:format(auto))
Go Ahead Ireland Dublin LGFA Junior D Club Championship Final
Castleknock B 3-05 Crumlin 0-11
By Nigel McCarthy
Castleknock B claimed the Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin LGFA Junior D title after a tense titanic battle with Crumlin on Wednesday night in St Margarets GAA Club.
It was a fascinating contest between two evenly matched sides, with the result right in the balance until the final whistle.
Neither side took a step backwards in a game that had everything, a first half penalty, a yellow card and ten minutes on the sideline for a player from both sides, ferocious tackling, good saves and last-ditch tackles that kept the large crowd entertained throughout.
In the end goals proved crucial to the outcome with Castleknock securing three in the game, a first half penalty converted by Meadhbh Corcoran and two in the second half one from Ellen Baker and the crucial second scored by substitute Lara Tate a mere two minutes after her introduction.
Crumlin will be disappointed to have come out the wrong side of the result, particularly after their storming second half performance which left them just three points behind at the end.
Castleknock can look to Player of the Match, midfielder Niamh Mulroney as one of the reasons for their victory, her well timed interceptions, dispossession, cool head and penetrating runs, particularly when down a player for ten second half minutes got them over the line in the end.
Both teams came charging out of the blocks from the beginning, but it was Crumlin who drew first blood with an excellent point from Aoife Magee who impressed throughout the game.
Magee stretched her sides lead in the fifth minute with a well taken free kick. Moments later Castleknock reduced the deficit with a converted free of their own from Meadhbh Corcoran as the play flowed from one end of the pitch to the other.
Crumlin’s two-point lead was restored in the tenth minute with another successful free from Magee. A fine point from play seconds later from Corcoran reduced the deficit to the bare minimum.
Castleknock took the lead for the first time in the game three minutes later when Aoife Bergin was fouled in the square for a penalty which was converted with power and accuracy to the net by Meadhbh Corcoran.
A point from Sarah Murphy in the sixteenth minute stretched the lead out to three points. With just seven minutes to the break Castleknock extended their lead, Crumlin were proving a difficult side to break down, but the side from Somerton Park patiently recycled the ball looking for an opening, Mairéad Griffin spotted Claire Nulty running down the left wing and picked her out with an excellent foot pass, Nulty cut in along the endline and fisted the ball over the bar.
Crumlin had gone almost twenty minutes without a score and were dealt another blow three minutes before the break when midfielder Abby Ryan was shown a yellow card for an off the ball foul and had to spend ten minutes on the sideline.
But although a player down, Crumlin finally ended their barren scoring spell with the final score of the half, a point from Kaci Hodgins to leave just a goal between sides at the break with the score 1-04 to 0-04.
Crumlin began the second half with renewed vigour and immediately put Castleknock under pressure, they forced a turnover for over carrying, Saoirse Gavigan found Aoife Magee with the free kick and she in turn off loaded to Alex Hodgins who split the post to leave just two points between the teams.
Castleknock were then dealt a blow of their own when Claire Nulty was yellow carded for a frontal charge coming out with the ball and had to watch the action from the sideline for ten minutes.
Moments later and there was just a single point to separate the sides as Aoife Magee converted a free after a foul on Alex Hodgins.
With Crumlin in the ascendancy, Castleknock needed to steady the ship, half time substitute Ciara Burgess made a penetrating run down the left hand side beforehand passing to Ellen Baker who finished the ball to the top corner of the net with aplomb to put her side four in front.
Crumlin now restored back to fifteen players attacked with gusto, Castleknock still a player down were scrambling in defence, they had their keeper Emma Byrne to thank in the forty third minute as she pulled off two saves seconds apart to deny Crumlin a goal, though Aoife Magee pointed from the second rebound to reduce the lead to three.
It was all Crumlin at this stage and two points in as many minutes, a free from Aoife Magee and a fine point from play from midfielder Paris Chebaha left just a mere point between the teams with fifteen minutes left in this enthralling final.
Castleknock brought on Lara Tate with about twelve minutes to go and with Claire Nulty back on the pitch moments after her spell on the sideline the game evened up again.
Moments later came what proved to be the pivotal score of the game, Ciara Burgess worked the ball down the left wing, offloaded the ball Ellen Baker who hit a high looping hand pass across the square and Lara Tate rose high to flick the ball just inside the left-hand post and into the net to put four between the teams with time running out.
Ciara Burgess added another point from a free to give Castleknock a little more breeding space. But Crumlin were not about to go quietly into the night and hit two quick fire points from Alanna Hodgins and Alex Hodgins to once again leave just a goal between them.
Crumlin pushed for the equalising score put time ran out and Castleknock held on for the victory in what was a titanic final.
:format(auto))