Crossmaglen’s Lauren McConville (left) captained Armagh in her home town for the first time (Pic: Colin Molloy)
Richard Bullick
FORMER skipper Kelly Mallon kicked the first ever two-pointer for Armagh ladies in her haul of 0-8 but the long-serving veteran’s late long-range free wasn’t enough to save the Orchard outfit from a damaging defeat against Cork in Crossmaglen last Sunday.
Armagh’s 2-8 to 1-9 loss, which manager Greg McGonigle admits plunges his side into a protracted relegation battle, meant there was no story-book script for Crossmaglen legend Lauren McConville, captaining Armagh on her club pitch for the first time.
This was a rearranged game, which had been fixed for Dromintee the previous Sunday but fell foul of the weather, with the alternative venue second time round making it a special occasion for Orchard hero McConville.
The hosts had seemed well placed when leading 1-3 to 0-4 at the interval thanks to a great goal by Ballyhegan newcomer Alana Donnelly despite having been playing into the breeze on a sunny afternoon following a very wet morning.
McGonigle’s team appeared primed to kick on for a very valuable victory, but they conceded two second half goals and ultimately this was another disappointing performance which condemned the Orchard crew to a second consecutive home defeat.
This wasn’t as bad as losing by 12 points to Waterford at the Athletic Grounds in the season opener but undeniably a setback after the away win against Kildare in between, and leaves the Ulster champions with much to ponder.
They travel to play Galway in Ballinasloe in this Saturday’s televised game (4.15pm, TG4) before finishing with March matches against the last three teams to win the All Ireland, namely Dublin, Kerry and Meath, so wins won’t be easily come by.
National League champions under McGonigle in 2024, Armagh would need to win all of those last four fixtures to have any chance of reaching another Division One showpiece, but maintaining top flight status is the more realistic target at this stage.
A frustrated McGonigle pulled no punches after his side’s disappointing defeat to Cork which left the Orchard outfit facing a fight to avoid the drop from Division One rather than on track for a third NFL final appearance in a row.
This match in Crossmaglen was one which Armagh certainly could, and possibly should, have won but in the end probably didn’t deserve victory from after failing to build upon their interval lead despite having the breeze behind them in the second half.
Armagh had a couple of good goal chances within six minutes of the resumption but neither were taken, Cait Towe striking the crossbar and Lara Marsden pulling a low shot past the far post, whereas Cork found the net twice in that last half hour.
When McGonigle last took the Orchard helm in 2024, newly-promoted Armagh started the season with six consecutive victories to qualify for their first ever National League final, in which they came from behind to defeat Kerry at Croke Park.
Kelly Mallon strikes the first ever two-pointer in the history of the Armagh ladies gaelic team (Pic: Colin Molloy)
They followed that historic triumph by reclaiming the provincial crown by defeating Donegal in the Clones showpiece, topped their All Ireland group and went on to reach the last four before being edged out by Kerry in a close semi.
It has been very different for McGonigle this season so far on his return to the Armagh hot-seat after stepping away for the 2025 campaign, with those home defeats by Waterford and Cork sandwiching that narrow win in Kildare.
Armagh have struggled to cope with the absence of a number of frontliners, but also made life difficult for themselves last Sunday with too many unforced errors, frequently giving up possession with misplaced passes, even allowing for the breeze and a fairly heavy pitch.
The hosts didn’t raise a white flag from play against Cork until the closing stages when two wonderful servants of the Orchard cause combined, vice-captain Aoife McCoy pointing after a ferocious raid in conjunction with skipper McConville.
Captaining Armagh in her home town was a proud occasion for Crossmaglen woman McConville but Cork pooped the party and also took the shine off that landmark moment when Mallon kicked the first two-pointer in Orchard history.
Her late long-range free from outside the 40-metre arc took Armagh stalwart Mallon’s tally to eight points on an afternoon when her Harps clubmate Emily Druse was at her irrepressible best, tirelessly running at the visitors from deep at pace.
One such scorching run inside the opening 30 seconds of the game led to Mallon’s first free and indeed Druse came close to a goal late in the first half, driving a low shot just past the right post after one of her many forays forward.
After failing to raise a green flag in their first two fixtures, the first Armagh goal of 2026 was well worth waiting for, though you would have got incredibly long odds not too long ago on new defender Donnelly being the scorer.
Unlike some players who are earmarked as hot prospects from an early age, Ballyhegan bolter Donnelly has arrived in the county set-up as a relative unknown with no advance fanfare, but undoubtedly been the find of this Orchard campaign so far.
She denied Waterford a golden goal chance just a minute into her unexpected debut last month and, against Cork, Donnelly showed her worth in an attacking context, confidently striding forward through traffic before unleashing a wonderful finish to the bottom corner.
Physically strong and deceptively fast, Donnelly looks like a very promising prospect, while Sunday saw the third Orchard debut by a Crossmaglen player this season when Tina O’Reilly came on for Roisin Mulligan at the start of the second quarter.
The Cavan native shone last season both in ladies football and camogie at club level for her adopted Crossmaglen and, although considerably older than your average debutant, O’Reilly is in good physical condition and has a real competitive edge.
Because Eve Lavery was listed as No 17 in the original Armagh team-sheet for this rearranged game, O’Reilly was announced as someone else when coming as a sub but she has the potential to make a name for herself in the orange jersey over the coming months.
Armagh’s hopes are being badly undermined by mass absenteeism at present – it is this writer’s belief that you could readily list those eligible players who didn’t feature against Cork and select a team, with useful subs, well capable of beating a good few Ulster counties.
Think of the choice of forwards alone, from a list headed by former All Ireland Player of the Year Aimee Mackin and including Lavery, Niamh Reel, Niamh Henderson, Cassie Henderson, Caitriona O’Hagan, Moya Feehan and Niamh Murray.
Niamh Coleman and Blaithin Mackin would be a formidable midfield duo, though don’t forget Fionnuala McKenna, the long-serving Armagh Harps skipper with more than a century of Orchard appearances under her belt and still aged just 32.
Crossmaglen’s Cavan native Tina O’Reilly on the attack during her first Orchard appearance (Pic: Colin Molloy)
There would also be a strong slate of options for the half and full back lines in the shape of Niamh Marley, Tiarna Grimes, Dearbhla Coleman, Megan McCann, Ciara Garvey, Louise Kenny, Shauna Grey, Megan Sheridan and Caitlin McCormack.
We can actually throw in Armagh-based ex-Galway great Sinead Burke too, given that her scenario is similar to O’Reilly’s, and she would definitely add real quality to the alternative team’s defensive unit in front of six-in-a-row Ulster All Stars goalkeeper Anna Carr.
Maybe it’s not much consolation when a plethora of key personnel are missing and the team under pressure for results but to have that level of quality in a list of more than 50 players is testament to the depth in what is a relatively small county in playing population terms.
ARMAGH: Brianna Mathers; Maeve Ferguson, Clodagh McCambridge, Alana Donnelly (1-0); Emily Druse, Lauren McConville (capt), Roisin Mulligan; Cait Towe, Grace Ferguson; Lara Marsden, Catherine Marley, Laura Kavanagh; Maeve Lennon, Aoife McCoy (0-1), Kelly Mallon (0-8; 6f, 1tpf). Subs used: Tina O’Reilly for Mulligan (17), Caroline O’Hanlon for Lennon (40), Kellie Shields for Towe (50), Eimear McGeown for Marley (59).
The electrifying Emily Druse strides forward during her outstanding display against Cork (Pic: Colin Molloy)
Armagh’s Catherine Marley in action against Cork in last Sunday’s NFL Division One match (Pic: Colin Molloy)
Corner back Maeve Ferguson tries to go past an opponent in the Orchard’s clash with Cork (Pic: Colin Molloy)
Goalkeeper Brianna Mathers makes a save against Cork as Armagh suffered another home defeat (Pic: Colin Molloy)
Orchard defenders Clodagh McCambridge (right) and Laura Kavanagh scrap hard for possession (Pic: Colin Molloy)
Armagh top-scorer Kelly Mallon’s mother, grandmother and nephew watch on from the stand (Pic: Colin Molloy)
