Deadly Dwyer decides final in Bennekerry/Tinryland's favour
Bennekerry/Tinryland retained the Carlow LGFA Senior Football Championship at the expense of Old Leighlin at SETU today
The introduction of former League of Ireland and underage international soccer star Lauren Dwyer was enough to tip a tightly contested Ladies Senior Football Championship final in Bennekerry/Tinyland’s favour as they retained the title they won last year at SETU Carlow today.
Dwyer was one of Ireland’s top centre halves when playing for Wexford FC before a succession of injuries hampered her progress. She hasn’t played a huge amount of football for Bennekerry/Tinyland this season but she came up the most important moments here.
The score was 0-8 to 1-5 when she entered the game in the 39th minute and within three minutes of her replacing Sarah Nolan she scored the first of three points.
Rachel Sawyer levelled the game shortly after but Dwyer was on the scoresheet again in the 45th minute after receiving a pass from Clíodhna Ní Shé.
Ní Shé then pointed a free before Dwyer scored again in the 52nd minute. Then she almost started and finished a move that ended with a goal two minutes later. She drove at the heart of the Old Leighlin defence before slipping a pass to Aoibhín Webb, whose shot was blocked by Nicole Hanley, but Dwyer steered her shot just wide of the post.
Up to Dwyer’s entry into the game there had been little to chose between the teams. Bennkerry/Tinryland scored the first four points of the game before Niamh Forde opened the Old Leighlin account in the 17th minute. A minute later, Caoimhe O’Neill scored the only goal of the game with a well placed shot beyond the reach of Shannen Cotter.
Points from Rachel Sawyer and Amy Hanley put Old Leighlin two clear late in the half but Sinéad Hayden and Ní Shé pointed in injury time to level the scores at the break.
After Dwyer’s decisive scores, Old Leighlin were reduced to 14 players following a red card shown to Amy Hanley in the 53rd minute for a foul on Hayden but that didn’t stop them from applying serious pressure in the closing stages. However, the Bennkerry/Tinryland defence, with player of the match Ruth Bermingham and Leah Mullins, who was winning her tenth senior championship, stood firm to claim their sixth county title.
Shannen Cotter; Clodah Mahon, Marie Cranny, Nuala Mohan, Ruth Bermingham, Leanne Corcoran, Elizabeth Lowry; Elaine Ware, Clíodhna Ní Shé 0-4 (2fs); Leah Mullins, Aoibhín Webb 0-2, Maeve O’Neill 0-1, Orla Woods 0-1, Sarah Nolan, Sinéad Hayden 0-1. Sub: Lauren Dwyer 0-3 for Nolan, 39.
Nicole Hanley; Éabha Cody, Amy Dooley, Olwyn Lawlor, Béibhín Nolan, Anne Roche, Siofra O’Neill; Caoimhe O’Neill 1-0, Helen Roche; Brónagh Nolan 0-1, Rachel Sawyer 0-3 (2fs), Niamh Forde 0-1, Gemma Carpenter, Amy Hanley 0-1, Kate Burke. Subs: Keeva Collins for Cody, h/t; Aoife Roche for Carpenter, 38; Jenny Sawyer for Forde, 58.
Jonathan Murphy.
