JACKIES LEAVE LILIES WILTING

NIAMH Hetherton, Caoimhe O'Connor, Chloe Darby and Niamh Crowley all shook the net at Cedral St Conleth's Park yesterday as a 12-in-a-row chasing Dublin qualified for the TG4 Leinster SFC final on May 11 with a commanding 4-12 to 1-5 victory over Kildare.

- BY DAIRE WALSH

Hetherton edged Dublin in front with a second-minute point, and her inside partner Hannah Tyrrell found the target moments later in Newbridge.

Kildare recorded a 1-8 to 0-8 win when the two sides met in Division 1 of the Lidl National Football League and the Lilies squeezed in front when a speculative strike from Aoife Rattigan drifted into the Dublin net on seven minutes.

Alannah Prizeman cancelled out a Tyrrell point, but the Jackies were back in the ascendancy after Hetherton - whose brother John hit 2-3 for the Dublin hurlers in their Leinster senior championship win over Wexford on Saturday - poked home a 13th minute goal.

Sophie Mcintyre moved the visitors three clear with a fine point, but Kildare were back level with unanswered contributions from Prizeman (two) and Roisin Byrne.