New Armagh captain Lauren McConville comes under pressure from her Waterford counterpart (Pic: Colin Molloy)
Richard Bullick
THERE was no winning return as Armagh manager for Greg McGonigle as his understrength Ulster champions crashed to a sobering 12-point defeat (0-8 2-14) by Waterford at the Athletic Grounds in Crossmaglen legend Lauren McConville’s first match as official Orchard county captain.
With two of the eight teams in Division One due to be relegated, 2024 National League title winners Armagh will be desperate to bounce back from this painful loss with a valuable away win against Kildare at the Hawkfield Centre of Excellence this Sunday (2pm).
Armagh have enjoyed great success in the National League these past couple of seasons, with flying starts paving the way for reaching back-to-back finals, but teams can easily end up in a dog-fight to avoid the drop if they lose a couple of games early on.
Home matches against Waterford and newly-promoted Cork either side of the trip to Kildare looked like a reasonable start on paper for Armagh, with the opportunity to put points on the board before facing four teams who have contested All Ireland finals in recent years.
The fourth fixture for Armagh is Galway away and they then host the two most recent All Ireland winners, Dublin and Kerry, before finishing with a trip to tackle last season’s beaten finalists Meath, so no win will be easily come by.
Although they haven’t become a bad team overnight and experienced campaigner McGonigle certainly won’t panic, this was a disappointing performance from Armagh – even allowing for the degree of depletion – which will have offered food for thought.
Up until new vice-captain Aoife McCoy and Derrynoose markswoman Maeve Lennon combined nicely for the latter to point in first half injury-time, Armagh had raised just two white flags in the entire opening period despite decent conditions for the time of year.
They were still in touch at the break when trailing by five, but Waterford pointed a mere 19 seconds after the resumption and were seven up by the time the Orchard outfit finally found some momentum in the third quarter.
All eyes on the ball during a goalmouth scramble in the Armagh v Waterford National League opener (Pic: Colin Molloy)
However, Armagh fell away again in alarming fashion and were outscored by 1-6 to a solitary point thereafter as, buoyed by a conclusive second goal, Waterford pulled away for what was in the end a very comprehensive victory.
Lennon led the way with three points for the Orchard crew, whose first two scores – which came within 21 seconds of each other – were the first at this level for Lara Marsden, daughter of the legendary Diarmaid Marsden, who won the All Ireland with Armagh in 2002.
Stalwarts McConville and McCoy weighed in with one point each and Armagh’s last score came from 36-year-old former skipper Kelly Mallon, who has committed to the Orchard cause for an 18th consecutive season.
Such a heavy Orchard defeat wouldn’t have been how the ultra-competitive McConville, Local Women Sport’s LGFA Player of the Year, would have hoped to launch her Orchard captaincy, having finally been given the richly-deserved honour at the age of 31.
However, the little warrior, who gave everything as usual on Sunday, did lead Armagh to five victories in her first five matches as stand-in skipper when predecessor Clodagh McCambridge was injured at the start of last season.
She and fellow All Star McCoy both made their Orchard debut in the opening NFL fixture of 2014 and since then McConville has never been injured, dropped or rested during what has been an outstanding career to date.
There was still something to celebrate on the afternoon for the McConville family, whose loyalties were divided due to a direct clash of fixtures – Lauren’s younger brother Cian McConville started for Armagh’s men in Clones where they thumped Monaghan.
When McGonigle last took charge two years ago, newly-promoted Armagh won their first fixture – by coincidence it too was at home to Waterford, albeit in Crossmaglen – and then reeled off another five victories on the trot.
Armagh’s Caoimhe McNally is tackled by a Waterford defender at the Athletic Grounds (Pic: Colin Molloy)
That secured Armagh’s place in the first ladies NFL final in Orchard history and McGonigle’s side went on to defeat Kerry at Croke Park to claim the title before retaining their provincial crown and reaching the All Ireland semis after topping their group.
The then holders began last season with five wins on the bounce to book their ticket to a second consecutive decider before falling to a 10-point defeat in a dead rubber away to Waterford when the hosts went to town with the wind behind them in the second half.
Waterford finished third in the table and, as a team that has been building over the past couple of years, they would have travelled to the cathedral city with reasonable belief that they could scalp last season’s losing finalists in their own backyard.
Given Waterford’s formidable potential, alarm bells began ringing for some Orchard followers when last Friday’s team announcement revealed the absence of a plethora of notable names, with several other regulars just listed on the bench.
Armagh have that really impressive record in the National League these past couple of seasons and there has been considerable optimism surrounding the return to the helm of one of the country’s top managers in McGonigle.
But with a relatively limited playing pool compared to some counties, Armagh are maybe more reliant on their frontliners than other top teams and being without a number of familiar faces was always likely to really test the Orchard’s squad depth.
Along with new mum Louise Kenny, the missing contingent included the iconic Caroline O’Hanlon, though the good news is that the 41-year-old former All Ireland Player of the Year is understood to be on board for an astonishing 25th senior season in the orange jersey.
There was a quartet of notable absentees from Clann Eireann, who McGonigle had steered to historic Ulster Senior Championship successes in 2023 and 2024 before stepping down after another Orchard county title triumph.
Armagh goalkeeper Brianna Mathers dives at the feet of a Waterford forward during Sunday’s game (Pic: Colin Molloy)
That foursome was comprised of sisters Niamh Coleman and Dearbhla Coleman along with club captain Niamh Henderson and her multi-talented European Under 17 boxing champion niece Cassie Henderson, who captained Armagh U16s to the All Ireland B title last summer.
Armagh’s leading scorer last season, Niamh Reel, was just listed as a water-girl along with Moya Feehan and Megan McCann, while both big name Mackin sisters, Aimee and Blaithin, Roisin Mulligan, Anna Carr and Eve Lavery weren’t in the starting team.
Evergreen veteran Mallon didn’t start either in a change to the published line-up and, although both she and Lavery came on as second half subs, there was no sign of 2024 Armagh Player of the Year Mulligan or the hugely-talented but injury-prone Mackins.
Other useful footballers with significant inter-county experience not available to Armagh in recent times include Niamh Marley and Caitriona O’Hagan, who are both focusing on rugby, Tiarna Grimes, Shauna Grey, Fionnuala McKenna and Meabh McCambrdge.
There were first starts for Clan na Gael’s Marsden and Ballyhegan newcomer Alana Donnelly, while Crossmaglen’s Eva Cassidy and 2025 Minor County Player of the Year Elsie Druse got their first taste of Armagh action as substitutes.
It was a proud day for the Druse family as Elsie joined established big sister Emily on the field, emulating the latter’s achievement five years ago of making her first senior Armagh appearance while Head Girl at St Catherine’s College.
Wearing No 14 but deployed in a defensive capacity, young Donnelly was alert and decisive in denying Waterford a great goal-scoring chance with just a minute gone and that double by Marsden was a prompt Armagh response to the concession of an early goal.
But this was a deflating afternoon overall on what was a first competitive outing for both teams under the dozen new ‘rules enhancements’ being trialled during this Lidl National League campaign.
The early Waterford goal came after Armagh fell foul of one of the new rules which has attracted criticism and controversy over the weekend in men’s gaelic football – the requirement to hand the ball to the other team when a free is awarded.
In this case, play was advanced 50 metres for Emily Druse just dropping the ball on the ground when she was blown for over-carrying, and it ended up in the net after being hoofed into the danger area.
Ballyhegan’s Alana Donnelly made her Armagh debut against Waterford at the weekend (Pic: Colin Molloy)
Maggie Farrelly has something of a reputation for being a fussy, strict referee at the best of times so was never likely to cut players slack in how she enforced the new edicts, but the officiating certainly can’t be blamed for all of Armagh’s woes on the day.
It was a frustrating afternoon for Druse, arguably Armagh’s player of the year last season thanks to her dynamic running game, as she was penalised for over-carrying three times in the first half on what was her 20th consecutive start for the county team.
The hosts rode their luck a bit as Waterford failed to take several good opportunities but the deserving visitors eventually reeled off three points in two minutes to give the scoreboard a more reflective look and they added another couple before Lennon’s late effort.
Dromintee dynamo McCoy got Armagh’s first score of the second half and McConville pointed too between frees from Lennon and sub Mallon, who also raised her team’s final flag in the 55th minute after which Waterford worryingly added an unanswered 1-4.
Armagh had just seven survivors from the starting team for last July’s victory over Donegal in Stewartstown which secured the Orchard’s Senior Championship status for 2026 in what proved the final match in charge for Joe Feeney and Darnell Parkinson.
The remaining seven were McConville, McCoy, Druse, 2024 All Star Grace Ferguson and her younger sister Maeve Ferguson, second vice-captain Cait Towe and Catherine Marley, meaning more than half the team had changed.
O’Hanlon, Niamh Henderson, Reel and McCann weren’t in the matchday squad this time round, Mulligan and six-in-a-row Ulster All Stars goalkeeper Anna Carr remained on the bench throughout here, while Mallon and Lavery came on as subs.
Brianna Mathers started in goals against Waterford, while the other incoming members of last weekend’s run-on line-up were a fit-again McCambridge, Lennon, Marsden, debutant Donnelly, Clonmore’s Sarah Quigley and Killeavy’s Laura Kavanagh.
In last season’s opening game, Armagh got off to the perfect start down in Tralee against All Ireland champions Kerry when O’Hanlon won the initial throw-in, which led to towering teenager Eimear McGeown pointing just 26 seconds into her Orchard debut.
Lara Marsden (left), daughter of Orchard hero Diarmaid, scored her first two points for Armagh (Pic: Colin Molloy)
With no O’Hanlon, Niamh Coleman or Blaithin Mackin around, McCambridge came up to contest the throw-in at the Athletic Grounds alongside Quigley rather than the other nominal midfielder Marley, who was in fact deployed further forward than might have been expected.
Waterford, for whom both Emma Murray and Katie Murray started despite being listed as subs, came away with possession from the throw-in at the start of either half and they were threatening an early goal but for Donnelly doing well to avert the danger.
The Ballyhegan youngster mopped up another loose ball shortly afterwards and Druse caught a dropping Waterford free under her own cross-bar but then was involved in that unfortunate sequence which led to the visiting goal on six minutes.
A case could be made that Mathers was barged into momentarily before she couldn’t hold the dropping ball, but the referee saw nothing amiss and the goal was awarded when the Waterford forward followed in to hit the back of the Armagh net.
Marsden struck those two lovely points from similar positions well out on the right, the second after catching the Waterford kickout and Donnelly further lifted Armagh spirits by winning a turnover soon afterwards.
Unfortunately, Lennon pulled a relatively straightforward free wide in the 11th minute and Waterford soon raised their first white flag at the other end before shots from firstly Lennon and then McConville faded into the arms of the visiting goalkeeper.
Mathers made an absolutely brilliant save with her legs at the start of the second quarter and Waterford failed to convert a free before striking the near post at goal height and then rattling the Orchard cross-bar with a rasping shot.
Waterford finally hit a purple patch which yielded three quickfire points in the space of just 78 seconds, all of them by the impressive Aine O’Neill, though the next effort from Tyrone-born Brid McMaugh went wide.
That woman O’Neill took her tally to four points in five minutes to stretch the Waterford advantage to six but, after a high wide by Grace Ferguson, lovely interplay between her and McCoy led to Lennon kicking a much-needed score on the stroke of half-time.
McMaugh pointed for Waterford just 19 seconds into the second half but Armagh responded with a superb solo score from McCoy, who raced down the left flank, cut in along the end line and fisted over the bar from an acute angle.
It was cancelled out immediately though by O’Neill’s fifth point of the afternoon for Waterford and, after their keeper had held a long-range shot from Marley, the visitors went further ahead with a fisted point by their full forward.
Crossmaglen’s Lauren McConville (right) before her first Armagh match since being appointed captain (Pic: Colin Molloy)
Lennon was kept waiting to take a free, firstly while the fouled Grace Ferguson received attention and then while her clubmate McNally gave way to former Derrynoose star Mallon, but the Queen’s student made no mistake.
The set-piece responsibilities had fallen to Lennon in the absence of a plethora of free-takers from Armagh’s recent past in Mallon, Reel and Blathin Mackin with the right peg or left-footers O’Hanlon, Aimee Mackin and Lavery.
Armagh got another point little more than a minute later, Quigley forcing Waterford to over-carry, Marsden winning another free wide on the right and McConville going through the middle off a return pass from Donnelly to kick a nice captain’s point.
It became three Armagh points in four minutes when Lennon landed another free from a similar position to her previous effort after McConville had been smashed, reducing the arrears to four points approaching the end of the third quarter.
But the Orchard comeback got no further as a McConville shot – just after her Crossmaglen clubmate Cassidy came on for her first Armagh appearance in place of the hard-working Quigley – dropped into the keeper’s arms.
The orangewomen were indebted to Mathers for another outstanding save, this time at the expense of a 45, which led to a McMaugh wide, but they couldn’t conjure a score of their own, Waterford dealing adequately with a free dropped in by Mallon.
There are those of us who believe that Mallon is as equipped as nearly anyone in the country to take advantage of the new two-pointers which have been introduced into the women’s game, but here she was content to go short with frees from outside the arc.
One of Waterford’s chief forwards Kellyann Hogan was now on and she converted a couple of frees either side of a long one from Mallon dropping into the hands of the visiting keeper before Lennon gave way to Lavery.
Waterford were lucky to escape punishment for two high tackles in quick succession on the unflinchingly brave McConville but Armagh got what would prove their final point, swung over confidently by Mallon from the left after Donnelly had linked with her captain in attack.
Thereafter Armagh conceded an unanswered 1-4, sub Treasa Ni Chrotaigh’s goal being followed by four Waterford points in the first five of eight minutes of injury-time as Orchard heads dropped.
Farrelly sinbinned two Waterford women in the space of 93 seconds at the end, so the visiting team finished the match with 13 players but it was too late for Armagh to take advantage, even by way of registering a consolation score or two.
The closing stages were still special for Elsie Druse as she replaced Kavanagh in the 63rd minute for her first taste of Armagh action and, within 14 seconds, she and big sister Emily were in scrapping hard together to win a turnover!
New Armagh vice-captain Aoife McCoy (right) on the attack during Sunday’s defeat by Waterford (Pic: Colin Molloy)
Along with Donnelly, Cassidy and Druse, the other fresh faces in Armagh’s matchday squad were Ella Reid and Holly Dumigan from Armagh Intermediate champions Clan na Gael, Crossmaglen’s Kellie Shields, Mallaidh Loughran of Clady and Derrynoose’s Ciara Nugent.
O’Neill led the way with 0-5 for Waterford, supplemented by Chloe Fennell’s 1-1, the Ni Chrotaigh goal, two points each from McMaugh, Hogan and Clare Walsh, with Katie Murray and Jade Queally raising a single white flag apiece.
Elsewhere on the opening weekend of fixtures in NFL Division One, title holders Kerry won 2-9 to 0-9 away to All Ireland champions Dublin, there was also an away win for Galway against Meath, 0-16 to 0-8, while Cork and Kildare drew 1-10 to 2-7.
ARMAGH: Brianna Mathers; Maeve Ferguson, Clodagh McCambridge, Grace Ferguson; Emily Druse, Lauren McConville (capt; 0-1), Cait Towe; Sarah Quigley, Catherine Marley; Lara Marsden (0-2), Aoife McCoy (0-1), Caoimhe McNally; Maeve Lennon (0-3; 2f), Alana Donnelly, Laura Kavanagh. Subs used: Kelly Mallon (0-1) for McNally (39mins), Eva Cassidy for Quigley (45), Eve Lavery for Lennon (53), Elsie Druse for Kavanagh (62).
Armagh’s All Star forward Aoife McCoy completely bottled up by four Waterford defenders (Pic: Colin Molloy)
Former skipper Kelly Mallon started her 18th season in the orange jersey with a point on Sunday (Pic: Colin Molloy)
All Star corner back Grace Ferguson got forward when she could in a lively display for Armagh (Pic: Colin Molloy)
Armagh’s Catherine Marley in action during Sunday’s opening National League Division One game (Pic: Colin Molloy)
Armagh captain Lauren McConville bursts forward against Waterford with support from vice-captain Aoife McCoy (Pic: Colin Molloy)
