Dowling stars as Suncroft advance in Leinster Championship with ease

Suncroft 0-20

Naomh Molaoise 0-4

A dominant performance from Suncroft saw them book their place in the Leinster LGFA Intermediate Club Championship quarter final against St Joseph’s of Westmeath after overcoming Offaly’s Naomh Molaoise in the preliminary round.

Suncroft opened the scoring after four minutes through Ellen Dowling before Lara Prendergast added a second moments later.

Receiving the ball from Miya O’Byrne Prendergast cut inside before chipping over.

A free from Aoife Norris looked to half the deficit before Ruth Dillion and Sinead Todd traded scores. Three quick points for Eadestown before the break left Suncroft four clear and in control of the possession.

The first of these points coming from a Dowling free finding Ciara Fennelly to the left of the posts. Returning to Dowling she offloaded to Eve Keogh to point.

As the second half kicked off Suncroft were playing down the hill on the home venue and taking full advantage of this Dowling chipped over three times before Prendergast equaled Dowlings trio.

With this Suncroft were ten clear with fifteen minutes remaining in the tie.

Unable to gather any momentum Naomh Molaoise struggled with the pace that Suncroft brought to the tie, having not scored since the eighteenth minute Suncroft refused to let them into the tie and with further points from Dowling (2) and Jessica Doyle, Fiona Dempsey’s point seven minutes from time had thirteen between the sides.

A further four from Suncroft looked to give them a solid finish as a late exchange of points from Dempsey and Dowling is all Naomh Molaoise could muster as they slumped to a sixteen point defeat.

Scorers: Suncroft: Ellen Dowling 0-12 (4f); Lara Prendergast 0-4 (1f); Ruth Dillion 0-2; Jessica Doyle 0-1; Eve Keogh 0-1.

Naomh Molaoise: Fiona Dempsey 0-2 (1f); Aoife Norris 0-1 (1f); Sinead Todd 0-1.

SUNCROFT: Libby Salmon; Caitlin Troy, Chloe Foy, Aine Troy; Miya O’Byrne, Hannah Murphy, Orla McDonald; Lara Prendergast, Ella Murphy; Megan Troy, Eve Keogh, Jessica Doyle; Ellen Dowling, Ciara Fennelly, Ruth Dillon. Subs: Alice O’Sullivan for A. Troy, 50; Colette Keon for Doyle, 50; Carla Ennis for Fennelly, 56; Molly McGlynn for C. Troy, 56; Ruby Stynes for Dillon, 56.

NAOMH MOLAOISE: Shauna Denmead; Helen Hensey, Roisin Donagher, Eabha Joyce; Paula Harte, Michelle Mann, Sadie Milne; Sinead Rigney, Rebecca Sweeney; Fiona Dempsey, Ciara Galvin, Aoife Norris; Sinead Todd, Ciara Walsh, Emma Darby. Subs: Lauren Leavy for Joyce, 40; Megan Duffy for Sweeney, 43; Nicole Heffernan for Todd, 44; Ciara Glynn for Norris, 52.