Sweet 16; Kildare ladies stun Donegal in Letterkenny

Lidl National Football League Division 2 Round 2

Kildare 1-8

Donegal 1-4

Kildare ladies have once again reached new heights as they made it 16 wins in a row since defeat to Louth in the league last year. That run includes a Division 3 league final, as well as Leinster Intermediate and All-Ireland final wins. That withstanding, this may be the biggest win in this side’s history.

Kildare’s sterling showing against a side that last year played Division 1 football and reached an All-Ireland Senior quarter-final was astounding. The praise of their performance was only further enhanced by the loss of two perennial starters before the game in Ruth Sargent and Claire Sullivan.

Referee Kevin Corcoran got this game underway and after winning the first ball, The Lillies stamped their authority early. Kildare controlled the ball for all of 90 seconds, shifting it between their attacking options before working it to Róisin Byrne to score the first point of this game.

Donegal would get level on terms just two minutes later with a fine free-kick from Katy Herron.

The home side had plenty of possession in the minutes that followed, but found themselves being turned over time and time again. It was a team display of the highest order, turnovers were won by every line of this Kildare team from Fiona Troute to Neasa Dooley.

Donegal’s Katie Dowds would earn herself a sight at the posts after 12 minutes, but dropped her effort just short. To her delight, and that of the home support, the shot snuck under the crossbar and into the back of the Kildare net. A tough one to take for the ladies in white.

The visitors had a clear strategy to break down their opponents, get wide. Every Kildare phase of play had the pitch as stretched as possible to create space for those potent attacking players. Neasa Dooley falls into that category and she gave Kildare an instant response by cutting inside and curling over a superb point.

Kildare’s response to the sucker punch of that green flag was continuously impeccable as they got themselves level through two points from Róisin Byrne. 

Amy Boyle Carr would edge the home side back in front, before Byrne pegged back for Kildare once again.

The last score of the half would come from a swift Donegal counter-attack that ended with an excellent Shannon McLaughlin point. The corner-back’s late first half point sent her side in with a narrow 1-3 to 0-5 lead at the break.

Kildare had a few stray passes in the first half, but had ultimately performed well. This game was a litmus test for them as they faced an All-Ireland senior quarter-finalist of last year. The half-time worry was that Donegal had maybe underperformed and would step it up in the second half. 

However, they wouldn’t be allowed to. Kildare were the ones who ramped it up a notch. Were it not for the goal that came later, perhaps the loudest cheer from the visiting Kildare contingent was for an outstanding Lara Gilbert block early in the second half.

The visitors would draw themselves level through Erin Brereton Foley, who thoroughly impressed in her over 40 minutes on the field. The forward from last year’s minor team was bright and dangerous throughout.

Kildare took the lead for the first time since the second minute through a Róisin Byrne free. The lead wouldn’t last long however as Amy Boyle Carr broke free at the other end and knocked over an excellent point of her own.

The Donegal corner-forward’s fine score on 49 minutes was their first of the second half, and crucially, it was also their last.

Niamh Barnes would nail the Kildare restart from the score and get The Lilies moving up the pitch once again. Barnes was under pressure in the early parts of this game as Donegal pushed high on her kickouts, but her accuracy and calmness throughout the rest of this game can only be lauded.

Neasa Dooley would get Kildare’s first sight at goal as she was presented with an Erling Haaland-esque chance off the ground on her left side. Dooley’s effort was kept out and fell to Aoife Rattigan who couldn’t quite get the ball under control. Rattigan’s scramble meant the ball came out to the one player the home fans didn’t want to see with it.

Róisin Byrne gathered possession, faked to shoot, before rifling the ball into the back of the net past goalkeeper Clare Friel and two defenders who had retreated to the line. The goal made it 1-7 to 1-4 with 10 to go.

Neasa Dooley would get a stunning, and vital, point just two minutes later as Kildare now had a two-score buffer.

Donegal would try everything in the closing minutes, but Kildare had an answer and a player for everything. Long ball into the box? Laoise Lenehan wins it. Work passes through this team? Ellen Dowling turnover. There was no way past.

Donegal didn’t have the answers and all the credit for that fact must go to their opponents. More standouts performances included Aoife Clifford who was pushed up the pitch in Ruth Sargent’s absence and did the job superbly, Ellie O’Toole who made her senior debut in this huge game (and only found out not long before), amongst many others.

Kildare ladies made it two wins from two in Division 2 and with this win have laid down a marker in this competition.

MAIN PLAYER
Róisin Byrne
If you want to know who played well in this game, take a quick glance at the team listed above and take in every name.
Aside from that, one must be chosen and Róisin Byrne's consistently extraordinary level of performance often makes you wonder are you praising the Sarsfields forward too much each week. But there should be no limit on acclaim given for such performances and no limit on praise for one of the most gifted players ever produced in this county.

TURNING POINT
Kildare went up another gear after half-time, mistakes were fewer and attacks were flowing.

TALKING POINT
The mind begins to wander following performance like that. The chatter now is how far can this team go. Whether it is more trophies or not, the trajectory is upwards because this side didn't catch Donegal on a bad day, they outplayed them.

WHAT NOW?
Kildare now face an away trip to Cavan on February 4.

Scorers: Kildare, Róisin Byrne 1-5 (0-3 frees), Neasa Dooley 0-2, Erin Brereton Foley 0-1. 

Donegal, Katie Dowds 1-0, Amy Boyle Carr 0-2, Katy Herron 0-1 (0-1 frees), Shannon McLaughlin 0-1.  

KILDARE: Niamh Barnes; Fiona Troute, Laoise Lenehan, Aoife Clifford; Mia Doherty, Ellie O'Toole, Lara Gilbert; Grace Clifford, Hazel McLoughlin; Aoife Rattigan, Ellen Dowling, Sarah Munnelly; Neasa Dooley, Róisín Byrne, Lara Curran. Subs: Erin Brereton Foley for Lara Curran (19 minutes), Lisa Shaw for Sarah Munnelly (49 minutes), Aoife Kilkenny for Aoife Clifford (49 minutes), Elaine Keogh for Ellie O'Toole (62 minutes), Aine Mernagh for Fiona Troute (62 minutes).

DONEGAL: Clare Friel; Shannon McLaughlin, Abigail Temple Asokuh, Katie Long; Shauna McFadden, Nicole Gordon, Tara Hegarty; Roisin Rodgers, Niamh Boyle; Eva Gallagher, Niamh McLaughlin, Katie Dowds; Susanne White, Katy Herron, Amy Boyle Carr. Subs: Evelyn McGinley for Shauna McFadden (16 mins), Abbie McGranaghan for Susanne White (47 mins), Caoimhe Keon for Katie Long (54 minutes), Jodie McFadden for Eva Gallagher (54 minutes), Shannon McGroddy for Nicole Gordon (59 minutes).

Referee: Kevin Corcoran