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Watch Carla Rowe channel Lionel Messi with back-heel goal to help Dublin defeat Galway in extra-time thriller

Watch Carla Rowe channel Lionel Messi with back-heel goal to help Dublin defeat Galway in extra-time thriller

The Irish Sun20-07-2025
CARLA ROWE scored a goal Leo Messi would have enjoyed as Dublin booked their place in the TG4 All-Ireland SFC final thanks to an extra-time victory over Galway last night.
The Dubs broke the deadlock with an early point from skipper Rowe.
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Rowe pursuing Nicola Ward as Dublin eventually triumphed 3-14 to 2-14
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The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner would've been proud of it
Credit: Getty
But Galway responded when Olivia Divilly and Roisin Leonard split the posts.
Niamh Hetherton restored parity, before the Tribe's Leonard hit 0-2.
After Rowe doubled her tally, Dublin's Hannah Tyrrell slotted a 17th-minute penalty.
The sides were level again after Kate Slevin and Leonard pointed.
Read More On GAA
Eva Noone, Olivia Divilly and Leonard all raised white flags for Daniel Moynihan's side, but with Sinead Goldrick and Hetherton getting their names on the scoresheet, the teams were even at the break.
After the interval, Tyrrell fired a brace — and even though Divilly hit her third, sub Orlagh Nolan put the Jackies two clear.
Dublin's Rowe — with a brilliant back-heel — and Sullivan bagged goals in the second half of extra-time to
DUBLIN: A Shiels; J Tobin, L Caffrey, N Donlon; S Goldrick 0-1, M Byrne, N Crowley; E O'Dowd, N Hetherton 0-2; N Owens, C O'Connor, H McGinnis; H Tyrrell 1-6, 1-0 pen 5f, C Rowe 1-2, K Sullivan 1-1.
Most read in GAA Football
Subs: O Nolan 0-1 for O'Connor 27mins, L Grendon for Rowe 40, S McIntyre 0-1 for Owens 47, Rowe for Hetherton 52, Hetherton for McGinnis 61, A Kane for Byrne 74, H Leahy for Donlon 75, C Darby for Rowe 76, A Timothy for Sullivan 76.
GALWAY: D Gower; B Quinn, A Molloy, K Geraghty; H Noone, N Ward, C Trill; L Ward, S Divilly; N Divilly, O Divilly 1-3, A Davoren; E Noone 0-3, 1f, R Leonard 0-5, 4f, K Slevin 0-2, 1f.
'Easiest interview I've ever had' jokes RTE GAA host after pundits go back and forth before Meath vs Donegal
Subs: L Noone for N Divilly h-t, K Thompson for Leonard 41mins, L Coen for Davoren 50, A Trill 1-1 for Slevin 58, M Glynn for S Divilly 70, Slevin for L Noone, Davoren for Coen, M Banek for Quinn, all 71, C Cooney for Molloy 75, S Ni Loingsigh for Banek 77.
REFEREE: S Mulvihill (Kerry).
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Casey: Hunger as strong as ever for veteran Dublin players
Casey: Hunger as strong as ever for veteran Dublin players

RTÉ News​

time3 hours ago

  • RTÉ News​

Casey: Hunger as strong as ever for veteran Dublin players

Dublin manager Paul Casey believes the hunger within his side is as strong as ever as they prepare for battle with Meath in Sunday's TG4 Ladies Football Championship final at Croke Park. The Dubs, winners of five of the last eight editions of the competition, most recently two years ago, take on the Royals in an all-Leinster battle that will see many previous winners take to the field at Headquarters. Meath came out on top in the last final between the sides in 2021 and followed it up a year later against Kerry, so pedigree is not a question when it comes to this decider. However, Casey feels the veterans of his team remain as ambitious as the first day they donned the blue shirt. Speaking to RTÉ Sport, he said: "The hunger with those players is still there. We've Sinead Goldrick back from Australia and Hannah Tyrrell is still going very strong. "Carla [Rowe], Leah [Caffrey], Martha [Byrne], lots of girls with multiple All-Ireland medals, but they still have a hunger just like any of the younger girls and it's great to see. "They're really looking forward to it because they wanted to be back on the biggest stage of the year and hopefully they can do themselves justice now on Sunday. "You see the experience and we have so many natural footballers and players that always play full of heart, but they're well able to play football as well. "Their skills execution is brilliant, they're a fit team and do that jersey proud every single time they pull it on. "They will fight to the very, very end as we've seen a couple of times this year and the team that goes out plays it like it's their last game "We've had young players come into the squad and they've stepped up to the mark and they've been looking at the older players and learned lots from them. "The older players have only been too happy to pass on their knowledge to those younger girls." The Dubs have not had it their own way this year, coming out on top against Galway by a goal in the semi-final and drawing with Waterford in the group stages. Two matches with Meath in Leinster have given some indication of what to expect this weekend, with close games between the sides. Casey feels the way his side have progressed through the year has been hugely beneficial: "We've had a tough route along the way. We went down to Dungarvan to play against a very good Waterford team. "Obviously, we've beaten Meath in the Leinster final before that, but then after the group stages, we played an old enemy in Cork and gladly got over that. "Then we had the win a couple of weeks ago against Galway which obviously came down to the last kick of the ball. "We've been delighted with the progress we've made. "Meath really put it up to us in the Leinster final. We were in a bit of trouble and thankfully we pulled it out at the end. "But we were impressed with Meath, and even watching them since, they've improved massively as the championship has gone on. "We know the challenge that lies ahead. We've made lots of improvements along the way as well so I think you're going to see a really, really good game and there's not going to be much in it at the end of the 60 minutes."

How Kerry pulled off tactical masterclass to beat Donegal in All-Ireland final
How Kerry pulled off tactical masterclass to beat Donegal in All-Ireland final

Irish Times

time4 hours ago

  • Irish Times

How Kerry pulled off tactical masterclass to beat Donegal in All-Ireland final

One of the best podcasts on sports coaching in Gaelic games was released exactly two years ago, ahead of the Kerry v Dublin All-Ireland final. In an interview with Ger Gilroy on Off The Ball, Cian O'Neill gave a real insight into his coaching philosophy. One of the key aspects of the interview comes at around the 20-minute mark where he talks about role clarity, role acceptance and role execution. He stresses role acceptance is the most crucial, along with the trust within the group on that, as well as the strategy being co-created with the players. Merge that with the insight from his Sunday Game banquet interview, where he referenced having more than 40 coaches (ie the players on the field) involved in the set-up and you see how a tactical masterclass was delivered on the biggest stage by Kerry last Sunday. READ MORE Role clarity The maps below show where some of the key Kerry players got possessions. Much has been made of the 76 possessions that Paudie Clifford got in the final (we will explore the how of that a little more in the role acceptance section). He was fulfilling a role that was afforded to him by the Donegal structure. His pivot role between the 45 and 65 was executed with precision. He was rarely under any pressure in his possessions as he soloed the ball left and right with ease, and surveyed the options in front of him. Possession maps for some of Kerry's key players. Seán O'Shea played a similar role to Paudie at times, while at other times he operated in the 15 corner at the corner of the arc, mirroring David Clifford on the far side. The positioning of O'Shea and David Clifford were absolutely crucial in stretching the Donegal defence. This allowed Gavin White to raid forward down the left wing twice in the opening minutes for a score and again in the second half. Gavin White's early raid with Mark O'Shea and Sean O'Brien positioned high, stretching Donegal. White line break in final quarter, Diarmuid O'Connor has now assumed high midfield role. Role acceptance Again there has been talk of David Clifford's periods of splendid isolation during the game as he brought Brendan McCole to the outskirts of the pitch. This showed a huge level of leadership from a player of such talents. He operated in that right channel of the pitch and allowed Paudie to operate centrally, while Gavin White profited off the weaker side of the defence. It was smart but not unexpected as McCole was always going to stick to the Fossa man closely. McCole did turn over Clifford twice in the game - in a game were Kerry didn't offer up turnovers easily, he cemented his All Star. A typical attacking shape for Kerry during the All-Ireland final. The two players who are maybe not receiving their fair share of the plaudits are Seán O'Brien and Mark O'Shea. They were the epitome of role acceptance. During structured attacks they were always the highest and when Diarmuid O'Connor entered the fray he continued on this 'team/position' role. This wasn't without personal reward as O'Brien scored two points, one from the above picture as he fisted over, and a second below as he came from inside out as Gavin White popped him the ball, with again Mark O'Shea highest. One of the biggest aspects of this move was how it pinned Peadar Mogan so far back the field. The build-up to Seán O'Brien's second point - another score built off a disciplined attacking structure. The structure to the Kerry attack all day, assisted by the passive Donegal zonal defence, meant they could execute rehearsed plays with conviction. The below image of an attack in the early stages of the second half really illustrates the possession control that was in place. Kerry used a set attacking structure to attack the Donegal zonal defence. Another key moment came in the 16th minute when Paudie Clifford checked the run of Peadar Mogan after a rare Kerry mistake, before a Mark O'Shea turnover which afforded David Clifford a breakaway point. Paudie Clifford's check on Peadar Mogan stops supporting run. Role execution Everyone knowing their role and being willing to accept it is one thing, but you must be able to execute and punish. This requires leadership and steel - both were in abundance in the Kerry dressingroom and on the field. The captain has a role in setting the tone. Kerry won both throw-ins with Gavin White raiding forward off both. In the first half he won the break off Mark O'Shea and drove through the heart of the Donegal defence before offloading to Dylan Geaney who opened the Kingdom's account. At the start of the move there was a theatrical jump from Ryan McHugh, as White started his run. The second half started the same with a breaking ball, this time McHugh went to meet the Kerry captain and White went through him, leaving the Kilcar man requiring attention to his shoulder - the phase finished with a Seán O'Shea point. Kerry's Gavin White winning breaks at the start of each half. White wasn't the only leader, there were two particular enforcers on the Kerry team, who led throughout. Seán O'Shea man showed leadership when he came really deep for a Shane Ryan kickout in the second half. He wanted possession deep all day and took the responsibility to carry out from there. The reaction of the Kenmare man when Donegal tried to test the shoulder of the returning Diarmuid O'Connor showed the togetherness of the Kerry team. Kerry's Seán O'Shea coming deep into pocket to take kickout. Seán O'Shea moves to help protect the returning Diarmuid O'Connor. Joe O'Connor won clean kickouts throughout the encounter, and he had an important block as Donegal attempted a two-pointer in the 49th minute. Then he finished the game off by rocketing the ball to the back of the net in the last minute. Killian Spillane assisted the goal, who received the ball off his Templenoe clubmate Tadgh Morley, a leader of Kerry for years. Joe O'Connor block down on rare Donegal two-point attempt. Joe O'Connor senses something is on and drives forward for Kerry's late goal. The Kingdom's true leader was David Clifford. Every score he landed energised the crowd, and they energised him. The humility to spend time on the outskirts to benefit others was fascinating to watch - his first possession only came after eight minutes. When he came into phases on high Kerry turnovers in the first half he returned 0-3 in seconds. His point in the 11th minute hasn't received as much attention as it deserves. He was initially priming himself for a loop off Mark O'Shea but had to readjust and loop off Mike Breen and kick the ball over for a two-pointer under pressure, off the back foot. Unbelievable athleticism and skill. David Clifford adjusting his loop to set up a two-point attempt. The part of the game that emphasised the collective leadership and role execution was the final phase of the first half, where Kerry controlled the ball from the moment Shane Ryan collected it on 33:15 and David Clifford kicked his two-pointer after the buzzer. A huge score that afforded them a seven-point half-time advantage. Paudie on his own 45m line in the phase issued a keep calm sign, before he proceeded to have eight of his 76 possessions in the phase. He set it up for his brother David to execute. The set-up for Kerry's two-pointer after the buzzer in the first half. Paudie was again provider for his younger brother for his 36th-minute point, as he orchestrated the back door cut with a sublimely weighted pass - a score made in Fossa. Paudie Clifford directing his brother for back door cut pass. An All-Ireland final where role clarity, acceptance and execution were to the fore, but the victors were assisted by an opponent who believed that Plan A could not be overcome and were slow to adapt. There will be regret for Donegal on how Kerry navigated around their game plan, but they have the personnel and togetherness to recover and go again in 2026. Paul O'Brien is a performance analyst with The Performance Process .

Joe O'Connor overcame ACL injury hell to go from ‘token' captain to key Kerry cog in All-Ireland triumph
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The Irish Sun

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Joe O'Connor overcame ACL injury hell to go from ‘token' captain to key Kerry cog in All-Ireland triumph

JOE O'Connor admits going from periphery to powerhouse has been a dream come true. The Austin Stacks star was nominated to captain Kerry for the 2022 season but failed to nail down a regular spot in Jack O'Connor's team as the panel he skippered 2 The Austin Stacks man also played for Munster Rugby at underage level 2 The 25-year-old was named captain of Kerry in 2022 having never started a game He was introduced in the 74th minute of their final win over Galway that July. Two months later, the midfielder suffered a torn ACL, which wiped out his 2023 campaign. But that same year, And the Tralee man has stepped it up again this season, culminating in his super Read more on GAA His 70th-minute goal sealed the 1-26 to 0-19 showpiece victory. And his journey made reaching his destination all the sweeter. O'Connor said: 'It was a tough injury. I wasn't getting games and a lot of doubts creep in — will I ever get in? . . . 'So you've to deal with that and keep ploughing on. In the 2022 final it was about two minutes I'd say off the bench. That was my role. 'I wanted to be a starter and try to be a big player. It was a tricky enough year probably being captain and getting token minutes and getting probably five or six minutes off the bench. It was just a weird position. Most read in GAA Football 'A couple of months later I did the cruciate. So I don't know what it's down to, but I accepted it and got the surgery and went from there. 'I just kept the head and kept going. But I always kind of knew what I wanted to do, I wanted to break in. I felt like I wouldn't stop until I'd be a starter.' David Clifford's son adorably hijacks RTE interview after dad dominates All-Ireland final O'Connor is one of the first names on the Kerry team-sheet now and after lifting Sam Maguire for a second time, he is set to win his first All-Star. Celtic Crosses are the only currency in Kerry, and he now has two. O'Connor said: 'It's very special. There's probably an expectation down in Kerry that you should be winning plenty of them, but we know that's not the case. 'You have to work so hard every year. You're never entitled to them so we really appreciate them. 'We see what happened there after 2022, in 2023 and 2024. It's so hard to win them and that's what makes it so special.'

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