Dublin defeat Leitrim to advance to the TG4 SFC Quarter Finals

Dublin 8-18 Leitrim 0-7

By Daire Walsh

Hannah Tyrrell and Kate Sullivan both grabbed three goals apiece at Clann Mhuire GFC on Sunday as Dublin booked their spot in the TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship quarter-finals with an emphatic Group 4 victory over Leitrim.

On a day when her Na Fianna club-mate Éilish O’Dowd was coming face-to-face with her sister Laura as well as their cousin Dearbhaile Beirne, a star of domestic women’s soccer with Peamount United – Tyrrell helped herself to an outstanding tally of 3-7 for the Jackies.

In a game that was due to take place on Saturday before the original venue of Parnell Park was deemed unplayable, Dublin hit the ground running with early points from Tyrrell and Chloe Darby. Leitrim subsequently opened their account with a successful free courtesy of marauding goalkeeper Michelle Guckian, only for Dublin to immediately respond with Sullivan’s maiden goal of the contest on eight minutes.

Aiming to improve on last weekend’s draw with Waterford, the Jackies created further daylight between themselves and their Connacht counterparts with unanswered points by Tyrrell (two), Sullivan and Niamh Hetherton. While Leitrim registered back-to-back points through Leah Fox and Muireann Devaney (free), Dublin continued to attack with extreme confidence.

After Sullivan completed an opening period hat-trick with goals in the 27th and 29th minutes, Hetherton also rattled the net to guide Dublin towards an unassailable 4-12 to 0-4 interval cushion.

Although Leitrim were playing with the aid of a breeze on the resumption, their Leinster rivals maintained a ruthless streak in front of the posts. Supplementing points from Hetherton and Carla Rowe – who was playing on her home club pitch – Tyrrell fired home two goals in the space of four minutes to further underline Dublin’s supremacy.

Fox found the range for Leitrim on a brace of occasions during the third-quarter, but with Rowe bagging an impressive 1-1 salvo, Dublin remained in the driving seat.

Vivienne Egan did contribute Leitrim’s seventh point as the final whistle approached, but with just over three minutes of normal time to play, Tyrrell completed a hat-trick of her own by converting her second penalty of the second half.

As a result of this win, Waterford will need to record an even more comprehensive triumph at the expense of Leitrim next weekend in order to finish at the Group 4 summit. From a Leitrim perspective, a victory is required from that home encounter with the Deise to avoid the spectre of a relegation play-off.

Scorers – Dublin: H Tyrrell 3-7 (2-0 pen, 0-1f), K Sullivan 3-1, N Hetherton 1-4, C Rowe 1-3 (0-1f), J Tobin, S McIntyre, C Darby 0-1 each.

Leitrim: L Fox 0-3, M Guckian 0-1 (f), M Devaney 0-1 (f), A Gilmartin 0-1, V Egan 0-1.

DUBLIN: A Shiels; J Tobin, L Caffrey, N Crowley; S Goldrick, H Leahy, A Curran; E O’Dowd, H McGinnis; C Darby, C Rowe, S McIntyre; H Tyrrell, N Hetherton, K Sullivan. Subs: N Owens for Curran (35), A Timothy for McIntyre (45), J Egan for Rowe (50), C Fox for Goldrick (57), A Nyhan for Hetherton (60).

LEITRIM: M Guckian; J Maye, C Tyrell, E Quigley; D Beirne, C Owens, R McIntyre; N Tighe, A Quinn; A Gilmartin, V Egan, S Quinn; L Fox, M Devaney, L O’Dowd. Subs: A Clancy for S Quinn (h-t), S Ward for A Quinn, S Reynolds for Beirne (both 49), E Shanley for Quigley (58).

Referee: Gerard Canny (Mayo).