‘Why on earth did they continue with the tactic after conceding the first goal? A club team would stop it straightaway’
brother Paudie missed about 1-3.
But they still kept Cork at arm’s length. In the Munster final, they’ll beat Clare at their ease.
All of Kerry’s training will be geared towards the last 16 of the Championship. The same applies to Dublin. They’ll sleepwalk their way to another Leinster title.
Gap
We have seen how competitive Connacht can be. Sligo should have beaten Galway on Saturday, and there’s not that much of a gap between Galway and Mayo.
Roscommon are nothing special but they beat Mayo last year.
So all this talk of a new system and a different shaped season and so on doesn’t sit well.
It’s a lopsided system that favours some teams — and provinces — and hampers others.
Surely the bottom line for any Championship should be that all teams are treated equally. (below)
Accidents of geography shouldn’t be an advantage.
The teams that go to the Ulster final will likely have eight games in 13 weeks. For the Munster finalists, it will be seven in 14. That is, in no way, fair.
It’s unfair to Ulster football but, at the same time, the Ulster Championship is the only one worth watching.
The toll does tell on Ulster teams. It is definitely harder for them to win the All-Ireland.
It did feel like a Championship weekend due to the tight and competitive nature of most of the games played, and the weather played a big part too.
But I’d be worried for my own county. Tyrone have conceded 10 goals in their last three games — that needs to be sorted out quickly or we’ll be going nowhere.
Tyrone had to go to extra-time and Donegal will have an extra day’s rest but, even if that wasn’t the case, I wouldn’t be confident about next Sunday.
Tyrone aren’t giving up goal chances by accident. One of our greatest strengths in the past was a collective nastiness and bite in our defending, and we were defending all over the pitch.
That edge just isn’t there anymore. Now, Tyrone do have quality players in every line of the field but there’s something disjointed about them.
Tough
I was in Dr Hyde Park yesterday and it was a tough watch.
There was no intensity, no fight, not even a hint of a scrap.
Mayo were Mayo. They played in flashes, but it was more than enough to beat a poor Roscommon.
Tommy Conroy, Aidan O’Shea and, especially, Ryan O’Donoghue did bring a bit of spark to proceedings but this was a lethargic game and instantly forgettable.
ALL-IRELAND and
Leinster champions Dublin got the defence of their provincial crown underway as they overcame last year’s All-Ireland and Leinster Intermediate champions Kildare by 4-15 to 2-4 at Parnell Park.
Dubs skipper Carla
Rowe hit 1-4 while Orlagh Nolan added 1-3.
Dublin were 1-4 up after six minutes; Hannah
Tyrrell opened the scoring from a free while Kate Sullivan, Orlagh Nolan and Carla Rowe all got on the scoreboard. Caoimhe O’Connor hit the net inside three minutes, slicing through to finish.
The Lilywhites were struggling to win their kickouts and maintain possession, but they did get an opportunity on eight minutes when Neasa Dooley turned her marker and blasted the ball across the Dublin goals only to trail wide. Kildare did get on the scoreboard on nine minutes when Ellen Dowling converted a free.
The Dubs were, at times, hungrier for possession and Tyrrell and Rowe kept the scoreboard ticking over for them.
Quick-thinking from Tyrrell set up Dublin’s second goal as she found Kate Sullivan who blasted to the net on 21 minutes.
Jennifer Dunne added a long range point and while Dowling and Niamh
Farrelly added a brace of frees, Dublin were comfortably in front at the break leading 2-10 to 0-3.
Sinéad Goldrick made a welcome return to the Sky Blues jersey at half time only to find herself red-carded midway through the second half.
Dublin added 1-1 early on, their third goal coming from Rowe on 32 minutes.
Kildare never gave up though, with Neasa Dooley doing all she could to set up attacks while the industrious Mia Doherty worked hard in defence.
They were rewarded for their efforts as Niamh Farrelly found the net twice in the second half.
However, Dublin never lost control and with Dunne commanding the centre of the field and Leah Caffrey solid in defence, the result was not in doubt.
Tyrrell, Rowe, Dunne, Nolan and sub Chloe
Darby added further scores.
Marion Farrelly and Emma Duggan struck a combined tally of 3-6 at Pairc Tailteann as Meath began their TG4 Leinster SFC campaign with a convincing 3-11 to 1-7 win over Laois.
Timahoe sharpshooter Mo Nerney posted six points but it wasn’t enough to give her side victory on the day.
On Saturday, Danielle O’Leary bagged eight points as Kerry had a 2-14 to 0-5 victory over Tipperary in Killarney.
O’Leary notched five points in the first half as Tipp had no answer to her pace and finishing power.
Cork celebrated their first competitive win in 90 days with a 1-10 to 0-11 victory at a sun-drenched Dungarvan.
An early goal from
Laura O’Mahony and five points from Katie Quirke saw the Rebelettes prevail against Waterford.
Shane Ronayne’s side never fell behind as they bounced back from a disappointing Division 1 campaign, which saw them relegated.
Kellyann Hogan kicked four points for Waterford while Ballymacarbry colleague Bríd McMaugh got two off the bench. Pat Sullivan’s side now face a must-win game away to Tipperary next weekend.