Dicksboro see off Village to reach senior camogie decider

An Asha McHardy goal after 17 minutes was enough to get reigning champions Dicksboro through to another county final after seeing off the challenge of a brave James Stephens side in Canon Kearns Park.

The ’Boro played with the breeze in the first half, away from the clubhouse end , and it was a factor in the dominance of the first half by the team from Palmerstown.

The Village struggled with their own puckouts and the ’Boro were turning them over and running the ball back towards the Village goal.

This running game was getting scores as the James Stephens girls fouled the forwards repeatedly.

Aoife Prendergast got her first score from a free in the second minute, followed soon after by another as Emma Gaffney fouled Orla Hanrick.

Aoife Prendergast added her third point of the match in the sixth minute from a free on the right wing, that was followed by one from play from Orla Hanrick straight from the puckout.

Prendergast continued her flawless free taking as she punished the Village, along with Orla Hanrick getting her second point.

The turning point came in the 17th minute, when Aoife Prendergast got possession and burst down the left wing. With no-one able to catch or even touch her, she delivered a diagonal ball across the square to an unmarked Asha McHardy. The ‘’Boro number 10 made no mistake, driving the ball back across the goal into the left corner of Tara Murphy’s net.

Emily Smith got a reply for the Village in the 27th minute, finishing off a move that started on the half-back line. She put the sliotar over the bar from the centre, on the 45 yard line. But again Aoife Prendergast pointed from a free, this time from the halfway line.

The difference now was that the Village were replying and it was midfielder Emily Smith again as she made the best of the bit of space on the left wing and put the ball over ’keeper Maher’s crossbar.

With the game now deep in injury time, ’Boro centre forward, Prendergast put over her seventh point of the half from another free.

If the first half was all Aoife Prendergast, the second was going to belong to Sophie O’Dwyer. She started her impressive run two minutes in as she pointed from far in the right corner, followed by a pointed free after Hannah Scott was fouled while on a great run through the ’Boro defence.

It was all James Stephens now. The breeze was in their favour  but it wasn’t as strong as in the first half, but it was more than the elements, but their belief that saw them attack the game with gusto.

Again it was O’Dwyer to score the free after Rachel Leahy was fouled in the 36th minute and with Niamh Deely now dominating the half-back line. It was tough for Dicksboro to get through, they did get through eventually in the 45th minute as Rachel Dowling finished off after being set up by Ciara Phelan.

That was their first score of the second half and their lead was down to seven points.

Aoife Prendergast scored her eighth point of the game from a free soon after, the Village replied after Hannah Larkin was fouled and O’Dwyer continued her fine shooting with a point.

It was all the Village now, with Sophie O Dwyer putting every free over the bar, scores in the 53rd and 55th minutes were making Dicksboro sweat.

Five points ahead with five minutes remaining and James Stephens were on top, Anna Doheny got another, Sophie O’Dwyer got another, but time was running out and it did.

Dicksboro may have been outplayed in the second half, but they had done just enough in the first half to book their place in yet another senior championship final

Dicksboro - Kirsty Maher; Jane Cass, Tara Clifford, Angela Carroll; Niamh Phelan, Caoimhe Dowling, Katie Byrne; Ciara Phelan, Ciara O’Shea; Asha McHardy, Aoife Prendergast, Aobha O’Gorman; Rose Kelly, Orla Hanrick, Rachel Dowling.

James Stephens - Tara Murphy; Niamh Leahy, Michelle Teehan, Emma Gaffney; Aoife Cantwell, Niamh Deely, Hannah Scott; Emily Smith, Anna Doheny; Caoimhe Moran, Rachel Leahy, Sophie Meagher; Roisin Leahy, Hannah Larkin, Sophie O’Dwyer.