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Posted: 10 months ago

Armagh continue their unbeaten start to the NFL Division 1 campaign and Dublin secure their first victory

Armagh 0-8

Galway 0-6

By SHAUN CASEY

ARMAGH continued their winning start to their Lidl NFL Division 1 campaign with a two-point victory over Galway at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds. The swirling breeze proved difficult for both teams, although Armagh coped better with the conditions.

In a low scoring encounter, Armagh’s superior first half scoring haul kept them ahead as Galway mounted a credible comeback in the second period but couldn’t do enough to get something from the game.

Armagh were the dominant force in the opening period with the wind, posing the Galway defence problems on every attack while keeping Daniel Moynihan’s side scoreless for the first 30 minutes.

Not only that, but Galway’s uphill challenge became a huge mountain to climb ten minutes in when Linda Booth received a red card for a late and high challenge on Emily Druse.

By that stage Armagh had already opened their account, with Kelly Mallon’s delicate hand pass playing through Aoife McCoy before Mallon, playing at centerfield in the absence of Caroline O’Hanlon, shot over a free.

A second pointed free by Mallon was quickly followed, as Aimee Mackin got off the mark through a close range free while corner back Roisin Mulligan extended the advantage with a lovely taken score.

Galway had a chance to get back into the game with a rare attack but Mairead Glynn’s pass across the face of the goal towards Shauna Hynes, who was under pressure from Grace Ferguson, was punched wide.

Mallon had the final say of the first half when she added to her tally, stroking over a third free to leave her side six points ahead when the teams changed sides at 0-6 to 0-0.

The second half was just two minutes old when a more determined Galway got their end of the scoreboard up and running as Ailbhe Davoren split the posts before Roisin Leonard tapped over a free.

Leonard then played provider setting up a Leanne Coen score to cut the deficit to three. Mallon and Lauren McConville traded scores with Leonard before Armagh lost Mackin to a yellow card for the final few minutes.

Although Leonard laced over a late score as Galway searched for a goal, it wasn’t enough for the visiting side to get something from the game as they fell to a third defeat.

Scorers – Armagh: K Mallon 0-4 (4f), A McCoy 0-1, A Mackin 0-1 (1f), R Mulligan 0-1, L McConville 0-1.

Galway: R Leonard 0-4 (3f), A Davoren 0-1, L Coen 0-1.

Dublin 2-15
Mayo 2-8

By MIKE FINNERTY

A remarkable second half comeback propelled All-Ireland champions Dublin to their first victory of this Lidl National League campaign at a windswept James Stephens Park in Ballina.


Mick Bohan’s team had trailed at half-time by nine points after playing against the gale in the opening half, but Dublin took complete control after the restart and turned the game on its head.


The visitors outscored Liam McHale’s homeside by 2-11 to 0-1 during a one-sided second period with goals from Caoimhe O’Connor and Kate Sullivan among the many Dublin highlights.

Mayo had seemed to be in a commanding position at half-time, leading by 2-7 to 0-4. The star of the show in that period was Lisa Cafferky, who helped herself to 2-6 and terrorised the Dublin defence.


It took the Kilmovee star just three minutes to open her account, and seconds later she had the ball in the Dublin net after Rachael Fleming’s short kick-out was intercepted. Sinead Walsh topped up Mayo’s lead before Lisa Cafferky tucked away a penalty in the ninth minute after she had been brought down in the square.


Dublin finally opened their account in the 12th minute through a Kate Sullivan free, but that score was quickly cancelled out by a brace of brilliant efforts from the relentless Cafferky.


Scores from Orlagh Nolan, Annabelle Timothy and Kate Sullivan kept Dublin in the hunt, but Mayo also kept the scoreboard ticking at the other end through the prolific Lisa Cafferky, who tapped over a free and clipped a superb point from play.


Mayo were to the dressing-rooms with a spring in their step but everything changed very quickly after the restart. Dublin hit the ground running with early points from Annabelle Timothy, Kate Sullivan, Ellen Gribben and Orlagh Nolan, but the tide really turned once Caoimhe O’Connor goaled in the 42nd minute.
Dublin went ahead for the first time in the 47th minute through Timothy and Mayo’s sole score of the second half didn’t arrive until the 59th minute — a free from Lisa Cafferky. The winners shot 1-3 in additional time to seal the win.

Scorers – Dublin: K Sullivan 1-5 (3f), C O’Connor 1-0, O Nolan 0-3, A Timothy 0-3, C Darby 0-2, N Hetherton 0-1, E Gribben 0-1.
Mayo: L Cafferky 2-7 (1-0 pen, 3f), S Walsh 0-1.