Templeogue Synge Street produced a stunning comeback to claim Junior A Club Championship title

Go Ahead Ireland Dublin LGFA Junior A Club Championship Final 

Templeogue Synge Street 2-13 

Kilmacud Crokes B 2-10 

By Nigel McCarthy 

Templeogue Synge Street produced a stunning second half comeback to claim the Go Ahead Ireland, Dublin LGFA Junior A Club Championship title against Kilmacud Crokes B on Saturday afternoon in Clann Mhuire GAA club. 

This final was certainly a tale of two halves, Kilmacud Crokes dominated the first and built up a very healthy nine point lead by the break thanks in no small measure to goal-scorers Clare Byrne and Jo Timmons.   

Brosna O’Dell (Templeogue Synge St) in action during the Go Ahead Ireland Dublin LGFA Junior Final Credit Maurice Grehan

Templeogue struggled to make an impact on the scoreboard in the first half, despite some really well worked transition play through the lines, but it broke down time and time again in the final third against a well drilled Crokes defence. 

But the whole game turned on its head a minute into the second half when player of the match Hannah Galvin found the back of the net, and that three pointer proved to be just the shot in the arm Templeogue needed to get the confidence flowing through the team. 

From that point on they upped their intensity levels and penned Kilmacud back inside the own half and chipped away at the deficit and found themselves level with ten minutes left on the clock. 

Eve Crowley (TSS) and Kate Willians (KC) in action during the Go Ahead Ireland Dublin LGFA Junior Final Credit Maurice Grehan

A quick fire 1-03 in the closing stages pushed Templeogue four in front with three minutes of normal time remaining, Crokes reduced the lead to three in injury time and they thought they had grabbed the equalising goal in the dying seconds when Jo Timmins bundled the ball to the net, but the referee rightly ruled out the goal for barging and Templeogue Synge Street held on for a very deserved victory. 

Templeogue got the scoring in the game underway in the second minute with a well struck free from Laura Cahill, two minutes later Kilmacud worked the ball down the left, won a free, Jo Timmins picked out Aife Kavanagh who popped the ball over the bar to draw the sides level. 

Crokes took a hold on proceedings minutes later, they worked the ball nicely down the pitch and some accurate passing between Jo Timmins, Aife Kavanagh and Evie Lehane set Claire Byrne in on goal and the corner forward made no mistake in finding the back of the net and Kilmacud led by three. 

The Templeogue side were getting some joy with runs from deep from Ella O’Dell and Ashling O’Byrne Hadjami through the middle of the Crokes defence, with both of them very much involved in the next two scores, O’Dell intercepted a ball in her own half, rampaged through midfield into the Crokes half and was fouled, before Crokes were set Templeogue took a quick free to Holly Curran who popped the ball over the bar. 

In the next attack O’Byrne Hadjami had similar success running at the Crokes defence and offloaded to Brosna O’Dell who split the posts to leave just one between the sides. 

O’Dell popped over another fine effort to draw the sides level as the first quarter ended, but it was from this point on, till the half time whistle, that Kilmacud dominated possession and built up what looked at the break an unassailable lead. 

Crokes worked the ball down the right to Clare Byrne whose initial shot at goal was saved, but she gathered the rebound and struck it over the bar.

A pointed free a minute later from Suzy Lehane put two between the sides. 

Two points from Clare Byrne further extended the lead as Crokes pushed to put the game to bed before the break.   

Templeogue were under the cosh and struggling to get out of their own half, they won a well needed free out, but it was intercepted by Evie Lehane who offloaded the ball to Suzy Lehane who swung over another fine point. 

With two minutes to go to the short whistle, Clare Byrne made a penetrating run down the right, popped the ball inside to Evie Lehane who knocked the ball over the bar to put six points between the teams. 

Jo Timmins made sure in the next Crokes attack that, that lead would stretch out to nine points at the break. 

Kilmacud won a free about twenty five yards out from the Templeogue goal, Erica Field took a quick free to an unmarked Timmins who’s attempted point effort dipped at the last second over the flailing hand of goalkeeper Sophie Quinn and just under the crossbar and into the net to leave the score at the break 2-07 to 0-04. 

Templeogue needed something special at the start of the second half to get back into the game and they got it inside the opening minute of the second period. 

With Kilmacud on the attack, Ella O’Dell intercepted the ball just inside her own half and took off through the middle, she hand passed to Brosna O’Dell who in turn found Holly Curran, she shot across the face of the goal and Hannah Galvin was on hand to scramble the ball home to reduce the deficit to six points. 

A well worked move involving O’Dell, Hannah Galvin and Holly Curran ended with a fine point from Ashling O’Byrne Hadjami.  

Crokes responded with a pointed free from Suzy Lehane in the thirty sixth minute, but it was Templeogue with their tails up and they swept back down the pitch and won a free which was converted by Brosna O’Dell. 

Two more successful frees from O’Dell reduced the deficit to just three points with eleven minutes still to play. 

Ella O’Dell intercepted a Crokes kickout and went on another run through the heart of the Crokes defence and connected beautifully with the ball to send it over the bar and suddenly there was just two points between them. 

Two became one just seconds later when O’Byrne Hadjami scored her second point of the game. At this stage Kilmacud were rocking and Templeogue just continued to relentlessly hunt them down. 

The pressure told as Kilmacud started to lose discipline in the tackle and two converted frees from Brosna O’Dell put Templeogue in front with six minutes left on the clock. 

A point from Crokes Evie Lehane drew the sides level again, but Templeogue regained the lead with a point from second half substitute Holly Flood. 

Then came the deciding score, Templeogue won the resultant kickout and the ever dangerous Hannah Galvin was released in behind the Crokes backline and she blasted the ball to the net to put her side four to the good. 

Rachel Seery of Templeogue Synge St accepts the cup from Joe Keane Go Ahead Ireland Dublin LGFA Junior Final Credit Maurice Grehan

The referee indicated eight minutes of injury time, Crokes to their credit pushed hard to get back into it, a pointed free from Suzy Lehane left just a goal between the sides, but Templeogue were resolute in their defending in the closing minutes and offered no easy scoring opportunities for their opponents. 

Crokes did put the ball in the net in the dying embers of the game, but it was rightly ruled out for barging and Templeogue held on for a very deserving win. 

TEMPLEOGUE SYNGE STREET SCORERS: Brosna O’Dell 0-07 (5F), Hannah Galvin 2-00, Ashling O’Byrne Hadjami 0-02, Laura Cahill 0-01 (1F), Holly Curran 0-01, Holly Flood 0-01, Ella O’Dell 0-01. 

KILMACUD CROKES B SCORERS: Clare Byrne 1-03, Suzy Lehane 0-04 (3F), Jo Timmins 1-00, Evie Lehane 0-02, Aife Kavanagh 0-01. 

TEMPLEOGUE SYNGE STREET: Sophie Quinn, Ruby Muldoon, Rachel Seery, Ella Dignam, Eve Crowley, Ella O’Dell, Ciara Bell, Saoirse Murphy, Niamh O’Reilly, Brosna O’Dell, Ashling O’Byrne Hadjami, Laura Cahill, Mia Flood, Holly Curran, Hannah Galvin. 

TEMPLEOGUE SYNGE STREET SUBS: Holly Flood for Mia Flood (HT), Mia Curran for Ciara Bell (41), Ciara Cassidy for Holly Curran (65). 

KILMACUD CROKES B: Kate O’Hogan, Kate Williams, Ava Clancy, Kate Sweeney, Erica Field, Sinead O’Driscoll, Karen Duddy, Niamh Walsh, Orlagh Comerford, Rachel Gallagher, Jo Timmins, Evie Lehane, Suzy Lehane, Aife Kavanagh, Clare Byrne.   

KILMACUD CROKES B SUBS: Grace Culloty for Clare Byrne (43), Tess O’Loughlin, Erica Field (43), Aoife Taaffe for Rachel Gallagher (49), Ella Higgins for Niamh Walsh (54).   

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Hannah Galvin (Templeogue Synge Street). 

REFEREE: Keith Cahill (St Finians Swords)