Kildare ladies grind out Wexford win to secure All-Ireland final spot

TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Quarter-Final

Kildare 1-4

Wexford 0-2

It wasn’t pretty, but does it have to be?

The answer is no, and don’t confuse a lack of glamour scores and flags raised for an encounter without drama. Every exasperated moment from the crowd was drama-filled as they sighed and groaned in frustration at misplaced passes, grabbing their seats anxiously at an attack that could do enormous score board damage in one fell swoop.

The scores were lower but the stakes were higher and perhaps that goes some way explaining a strangely fascinating 60 minutes.

The game started as most do for Kildare, possession was won early and the Lilies began to get into their passing rhythm. After a period of working the ball around the field, Grace Clifford made a burst through the lines into space and got her head up to spot Róisín Byrne making a trademark burst from deep within the full-forward line. Byrne took the ball and, despite being pushed wide, still managed to slide her effort between the posts for the opening point of the game.

Just 60 seconds later, there would be another point on the board for Kildare. This time it was Ruth Sargent who broke from deep to find a teammate in space. The Kildare centre-back picked out Aoife Rattigan who stepped inside onto her right foot and curled over an exceptional long-range effort. 0-2 to no score in three minutes.

Without knowing what would follow, Kildare looked in fine scoring form as they dealt with the conditions the better of the two sides. The wet, blustery weather was perhaps at its least volatile in the opening minutes of the game and got steadily worse across the day.

Wexford would respond with a superb score of their own as Amy Walsh found some space and sent over a superb effort off the outside of her boot. The ball sliced through the winds and over the bar.

A feature of the first half was Wexford’s particular attention paid to Róisín Byrne. A wise move for any side that faces her but particularly The Yellow-bellies who Byrne has kicked 3-11 against in their last two meetings.

The Sarsfields woman was double marked and, barring the opening score of the game, was swarmed with military precision any time the ball did manage to reach her. It was impressive stuff from the Wexford backline who will have had nightmares about those previous encounters.

That special treatment wasn’t reserved solely for Kildare's top scorer however as Wexford sat back much more defensively than usual on the day. Understandably so as their previous meetings of going toe-to-toe with The Lilies had produced little joy for them.

Wexford would need to take their likely fewer chances if this new system was to work and on 17 minutes they drew themselves level through a well-taken Chloe Fox free-kick.

However, Fox would surprisingly, given her talents, send her next two scorable free-kicks wide in misses that would only be seen as more costly as the game went on.

Kildare would miss a free-kick of their own just before the break as Róisín Byrne saw her effort come back off the bar. The ball was smartly gathered by Lara Curran who sharply beat her marker and fired over.

Curran’s quick-fire rebound would be the last score of the opening half as Kildare went in with a narrow advantage at 0-3 to 0-2.
The first half was low-scoring but the general consensus was that was surely all to change.

It didn’t and the previously mentioned drama courtesy of stray passes only grew with each passing minute. Both sets of fans were certain that each attack would be more profitable than the last, but the more phases that ended in a careless loss of possession, the more the tension grew.

Few in the stadium will have felt an atmosphere like it, whether positive or negative. The game was pantomime stuff, with so many twists and turns for the audience that it made Chistopher Nolan’s The Prestige seem simple by comparison.
Róisín Byrne’s free kick was the only score in a half that sailed by, as this game hung in the balance. The gap was two but both had a goal in them and that made it all the more nerve wracking.

It didn’t help the crowd's temperament, but it would have pleased all in Kildare colours on reflection as the Lilies backline smothered Wexford attacks time and time again. The defensive unit, that has been praised all year, was in top form again to shut out their opponents in the biggest game of 2023 so far.

The drama would come to an end with a solo moment of magic from Neasa Dooley. After nearly an hour of hard work with little reward, the Athy woman was still absolutely on it as she cut out a Wexford pass at the back. She gathered the ball, took a couple of steps before taking a hop and setting her sights at goal. The finish was perfect, she cut across the ball and sent it, by design, outside the post only for it to fade back into the net, rendering Sophie Lenehan hopeless.

Kildare are in an All-Ireland Intermediate final — 1-4 to 0-2.

SCORERS
Kildare: Neasa Dooley 1-0, Róisín Byrne 0-2 (0-1 frees), Aoife Rattigan 0-1, Lara Curran 0-1.

Wexford: Chloe Fox 0-1 (0-1 frees), Amy Walsh 0-1.

TEAMS
Kildare: Mary Hulgraine; Lauren Burke, Laoise Lenehan, Aoife Clifford; Lara Gilbert, Ruth Sargent, Lauren Murtagh; Grace Clifford, Aoife Rattigan; Trina Duggan, Neasa Dooley, Claire Sullivan; Ellen Dowling, Róisín Byrne, Lara Curran. Subs: Gráinne Kenneally for Ellen Dowling (26 minutes), Mia Doherty for Trina Duggan (Half-time), Sarah Munnelly for Lara Gilbert (Blood sub 33 minutes), Orlaith Sullivan for Aoife Rattigan (51 minutes), Lara Gilbert for Sarah Munnelly (55 minutes).

Wexford: Sophie Lenehan; Aisling Halligan, Shauna Murphy, Sarah Harding Kenny; Bernie Breen, Róisín Murphy, Clara Donnelly; Amy Walsh, Ciara Banville; Aisling Murphy, Catríona Murray, Aoife Cullen; Katie English, Chloe Fox, Aine Lacey. Subs: Emma Tomkins for Ciara Banville (Blood Sub 33 minutes), Ciara Banville for Emma Tomkins (38 minutes), Emma Tomkins for Amy Walsh (46 minutes), Maria Byrne for Aine Lacey (51 minutes), Orlaith Byrne for Catríona Murray (57 minutes).

Referee: Phillip Conway, Armagh

GAME AT A GLANCE

MAIN PLAYER
Neasa Dooley
It doesn't need to be for anything more complicated than that one huge moment. A self-made goal full of endeavour and class that ended this exhausting tie for her team. A moment of inspiration that took the tension that had built across 60 minutes out of the stadium and the team.

TALKING POINT
Is this performance a concern? It was far from Kildare's best on the day in the scoring department and a mixture of nerves and conditions played a part in that. The same question was asked after a chaotic Championship encounter with Leitrim, but the work that Diane O'Hora and her team can and will do between now and the final cannot be understated. This team has also demonstrated their ability to learn between games and I think that will be seen again.

WHAT NOW?
Kildare will now face Clare in an All-Ireland Intermediate final on August 13 in Croke Park. A repeat of the Divsion 3 league final that was one of the games of the year as Kildare edged victory in extra-time in the most dramatic of encounters.