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Leinster U20 Development Competition – Rd 3
Dublin 2-14 (20) Kildare 1-10 (13)
Dublin registered their second win of the 2025 Leinster U20 competition with a seven-point victory over neighbours Kildare.
This fast-paced entertaining contest was played before a sizeable crowd of spectators at the GAA national development centre in Abbottstown yesterday evening. The playing surface on pitch one was impeccable and added to the quality of the game.
Kildare got a dream start when corner forward Niamh Kelly out jumped Dublin goalkeeper Siobhán Cassidy Fagan to knock a speculative cross field pass into the back of the net with less than a minute gone on the clock.
The home side responded to this early set back with an unanswered 1-05 from play.
Neala Byrne with a brace of points, Elsa Kearney, Kate O’Toole, Kate Watson with a point each and Ava Peake with a well taken goal that arrived in the 23rd minute.
Kildare captain Mayah Doyle who was industrious throughout the contest got Kildare’s opening point of the game in the 24th minute bringing Dublin’s run of unanswered scores to an end.
Ave Peake, Kate Watson with a point each added to Dublin’s tally while Kildare’s full forward Sarah McGovern tapped over two frees to leave the score at half time Dublin 1-07 Kildare 1-03.
The second half of the game continued with both teams exchanging scores. Kate Watson with a point from play for Dublin. Mayah Doyle on target for Kildare and Sarah McGovern with another well taken free for the lilywhites.
The key score of the second period came in the 11th minute when a stinging shot from distance by Kate Watson went over the head of Niamh McKeon in the Kildare net to push Dublin 2-08 to 1-05 clear of their challengers.
Following Watson’s goal the match fizzled out as contest with both sets of management teams emptying their benches giving their squad members valuable game time.
Dublin registered six points in the final quarter of the game Elsa Kearney, Neala Byrne, Ava Peake, Kate Watson, and Kate O’Toole on target from play while substitute Alex Smyth got on the scoreboard with a converted free kick in the 26th minute of the game.
The impeccable Sarah McGovern kicked over three further frees for Kildare while teammate Misha Ginty got the final point of the contest from play. Full time score Dublin 2-14 Kildare 1-03.
Up next Dublin travel to play Meath while Kildare are away to Offaly both fixtures are scheduled for Thursday July 24th. Full details to follow.
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