Kildare ladies dig deep to make it three from three in Lidl NFL

Kildare made it three wins from three with this two point over Clare on Sunday, a game played at Cooraclare.
Late points from Neasa Dooley and Roisin Byrne ensured Kildare would come out top in a bitter war of attrition against Clare, as they subjected the Banner side to their second home defeat in a row to go top of the Division 3 Lidl National Football League.

A Lara Curran point opened the scoring after three minutes of action after she gathered a lose ball following an attempted one-two between Aoife Rattigan and Grace Clifford.

Responding in kind Clare began to apply the pressure on Lauren Burke and with Lizzy Roche being fouled it was Chloe Moloney’s free that leveled matters.

A second point from Moloney from a placed ball on the stroke of ten minutes forced Kildare into a position they have not yet experienced in the current season.

Trailing they looked to the resurgent Roisin Byrne to level matters. The home side responded to level up matters when Amy Sexton split the posts.

Referee Ciaran Groome had a vital decision to make on the quarter hour mark. A high ball in from the left side line from the boot of Moloney held in the breeze as Fidelma Marrinan found the Lilies nett.

However the rerefee ruled Marrinan entered the square before the cross of Moloney, the effort was ruled out much to the relief of Kildare.

Chloe Moloney edged Clare ahead by at the break, bringing her tally to three points on the day. On the restart Kildare looked to quickly tie up the encounter but with Byrne only finding the right of the upright it was left to Eimear Keane to extend the Clare advantage after eight minutes.

With Clare enjoying a purple patch in attack, Kildare were forced into defence as they weathered the storm.
A free ten minutes from time Byrne floated over to leave one between the sides.

From here it was clear Kildare were in no mood to let the tie slip from their grasp. Amy Lenihan’s kick out went over the sideline, Grainne Kenneally found Dooley who off-loaded to the waiting Byrne to chip over to level matters with six minutes of the tie remaining.

A Marrinan point pushed Clare back into the advantage momentarily before Byrne again leveled matters in the final minute.
A late point from Neasa Dooley sent Kildare ahead for the first time since the sixth minute of the opening half before Byrne sealed the tie in fitting style in stoppage time to leave Kildare still unbeaten in Division 3 of the Lidl Ladies Nation Football League.

Currently the only side to achieve this as we await the arrival of Louth to Newbridge in two weeks time to see if they can be the side to undo Kildare blistering start to 2023.

Scorers

Kildare: Roisin Byrne 0-7(5f); Lara Curran 0-1; Neasa Dooley 0-1.

Clare: Chloe Moloney 0-4 (2f); Amy Sexton 0-1; Eimear Keane 0-1; Fidelma Marrinan 0-1.

Teams

KILDARE: Mary Hulgraine; Lara Gilbert, Laoise Lenehan, Lauren Burke; Grainne Kenneally, Ruth Sergeant, Sarah Munnelly; Grace Clifford, Aoife Rattigan; Lara Curran, Roisin Byrne, Hazel McLoughlin; Ellen Dowling, Neasa Dooley, Claire Sullivan. Subs: Aoife Clifford for Burke, 23; Roisin Forde for Curran, 40; Amy Larn for Sullivan, 49; Ciara Price for Dowling, 54; Mia Doherty for Kenneally, 54.

CLARE: Amy Lenihan; Orla Devitt, Siofra Ni Chonaill, Grainne Harvey; Louise Griffin, Aoibhe Hearvey, Aine Keane; Sinead Considine, Chloe Moloney; Eimear Keane, Fidelma Mariann, Amy Sexton; Lizzy Roche, Cliodhna Blake, Megan Downes. Subs: Laura Griffey for Downes, 50; Ciara McCarthy for Sexton, 56; Shauna Harvey for Keane, 60.