Harps edge tense clash to book semi- final spot
SKERRIES HARPS......... 0- 6 LUCAN SARSFIELDS..... 0- 5
LAST year's championship semi-final between these two rivals saw Skerries Harps put 4-11 past a hapless Lucan rearguard. However, this time around the Sarsfields' backroom team took a leaf out of a few inter-county managers' textbooks and set their team up to counteract the speed and movement of the Harps attack which had totted up 223 in their last championship outing against Ballinteer – resulting in a very low scoring and tense affair.
Lucan opened up with their midfield pairing of Audrey Murtagh and Ali Whyte dominating the game with the aid of the breeze, but their forwards failed to sparkle.
It was Skerries who notched the first point of the game with a free from Emer Murphy. Lucan responded with a quick point from corner forward Emma Flanagan and it took cool defence from goalkeeper Clodagh Bolger and corner backs Roisin Leneghan and Yvonne Hannon to keep the Harps goal intact. A pointed free from Lucan's Sinead O'Toole put them in the lead, but Harps responded with a great score on the turn from Rachel O'Flaherty. The Skerries girls went to the break with a slim one-point margin after Niamh Murphy caught a great ball and pointed smartly.
Playing with the breeze in the second period the Skerries half back line of Kathy Gilmore, Jean Murphy and Valerie Van Veen took control of the game, but it was the Harps attackers' turn to squander chances to put the game away.
They stretched their lead with a pointed ' 45' from Murphy, but Lucan showed their determination and O'Toole converted two frees to put them into the lead. But with ten minutes remaining Ciara Durkan ran at the Lucan defence and levelled the game and her persistence paid off again late in the game when she won a free for Murphy to slot over the winning score.
Having gained victories by totting up big totals in their previous three games in this year's championships, the Skerries girls proved they could grind out a win in a tight tense encounter. SKERRIES HARPS: Clodagh Bolger, Roisin Leneghan, Tara Magee, Yvonne Hannon, Valerie Van Veen, Jean Murphy, Kathy Gilmore, Jennifer Healy, Ciara Copeland, Ciara Durkan 0-1, Emer Murphy 0-3 ( 0-1 ' 45', 0-2f), Orlaith Durkan, Niamh Murphy 0-1, Rachel O'Flaherty 0-1, Robyn Kehoe. Substitute: Eve Kehoe for Ciara Copeland.
