We Are Dublin Senior 2 Club Championship Final
Naomh Jude 1-07
Skerries Harps 0-07
For 20 minutes of the second half of this game there was only one point scored but it was compelling stuff as both sides battled for supremacy. Two points on the trot with five minutes of normal time left looked like it might point Skerries on the road to victory but Jude’s had other ideas and in the space of four minutes they found the target to notch 1-2 and claim victory.
18 seconds gone on the clock and the speedy Orlaith Durkan had Skerries opening score but by the 2nd minute, goalkeeper Faye McCarthy for the Tymon North crew had scored the first of her four pointed frees. Despite their persistence Skerries found it difficult to add to their tally until the 11th minute when captain Aoife Halpin sent a 50m free between the posts.
From there to the 30th minute the Harps scoring machine hit a wall of resistence as Judes with Eimear O’Riordan anchoring the No. 6 spot and Elaine Sherry doing well at full-back. Bit by bit they edged in front and finished the half with great points from Ellen Joyce, Faye McCarthy, Leah Butler and Maria Noone. Nicola Thorne broke the pattern when she found the range for Skerries in the 30th minute to leave Judes 0-05 to 0-03 in front at the break.
From the resumption Skerries upped the intensity and like the first half Orlaith Durkan was first to score after only 24 seconds. For the next 25 minutes Skerries had the upperhand. Jean Murphy was controlling matters from centre back and Aoife Halpin, Tara O’Flaherty and Ciara Durkan (who had to endure a short hospital stay in the lead up to the final) took on the challenge in style. Niamh Kirby-O’Sullivan was also a very safe pair of hands between the posts whenever danger threatened.
Scores, however, were hard to come by and Skerries would rue 5 wides in this period, none of them easy, but had one or two gone over it might have made the difference.
They did eventually sneak in front after an Aoife Halpin pointed free in the 55th minute, Eve Kehoe brought the Skerries fans to their feet a minute later with the lead point.
But Judes were soon on level terms when the top scoring ‘keeper Faye McCarthy pointed in the 56th minute and the same player stroked over a great point from a free near the sideline shortly afterwards. As the clock hit the hour mark, player of the match Sinead Nolan grabbed the clincher with a fine goal.
Deep into added time Aoife Nolan brought Skerries to within a goal with her third point but time ran out.
Player of the Match: Sinead Nolan (Naomh Jude)
Naomh Jude Scorers:
Faye McCarthy 0-04
Sinead Nolan 1-00
Ellen Joyce 0-01
Leah Butler 0-01
Maria Noone 0-01
Skerries Harps Scorers:
Aoife Halpin 0-03
Orlaith Durkan 0-02
Nicola Thorne 0-01
Eve Kehoe 0-01
Referee: Derek Brannigan
