Thomas Davis ladies fall just short in senior decider

There was heartbreak for Thomas Davis at Parnell Park this evening as the Tallaght side suffered an agonising 2-9 to 0-12 defeat at the hands of Kilmacud Crokes in the Dublin Senior Ladies Football Championship decider.

Finalists in 2019 and 2020, Crokes stormed into an early three-point lead courtesy of fine scores from Michelle Davoren and Kate Murray (two). Meadhbh Deeney did open the Davis account with a superb pointed free on the stroke of 10 minutes, but their Stillorgan counterparts maintained a potent edge in attack.

Following Murray’s third point of the half, Julia Buckley weaved through the opposition rearguard for a superb solo goal in the 17th-minute. Despite this set-back, Davis persevered with their challenge and significantly narrowed the gap with unanswered efforts from Deeney, Ciara McGuigan and Norah Kirby.

However, Crokes subsequently found the range themselves through the boots of Murray, Buckley and Mia Jennings to leave Davis 1-7 to 0-4 adrift at the break.

While a Davoren point increased the Kilmacud lead on the resumption, Davis subsequently stormed back into contention. Thanks to five points in succession from McGuigan, Deeney (two), Sinead Deegan and Rachel Newell, Peter Boland’s charges were back in the hunt for a maiden senior title.

Although Crokes briefly interrupted this sequence with a fine point from Laura Kane, McGuigan kicked a brace to leave the bare minimum between the teams (1-9 to 0-11) at the beginning of five minutes of stoppage-time.

Yet Kilmacud held their nerve and a goal from substitute Cassie Sultan provided them with a strong cushion in advance of McGuigan’s fifth point of the action on 64 minutes. There was a last-gasp opportunity for Davis, but former Dublin footballer Olwen Carey palmed narrowly wide off Niamh McGoldrick’s crossfield delivery.