Senior semi final pairings and Intermediate and Junior A champions decided after last weeks club championship group and finals results
It was another busy week in the Dublin LGFA club championship with senior semi final pairings and Intermediate and Junior A champions decided after last weeks group and finals results.
The senior and a number of junior championships were down to the final group games on Wednesday night with knockout stage places up for grabs and on Friday and Saturday night the Junior A and Intermediate championship finals were down for decision.
Senior Championship Group 1
There was one semi final place left to be filled last Wednesday and St Mobhi Road was the venue for the meeting between Na Fianna and Clontarf.
Clontarf occupied second place in the group heading into the game on six points from two wins from their three group games.
Their one loss came at the hands of Foxrock Cabinteely the previous week as the reigning champions scored a last minute goal to snatch victory by 1-14 to 1-11.
Na Fianna sat in third place on four points with a win and a draw from their three group games. An opening round win against St Sylvesters was followed by 1-14 to 0-11 loss to Foxrock and a hard fought draw with Thomas Davis which finished 2-09 apiece.
Taking both teams run in the championship up to last week game Clontarf would have been seen as favourites to secure the win, but Na Fianna are a talented outfit and this is championship were nothing is guaranteed.
Over the next hour or so the two teams played out a highly competitive, tense and hard fought contest and heading into the final minute the sides couldn’t be separated but a last gasp point for Na Fianna secured the win and for the second week in a row Clontarf agonisingly lost out in the dying embers of a game.
The win secured Na Fianna a semi final place and a meeting with Kilmacud Crokes and Clontarf will have to put their dreams of a senior county title on hold till next year and will have to shift their attention to securing a Senior Shield and face Clanna Gael Fontenoy in the Shield semi finals.
Senior Championship Group 2
The big game in Group 2 was the meeting between southside rivals Kilmacud Crokes and Ballyboden St Endas.
Both sides had already secured their semi final spots the week before and all that was left to be decided was which team finished in first or second place in the group.
For the winners besides securing top spot and also bragging rights over their great rivals it also meant avoiding defending champions Foxrock Cabinteely in the semi finals.
And it was last years finalists Kilmacud Crokes who continued their unbeaten run and set up a semi final meeting with Na Fianna defeating Ballyboden by 4-17 to 2-04.
There was one other game in Group 2 as Fingallians and Clanna Gael Fontenoy finished off their respective group campaigns with an entertaining high scoring affair which ended with a two point win for the Swords outfit with the final score 5-07 to 3-11.
Fingallians will now face Thomas Davis in the Senior Shield semi finals whole Clanna Gael Fontenoy travel to face Clontarf in the other semi final.
Intermediate Championship and Shield Finals
The intermediate championship concluded with the final on Saturday night with the meeting between Cuala and Castleknock in Lawless Park.
Cuala were hoping to make it third time lucky in the county decided against a talented Castleknock side looking to add the Intermediate title to the Junior A title they won in 2018.
The two sides met in their final group game a couple of weeks back and both sides produced a thriller which ended in a 4-11 to 3-11 win for Cuala and another engrossing contest was expected in the final.
And that’s exactly how it panned out on Saturday, Cuala got off to the perfect start with a goal from Molly Basquille in the opening minute.
By the 20th minute there was just a point between sides after an Eimear Griffin shot trickled over the line. Cuala responded with a goal from Sinead Wylde, but points from Hannah Hanlon, Caitlin Coffey and Lauren O’Neill left Castleknock just a point adrift at the break with score 2-02 to 1-04.
Two points from Hanlon inside the first seven minutes of the restart gave Castleknock the lead, but a point from Jennifer Sheeran and three converted frees from Jennifer Dunne put Cuala back in control.
But points from Hanlon and Aisling O’Donnell brought Castleknock back into the reckoning. A Jennifer Dunne goal bound effort for Cuala was tipped over the bar by player of the match goalkeeper Amy Mahony.
Castleknock retook then lead with a brilliant goal from Aoife Whelan but Dunne who impressed throughout for Cuala brought the sides level.
The sin-binning of Jess Comerford was a big blow to Castleknock on the hour mark and Cuala took full advantage of their numerical advantage and a late point from Martha Byrne secures the title for the Dalkey side.
On Wednesday the intermediate shield final place between Clann Mhuire and Lucan Sarsfields and it was the side from The Naul who came out on top by three points winning the shield on a scoreline of 2-12 to 3-06.
Junior A Championship and Shield Finals
The Junior A championship final took place in St Margarets on Friday evening between Ballinteer St Johns and St Judes.
Both teams met in round one of the championship and played out a memorable draw with the game finishing St Judes 4-09 and Ballinteer St Johns 3-12.
Another tight contest was expected in the final but it didn’t materialise as a rampant Ballinteer side led by the outstanding Orlagh Nolan who scooped the player of the match award, dominated from start to finish.
Nolan opened tue scoring in the sixth minute with a converted 45’s after a goal bound shot from Grace Dent was saved by St Judes keeper Aoife McAuliffe.
Further points from Nolan again from a free after Niamh Sweeney was fouled after an incisive run through the Judes defence, Grace Dent and Niamh Carey our Ballinteer 0-03 to 0-01 in front.
It got better in the sixteenth minute when after an exchange of passes between Orlagh Nolan and Grace Dent put Nolan in at the back post to finish to the net.
A point from Sadhbh Nic Uileagoid extended the lead and Judes needed to stem the tide with the final running away from them, Niamh Kerr obliged with a fine point.
Grace Dent and Deirdre O’Shea swapped points and Nolan tagged on another after a fine run along the end line. Nolan won the resultant kick-out and picked out Niamh Sweeney with a pinpoint passion and she drove a low hard shot to the bottom right corner of the net.
Points by Dent and Sweeney for Ballinteer and Niamh Kerr and Lisa Morris left the score at the break 2-09 to 0-05.
Niamh Carey extended the Ballinteer lead just after the restart but points from Ellie Young and Deirdre O’Shea reduces the deficit. But points from Orlagh Nolan, Niamh Casey, Grace Dent and Belon Swords left the score 2-14 to 0-07 as the game edged to the final whistle.
There was still time though for some late drama, Judes won a free deep in the Ballinteer half, Deirdre O’Shea stood up to take the kick and hit a looping shot into the top centre of the net for a goal despite a number of Ballinteer players on the line.
But it was just a consolation score for St Judes and Ballinteer St Johns were deservedly crowned Junior A champions by 2-14 to 1-07.
On Wednesday evening the Junior A Shield Final took place between Raheny and Templeogue Synge Street. It turned out a high scoring affair between two attack minded sides and it was St Anne’s who prevailed to claim the Junior A Shield By 6-14 to 4-11.
The full list of all last weeks Dublin LGFA club championship group and finals results are below.
Senior Championship Group 1
Na Fianna 2-13
Clontarf 2-12
Senior Championship Group 2
Fingallians 5-07
Clanna Gael/Fontenoy 3-11
Kilmacud Crokes 4-17
Ballyboden St Endas 2-04
Intermediate Championship Final
Cuala 2-09
Castleknock 2-08
Intermediate Shield Final
Clann Mhuire 2-12
Lucan Sarsfields 3-06
Junior A Championship Final
Ballinteer St Johns 2-14
St Judes 1-07
Junior A Shield Final
Raheny 6-14
Templeogue Synge Street 4-11
Junior B Championship Group 1
Scoil Ui Chonaill 2-14
Ballyboughal 0-09
Junior B Championship Group 2
Na Fianna B 4-12
Portobello 2-07
St Peregrines 4-13
Kilmacud Crokes B 6-05
Junior C Championship Group 1
Ballyboden St Endas C 7-11
Crumlin 2-07
Ranelagh Gaels 1-11
Kilmacud Crokes C 1-13
Junior D Championship Group 1
Skerries Harps B 1-07
St Finians Swords/St Margarets 1-11
Wanderers 3-09
Cuala B 1-10
Junior D Championship Group 2
St Patricks Donabate 4-09
Naomh Mearnog 4-09
St Monicas 2-12
Ballymun Kickhams 3-09
Junior E Championship Group 1
St Sylvesters B 7-20
Trinity Gaels 0-01
Thomas Davis B 2-06
Templeogue Synge Street B 3-11
Junior E Championship Group 2
St Annes 2-09
O’Tooles 0-05
Junior F Championship Final
Beann Eadair 4-17
Lucan Sarsfields B 3-08
Junior F Shield Final
Ballinteer St Johns B 3-06
Na Gaeil Oga 3-03
Junior G Championship Final
Shankill 3-08
Man O War B 2-08
Junior G Shield Final
St Brendans B 4-12
St Peregrines B 1-06
Junior H Championship Final
St Judes B 3-14
Erin Go Bragh 2-07
Junior H Shield Final
St Brigids B 1-11
Templeogue Synge Street C 0-05