IT WAS A strange final round of fixtures in Division 1 of the Lidl Ladies National Football League yesterday, with all but confirmed as the sides played off.
The semi-final line-up as such: Galway, Cork, Dublin and Donegal, with Monaghan relegated to the second tier after 27 years in the top flight.
2018 All-Ireland finalists Dublin and Cork went head-to-head, with the Rebels gaining some revenge for September’s Croke Park defeat.
That said, two very different teams took to the field at Mallow as Mick Bohan and Ephie Fitzgerald held some of their bigger names in reserve. Yet still, the talent on show was second to none as goals from Niamh Cotter and Máire O’Callaghan sealed a five-point win.
Victory for the Leesiders meant they finished second in the group stages, and the old foes will meet again in the semi-finals in two weeks time.
Back-to-back All-Ireland winning boss Bohan will be relishing another crack, stating that his Sky Blues side were hurting afterwards.
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Libby Coppinger and Sinead Finnegan in action. Sportsfile.
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“It was a good chance for some of our players to test themselves against one of the top sides in the country,” he said.
“We don’t like to lose any game and it always hurts when you do so yeah we are hurting a bit now.”
Fitzgerald, meanwhile, expects to see a much stronger Dublin in the last four.
“They were missing a number of players,” he offered, “but I am delighted with the performance of our younger girls and this league has been very good for us in finding a number of new players
“But we know the semi-final will be a totally different affair and they will be far stronger next day out.”
Elsewhere, Connacht champions Galway finished top of the table after a nine-point win over Donegal. Yesterday’s was their sixth win from seven games in the competition — their one slip-up coming against Dublin.
The Tribeswomen have sounded a firm statement of intent though, and now face Donegal once again in the semi-final.
Likewise though, that will be different.
“It was unusual circumstance going into the game,” Galway manager Tim Rabbitte said afterwards. “We knew if we won we’d be playing Donegal again and that’s the way it is.
“I thought there was a small bit of shadow-boxing going on but not really on our part, we just went out to win the game. It’s not our most impressive performance and we were a bit sloppy in our passing and soft in our tracking, but they are things we can learn for the next day, which will be completely different.”
Elsewhere in the complete dead rubbers, Mayo came from 12 points down and bagged two added-time goals to draw with relegated Monaghan, while Westmeath finished their campaign on a positive note with victory over Tipperary.
“It’s great to finish the league on a high. I’m delighted with that,” Westmeath manager Sean Finnegan said after their second win of the competition.
“It was a difficult league and we always knew it would be, but to start with a win and finish with a win is great. I’m delighted for the girls.”
Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 1 semi-finals
Dublin v Cork
Galway v Donegal
Games to be played weekend of 20/21 April, neutral venues TBC
- With reporting from Declan Rooney and quotes from the LGFA
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'We don't like to lose any game, we are hurting now' - Dublin and Cork to go again
IT WAS A strange final round of fixtures in Division 1 of the Lidl Ladies National Football League yesterday, with all but confirmed as the sides played off.
The semi-final line-up as such: Galway, Cork, Dublin and Donegal, with Monaghan relegated to the second tier after 27 years in the top flight.
2018 All-Ireland finalists Dublin and Cork went head-to-head, with the Rebels gaining some revenge for September’s Croke Park defeat.
That said, two very different teams took to the field at Mallow as Mick Bohan and Ephie Fitzgerald held some of their bigger names in reserve. Yet still, the talent on show was second to none as goals from Niamh Cotter and Máire O’Callaghan sealed a five-point win.
Victory for the Leesiders meant they finished second in the group stages, and the old foes will meet again in the semi-finals in two weeks time.
Back-to-back All-Ireland winning boss Bohan will be relishing another crack, stating that his Sky Blues side were hurting afterwards.
“It was a good chance for some of our players to test themselves against one of the top sides in the country,” he said.
Fitzgerald, meanwhile, expects to see a much stronger Dublin in the last four.
“They were missing a number of players,” he offered, “but I am delighted with the performance of our younger girls and this league has been very good for us in finding a number of new players
Elsewhere, Connacht champions Galway finished top of the table after a nine-point win over Donegal. Yesterday’s was their sixth win from seven games in the competition — their one slip-up coming against Dublin.
The Tribeswomen have sounded a firm statement of intent though, and now face Donegal once again in the semi-final.
Likewise though, that will be different.
“It was unusual circumstance going into the game,” Galway manager Tim Rabbitte said afterwards. “We knew if we won we’d be playing Donegal again and that’s the way it is.
“I thought there was a small bit of shadow-boxing going on but not really on our part, we just went out to win the game. It’s not our most impressive performance and we were a bit sloppy in our passing and soft in our tracking, but they are things we can learn for the next day, which will be completely different.”
Elsewhere in the complete dead rubbers, Mayo came from 12 points down and bagged two added-time goals to draw with relegated Monaghan, while Westmeath finished their campaign on a positive note with victory over Tipperary.
“It’s great to finish the league on a high. I’m delighted with that,” Westmeath manager Sean Finnegan said after their second win of the competition.
“It was a difficult league and we always knew it would be, but to start with a win and finish with a win is great. I’m delighted for the girls.”
Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 1 semi-finals
Games to be played weekend of 20/21 April, neutral venues TBC
- With reporting from Declan Rooney and quotes from the LGFA
Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here:
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Disappointment Dublin Ladies Football we go again