Strange seeing sister Eilish in Dublin jersey but Leitrim’s Laura O’Dowd just got on with it

One of many quirky tales round this 12 months’s TG4 LGFA All-Eire Senior Championship was the concept of sisters Laura and Eilish O’Dowd coming nose to nose on the sphere of play carrying reverse jerseys and that is precisely what occurred final Sunday in The Naul.

Chatting with Laura after Dublin’s 8-18 to 0-7 victory at Clann Mhuire’s floor, Laura admitted that it was an uncommon scenario for the Ballinamore sisters: “It was a really unusual scenario, one we undoubtedly did not suppose we would ever encounter or come throughout. It was unusual seeing her within the blue jersey and me within the inexperienced jersey. However, on the finish of the day, that is been her workforce now for the final variety of years and she or he’s been sensible with them. Look, it is a unusual one however I suppose you simply should get on with it on the finish of the day.”

It should have been troublesome for his or her mother and father, Brian & Sheila, on condition that each are nice supporters of their daughter’s inter-county endeavours, one thing Laura acknowledged: “They had been sort of hoping when the group levels had been introduced that it would not be a case that we would come throughout one another, particularly this early in it. It is a robust one for them, they need the 2 of us to play in addition to we are able to and that is all they’ll do.”

It was a tough day for Leitrim with Dublin administering a troublesome introduction to the All-Eire Senior Championship and Laura admitted she and her Leitrim teammates had been very disillusioned by the outcome: “Dublin confirmed their class as we speak and I suppose it launched us to senior soccer and what senior soccer is all about. 

“We’re actually disillusioned total, I believed we would put it as much as them slightly bit extra, however simply defensively they had been actually, actually sturdy and we simply struggled to complete the ball. I believed we transitioned nicely as much as the ahead line however I simply suppose we struggled a bit on the finish so, yeah, total fairly disillusioned.”

REACTION: NO EXCUSES FROM GARRITY BUT SATURDAY’S POSTPONEMENT DIDN’T HELP LEITRIM’S CAUSE

The truth that Dublin needed to chase scores to enhance their scoring distinction, after their first spherical draw with Waterford, made Leitrim’s day all of the more durable: “I suppose the actual fact they drew with one another was the worst attainable consequence for us.

“They knew that they needed to rating as a lot as attainable and so they did rack up fairly a excessive rating there now so, yeah, that was their objective and sadly we simply bought slightly bit unfastened within the again line at occasions and so they punished us and so they bought the scores.”

Leitrim had really began moderately nicely, trailing the Dubs by six factors after 21 minutes regardless of the house workforce having the sturdy wind behind them however the Leinster champions bought a run on the Inexperienced & Gold simply earlier than halftime: “There was a powerful wind there and we thought we began off nicely and we thought if we are able to simply keep this.

“However coming as much as the top of the primary half, they bought in with a couple of late scores in order that we went in slightly bit below at halftime. We had been hoping after we had a little bit of a wind within the second half we would push on a bit however, sadly, that did not occur.”

Leitrim weren’t helped by two journeys as much as the capital over the weekend after Saturday’s authentic fixture was postponed resulting from an unplayable pitch at Parnell Park, a reality Laura admits did impact her workforce: “It was extraordinarily robust, we had been actually unfortunate that the sport didn’t go forward yesterday.

“We had been actually ready yesterday however the reality we needed to flip round and sit in a bus the entire approach again to Leitrim and do the very same once more as we speak, you’re feeling completely wrecked, yeah, so I believe it undoubtedly did not stand to us and I believe we had been in all probability slightly bit extra fatigued than we usually had been.

“The largest factor now’s restoration. This recreation is finished, we now have to take a look at Waterford and, once more, we now have to try to decide up from coaching now and work on the issues that did not work as we speak and try to enhance and hopefully we are able to get a bit extra of a efficiency in. It was simply the final product and I believe that’ll be one thing we’ll in all probability be engaged on now over the subsequent few days as much as the Waterford recreation to see if we are able to enhance on that and I suppose that is all we are able to do.”