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PTSB Dublin LGFA Inter Club Championship Final
Ballinteer St Johns 5-15 Lucan Sarsfields 1-09
Report by Cóilín Duffy
Ballinteer St Johns produced a strong attacking display to claim an emphatic 18-point victory and PTSB Dublin LGFA Intermediate Championship success, with substitute Grace Dent making a spectacular impact by scoring 2-3 after her introduction in ideal conditions at St. Margarets GAA Club on Saturday.
Ballinteer established control early and never surrendered it. Niamh Leahy struck the opening goal after just four minutes, before Ciara Kellegher followed with two points as Lucan struggled to convert their own opportunities, also having a sixth minute goal effort disallowed for an infringement in the square.
Emma Flanagan finally opened Lucan’s account after 15 minutes, but Alana Doran and Laura O’Connor replied before Sophie McIntyre gave Sarsfields hope with a goal in the 20th minute.
That response proved short-lived. Leahy added a point and Grace O’Shea delivered another major blow when she found the net in the 23rd minute. Emily Adderley and 'PTSB Player of the Match' Orlagh Nolan subsequently added points, leaving Ballinteer firmly in command on a 2-7 to 1-2 interval score-line.
Ballinteer continued to dictate matters after the restart. Nolan converted a free before Adderley added her second point from play. Lucan attempted to respond through McIntyre, Eva Collis and a Sinéad Daly free, but Nolan’s accuracy from placed balls ensured the leaders maintained a comfortable cushion.
Nolan landed three frees in the opening 14 minutes of the second half, and the influential forward then effectively ended Lucan’s challenge when she powered through for Ballinteer’s third goal after 47 minutes.
Dent had been introduced for Sophie Carroll five minutes earlier and quickly made her presence felt. Just over two minutes after Nolan’s goal, Dent struck Ballinteer’s fourth major, stretching the advantage beyond Lucan’s reach.
She followed that goal with two points as Ballinteer continued to punish Lucan. Daly converted another free for Sarsfields, while Alice Smyth, introduced for Doran, got on the scoresheet for Ballinteer.
Lucan kept battling and late points from Milly Hughes and Siobhán Birnie reduced the deficit, but Dent fittingly supplied the final flourish. She struck her second goal in the 65th minute before completing a superb personal contribution of 2-3 with another point.
Ballinteer’s attacking efficiency proved decisive. They registered five goals and 15 points, with all bar three points of their tally coming from play, while Nolan’s three successful frees ensured they capitalised when Lucan conceded within scoring range.
The winners had contributors throughout the field, but Dent’s extraordinary second-half cameo and Orlagh Nolan’s 1-4 were particularly telling as Ballinteer emphatically completed the job, running out 18-point winners.
After the game Ballinteer St. John’s captain Ruth Nolan accepted the cup from Dublin
LGFA Vice Chairperson Declan Patton agus oraid iontach trí Gaeilge agus Bearla ag Ruth.
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