AMY McGUINNESS is having a season to remember. She got the Player-of-the-Match accolade in the recent Leinster senior final.

In the semi-final, she hit the crucial second-half goal that helped overcome the spirited challenge of Kildare in Portmarnock.

In Dr Cullen Park against Laois in the provincial decider, she demonstrated her calibre as the Dubs began to sprint for home in the second half.

Her right boot could do no wrong. She's a wonderful striker of the ball. So pure, and with the follow-through that adds on the yardage.

She is equally proficient from play and frees, and she has the knack of finding the couple of yards of space to get in her shot.

Linger

The centre-forward role suits her. Picking up any loose crumbs to set up a colleague or have a pop herself.

She plays for Fingallians. She's long been highly thought of at Lawless Memorial Park.

"Amy is a genuine quality footballer," judges Dublin manager, Gerry McGill.

Last September she was on the Dublin side that lost the All-Ireland final to Cork. The taste of the big-time, and unfinished business, continues to linger.

"We all want to get back to Croke Park. The win over Laois was step two of step five as far as we are concerned," reflects Amy.

"We'll just keep ticking away now at training in preparation for the quarter-final. We have really put in the work in the last few weeks. I think we showed what we are about against Laois.

"Laois beat us in the League and we got relegated as a result. But everybody has put in such effort since that defeat.

"People could see how much we have come on by our performance in Carlow. The girls put their heart into it and they all played so well."

Amy's six points, three from frees and three from play, gave her the individual prize, but it was a cake she wanted to share.

"It's brilliant to get the Player-of-the-Match award, but it's all down to my team-mates. I wouldn't have got the scores if they didn't work so hard to get possession."

Dublin dominated much of the possession in the Leinster final. They didn't take all the chances that came their way, but that's not a concern for Amy.

"We missed a few chances, but that's going to happen in any game. We realised that if we got the scores in the second half we'd be ok.

"We knew that if we stayed calm, we'd put the scores on the board. Our first goal was so important and we just took it on from there."

Relegation from the top tier still hurts. "Division 2 football is not where we want to be, but we'll give it a lash.

"Hopefully we'll come though and get back to Division 1," muses Amy. But that's a concern for another day.

The priority now is to try and help the Dubs reach the All-Ireland semi-final. And the artful Amy will have a central role in that.

- Niall Scully