the net.

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It got worse for the Green & Gold as Clare Owens was sin-binned for a challenge after the ball as the Dubs added further points from Tyrell (2) and Hetherton with a good Vivienne Egan point in response.

With Waterford and scoring difference in mind, Dublin kept the pressure up and a push on Dublin sub Jodi Egan resulted in Tyrell bagging another goal. Leitrim finished with some pressure but had a trio of wides while Michelle Guckian made a great save to deny Sullivan a fourth goal.

DUBLIN

Scorers: Hannah Tyrrell 3-7, 2 pen, 1f;  Kate Sullivan 3-1; Niamh Hetherton 1-4; Carla Rowe 1-3, 1f;  Jess Tobin, Sophie McIntyre & Chloe Darby 0-1 each

Team: Abby Shiels, Jess Tobin, Leah Caffrey, Niamh Crowley; Sinéad Goldrick, Hannah Leahy, Aoife Curran: Éilish O’Dowd, Hannah McGinnis; Chloe Darby, Carla Rowe, Sophie McIntyre, Hannah Tyrrell, Niamh Hetherton, Kate Sullivan. Subs: Nicole Owens for Curran (35), Annabelle Timothy for McIntyre (45), Jodi Egan for Rowe (50), Clodagh Fox for Goldrick (57), Aisling Nyhan for Hetherton (60)

LEITRIM

Scorers: Leah Fox 0-3, Michelle Guckian (f), Muireann Devaney (f), Aoife Gilmartin & Vivienne Egan 0-1 each

Team: Michelle Guckian; Jasmine Maye, Charlene Tyrell, Eimear Quigley; Dearbhaile Beirne, Clare Owens, Rachel McIntyre; Niamh Tighe, Aisling Quinn; Aoife Gilmartin, Vivienne Egan, Siomha Quinn; Leah Fox, Muireann Devaney, Laura O’Dowd. Subs: Abilhe Clancy for S Quinn (HT); Shaylyn Ward & Sarah Reynolds for Beirne & A Quinn (49); Edel Shanley for Quigley (58)

Referee: Gerard Canny (Mayo)