Armagh 3-14
Kerry 1-13
By REBECCA DOBBIN DONAGHY
Armagh maintained their perfect start to this season’s Lidl NFL when they inflicted a first defeat of the campaign on reigning champions Kerry at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds.
Armagh led by double scores at the break with a Caroline O’Hanlon goal putting them into a commanding 1-7 to 0-5 lead.
Kerry rallied in the second half as they tried to preserve their unbeaten record and managed to edge in front, but Armagh came with another rally and two goals from Aimee Macken sealed a deserved win.
Armagh won all eight games when winning promotion from Division 2 last season and they have adapted seamlessly to life in the top flight, with their fifth win in a row.
O’Hanlon’s goal from close range put Armagh in the driving seat, although two points from Emma Dineen before the break helped keep Kerry in touch.
The reigning league champions started the second half strongly and Niamh Carmody and Anna Galvin landed good points.
And they got back on level terms eleven minutes after the restart when Katie Brosnan found the net for Kerry to tie the game at 1-8 apiece.
Hannah O’Donoghue edged Kerry in front with a point before Corinna Doyle equalised and then Armagh’s Niamh Henderson and Brosnan exchanged scores to leave them tied at 1-10 each going into the final quarter.
The game was there for the taking for both sides but it was Aimee Macken who took over from there. She pushed Armagh back in front with two points and then slotted home a penalty to put five between them going into the closing stages.
Armagh didn’t relent and kept pushing forward at every opportunity to claim another superb win.
Kerry were unable to mount another comeback and the issue was sealed when Macken got through to shoot her second goal and Armagh’s third to maintain their brilliant start to the campaign.
Scorers – Armagh: A Mackin 2- 6 (1-0 pen), C O’Hanlon 1-1, A McCoy 0-2, N Henderson 0-1, C Doyle 0-1, L McConville 0-1, N Coleman 0-1, E Lavery 0-1.
Kerry: K Brosnan 1-2, N Carmody 0-3 (1f), Emma Dineen 0-3, A Galvin 0-2, H O’ Donoghue 0-2, L Ni Mhuircheartaigh 0-1 (f).
Dublin 2-10
Waterford 2-7
By TOMÁS MCCARTHY
Two injury-time frees from All Star forward Hannah Tyrrell saw Dublin secure their third Division 1 win in a row on a Sunday afternoon of sunshine and showers at Fraher Field in Dungarvan.
Waterford gave the defending All Ireland champions a late scare as Kellyann Hogan crashed a free to the top corner to leave just one point between the teams. Tyrrell stepped up to the plate for the Sky Blues with those two dead balls. The turning point of this entertaining contest came on 41 minutes when Dublin defender Leah Caffrey smothered a goalbound shot from Lauren McGregor. The ball was worked up to the other end of the pitch where Niamh Hetherton hit the Waterford net.
The home side, led by Katie Murray, Emma Murray and Aine O’Neill, emptied the tank but only took two of their eight goal chances. The Déise are now tied with Galway and Cork at the bottom of the table on three points.
The Sky Blues took the field with ten starters from the All Ireland final win over Kerry last August. The home side went for an unchanged line-up after their big victory away to Cork two weeks previous.
It was end to end stuff early on. Orlagh Nolan was denied a goal for Dublin while Clare Walsh saw her fisted effort disallowed for a square ball. A foul on Katie Murray gave Lauren McGregor the chance to send the home side ahead in the third minute. Murray was then thwarted by Dublin netminder Abby Shiels at the near post. Annabelle Timothy equalised for the away team. A lovely right footed effort from captain Hogan edged Waterford back in front. Ballymacarbry club mate Walsh made it 0-3 to 0-1 on the quarter hour.
Dublin clocked up four wides before points from Niamh Hetherton and Tyrrell tied the match. As the rain started to fall in Fraher Field, Kate Sullivan shot the visitors into the lead for the first time at 0-4 to 0-3. The marauding Murray continued to drive at the Dubs’ defence and a McGregor free levelled matters again in injury time. McGregor missed an opportunity to retake the lead from another dead ball.
Seven minutes into injury time, referee Jonathan Murphy signalled a Dublin penalty for a foul on defender Niamh Crowley and Nolan buried the ball in the bottom corner to leave 1-4 to 0-4 in favour of Mick Bohan’s side at the break.
Waterford made a blistering start to the second period. McGregor slammed home a penalty on 33 minutes after Shiels collided with Walsh. A McGregor free and a Brid McMaugh effort from play sent Pat Sullivan’s side 1-6 to 1-4 up.
On 41 minutes, Dublin went from one end of the field to the other as a Leah Caffrey block led to a Hetherton goal. Two points apiece by Sullivan and Tyrrell left the away side five to the good (2-8 to 1-6).
Mairead O’Brien fisted a ball off the Dublin crossbar when a McMaugh free dropped short. With two minutes left, Hogan let fly from a quickly taken free and the ball flew into the roof of the net. The volume lifted in the stand as the midfielder added a last minute point to cut the gap to 2-8 to 2-7 but Dublin survived the onslaught as Tyrrell tapped over two injury time frees.
Scorers — Dublin: H Tyrrell 0-5 (4fs), N Hetherton 1-1, O Nolan 1-0 (pen), K Sullivan 0-3 (1f), A Timothy 0-1.
Waterford: L McGregor 1-3 (1-0 pen, 3fs), K Hogan 1-2 (1-0f), C Walsh, B McMaugh 0-1 each.
Galway 1-12
Meath 0-7
By DARREN KELLY
Galway picked up their first win in this season’s Lidl Ladies National Football League following an eight point victory over Meath in Duggan Park in Ballinasloe.
Shauna Hynes, who finished with 1-5, got the only goal of the match in between two missed Meath chances that allowed the Tribeswomen build a 10-point interval advantage.
Galway opened with a Hynes point on five minutes. And they stretched that lead to four by the 10th minute with Róisín Leonard scoring from play in between two frees.
Meath’s first score came on 12 minutes from Emma Duggan but it was a two minute passage that swung this contest in favour of the hosts.
First, Duggan was put through for a Meath chance only to miss the target on 14 minutes. Galway countered with Ailbhe Davoren racing down the left to force a save from Monica McGuirk but the rebound fell perfectly for Hynes to hit the net.
Another chance for the visitors saw Marion Farrelly’s ball from the left pulled off the line by Nicola Ward. And the Tribeswomen replied with Hynes getting another white flag and it was 1-5 to 0-1 entering the second quarter.
Eventually, Meath’s drought ended when Farrelly did find the target on 19 minutes but they didn’t score again against the wind. Galway finished with four more points through Nicola Ward, Hynes, Leanne Coen and a Leonard free to lead 1-9 to 0-2 at half-time.
Meath had the elements in their favour for the second period with Duggan converting before going low with another 13 metre free that sliced wide.
Olivia Divilly replied with a Galway point but Shane McCormack’s charges started closing the gap as Farrelly and a Duggan brace left them 1-10 to 0-6 down with 10 minutes remaining.
But the Royals couldn’t get the goal they needed to get back in the game and Galway responded with two more points through Hynes, both supplied by Davoren to get their first victory of 2024 and give them a fighting chance of avoiding relegation.
Meath concluded with a Duggan free and despite two consecutive defeats, home games against Kerry and Cork still give the 2022 champions hope of making this year’s final.
Scorers – Galway: S Hynes 1-5, R Leonard 0-4 (3f), L Coen 0-1, N Ward 0-1, O Divilly 0-1.
Meath: E Duggan 0-5 (2f), M Farrelly 0-2.
