Dublin 3-11 Mayo 1-8
Noelle Healy scored 1-2 as reigning champions Dublin advanced to the quarter-finals of the TG4 Ladies Football Championship with a perfect record after victory over Mayo in their Group 4 decider.
Dr Hyde Park played host to a repeat of last year’s final where 46,286 were in attendance at Croke Park on September 24th.
On this occasion the damp conditions made for a difficult first half and Dublin were 1-5 to 0-4 ahead after Clodagh McManamon’s own goal.
Mayo fought back in the second half and Fiona Doherty cancelled out Noelle Healy's early strike. But Nicolle Owens secured victory for Dublin.
Dublin captain Sinéad Aherne won the toss and she opted to play with the wind and rain at Dublin’s backs in the opening half.
Healy scored inside the first minute but Mayo equalised through Sarah Rowe moments later. It was an inspired score and she added another brilliant effort in the fifth minute to reduce arrears to 0-3 to 0-2.
The slippery underfoot conditions were causing havoc but Dublin kept their composure with Aherne on target twice as they extended their lead.
The Dublin corner-forward scored her third point in the 11th minute after Niamh Kelly levelled proceedings briefly. But Dublin took a 0-5 to 0-3 lead when Owens evaded a number of defenders and scored a great point.
Rowe converted a Mayo free however in the 26th minute Aherne’s shot was blocked by Mayo goalkeeper Sorcha Murphy and centre back McManamon bundled the ball into her own net.
Dublin held that 1-5 to 0-4 lead into half-time but they were hit for two quick points at the start of the second half, when Rowe and Kelly raised white flags.
Healy’s vital goal arrived in the 33rd minute and that gave Dublin a 2-5 to 0-6 lead but Doherty hit back with a Mayo goal three minutes later.
Carla Rowe had a goal disallowed for a square ball and Mayo drew level through Kelly in the 42nd minute. But once Owens scored Dublin’s third goal in the 51st minute there was no way back for Mayo.
Sarah Rowe’s yellow card in the 19th minute of the second half was a devastating blow too.
DUBLIN: C Trant; M Byrne, L Caffrey, D Murphy; S Goldrick (0-1), N Collins, O Carey; S McGrath, L Magee; L Davey (0-2), N McEvoy, C Rowe; N Owens (1-1), N Healy (1-2), S Aherne (0-5, 0-3 frees). *Clodagh McManamon own goal
Subs: J Dunne for Magee (half-time), O Whyte for McEvoy (45), H O’Neill for Rowe (47), L Collins for McGrath (56), A Kane for Owens (60).
MAYO: S Murphy; E Lowther, R O'Malley, D Caldwell; R Kearns, C McManamon, K Sullivan; N Moran, T O'Connor; S Mulvihill, F Doherty (1-0), S Cafferkey; N Kelly (0-1), S Rowe (0-4, 0-1f), G Kelly (0-3, 0-2f).
Subs: R Flynn for Moran (39), E Needham for O’Connor (48), S Ludden for Mulvihill (51), F McManamon for Doherty (54), L Ryder for Caldwell (58).
Referee: Maggie Farrelly (Cavan).
Round-up
The 2018 TG4 All-Ireland Ladies SFC quarter-final pairings have been confirmed - and champions Dublin will face Kerry in the last eight.
The Sky Blues beat Mayo 3-11 to 1-8 at Dr Hyde Park in Roscommon on Saturday afternoon, and will face the Kingdom for a spot in the last four.
The Dublin-Kerry tie is a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland semi-final, which Mick Bohan’s outfit won at Semple Stadium.
2017 runners-up Mayo will face Galway in a mouth-watering repeat of the Connacht final, one the back of another agonising defeat to Dublin.
Cork, the 11-time champions, have been handed a showdown with Westmeath, after a 1-19 to 1-7 comfortable win over Armagh in Ballinasloe.
And Donegal, the reigning Ulster champions and one of the favourites for Brendan Martin Cup glory on September 16, will tackle local rivals Armagh in the other quarter-final which will take place next weekend.
Galway were in scintillating form once again when they registered 6-17 to 1-6 win over Westmeath on Saturday. Leanne Coen (two), Sarah Conneally, Roisin Leonard, Emma Reaney and Louise Ward accounted for the goals, as the reigning Connacht champions moved on.
Westmeath's Aoife Connolly scored 1-2 but her side lost out. And they take on Cork in the quarter-finals. Ephie Fitzgerald's side brushed past Armagh. Eimear Scally scored 1-4 for the Munster champions.
Armagh will need to re-group fast but their quarter-final opponents Donegal could only notch a narrow 1-13 to 3-6 win over Kerry.
Geraldine McLaughlin was the hero with eight points, while Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh starred for the losers. But their game against Dublin will require a step up in class.
TG4 All Ireland Senior Championship 2018 quarter-finals:
Dublin v Kerry
Galway v Mayo
Cork v Westmeath
Donegal v Armagh
