Ladies Football weekend previews
Compiled by Jackie Cahill
ANOTHER crucial weekend of Lidl National League action will see the semi-final pairings for Division 4 confirmed.
In Divisions 1, 2 and 3, the fight for Final places and to avoid relegation continues apace, with plenty at stake.
The final round of group fixtures in Division 4 will be played on Sunday, with the teams in the top three divisions preparing for Round 5 ties.
Cork and Mayo get weekend proceedings underway on Saturday at 2.30pm in Mallow in Division 1, with 15 games across all four divisions scheduled for Sunday.
All four of the weekend’s Division 1 fixtures will be live-streamed.
Cork v Mayo and Armagh v Kerry will be available to view on the Spórt TG4 YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@SportTG4 while Waterford v Dublin and Galway v Meath are both available to purchase at https://page.inplayer.com/streamsportireland/
All games 2pm unless stated
Saturday March 2
Lidl NFL Division 1
Cork v Mayo; Mallow, 2.30pm – Live on Spórt TG4 YouTube – https://bit.ly/4321mPV
Cork’s defeat to Waterford last time out has left the Leesiders in relegation trouble ahead of the visit of Mayo, who picked up a valuable point against Kerry.
Cork occupy one of the two relegation slots ahead of Round 5 and they need to pick up points in the remaining three group fixtures to remain in the top flight.
It’s incredibly tight towards the bottom with Cork and Waterford on three points, ahead of pointless Galway, and Mayo are not out of danger themselves as they currently sit on four points.
A win for either side here would represent a huge boost as they aim to preserve top flight status for 2025.
Cork have made two changes following the Waterford setback, with Ellen Twomey and Abbie O’Mahony coming in for Dara Kiniry and Shauna Cronin.
There are also two changes for Mayo, with All Star Danielle Caldwell and Jenna Mortimer coming into a reshuffled half-back line in place of Sinéad Cafferky and Erin Murray.
Cork: S Murphy; M Duggan, S Leahy, E Twomey; K Redmond, A Healy, A Ryan; M O’Callaghan, A O’Mahony; E Jack, L Coppinger, L O’Mahony; S O’Leary, H Looney, D Kiely.
Mayo: L Brennan; A Fitzpatrick, N O’Malley, S Lally (capt.); K Sullivan, D Caldwell, J Mortimer; A Geraghty, H Reape; F McLaughlin, L Cafferky, M Cannon; T Needham, F McHale, S Walsh.
Sunday March 3
Lidl NFL Division 1
Armagh v Kerry; BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, 1pm – Live on Spórt TG4 YouTube – https://bit.ly/4bU7RrU
A huge clash at the top of the table as Armagh and Kerry, who contested the 2022 Division 2 Final, aim to keep up their quest for Division 1 Final slots.
Armagh have the only 100 per cent record in the top flight and another win here would leave the Orchard County in a very strong position.
But holders Kerry, who drew with Mayo last time out, are hot on their heels and just two points behind ahead of a massive tie.
Armagh put fellow title chasers Meath to the sword last time out and are the form team in Division 1.
The hosts have made two changes in personnel for this glamour clash, with Corinna Doyle and Niamh Henderson coming in for Eve Lavery and Louise Kenny.
Kerry, meanwhile, have made half a dozen changes to their starting line-up.
Fay O’Donoghue, Aishling O’Connell, Kayleigh Cronin, captain Niamh Carmody, Katie Brosnan and Emma Dineen are listed to start, with Aoife Dillane, Bríd O’Connor, Ciara Murphy, Jess Gill, Jayden Lucey and Danielle O’Leary sitting this one out.
Armagh: A Carr; G Ferguson, C McCambridge (capt.), R Mulligan; C Towe, L McConville, D Coleman; N Coleman, C O’Hanlon; E Druse, A McCoy, C Doyle; A Mackin, N Henderson, K Mallon.
Kerry: C Butler; E Lynch, D Kearney, F O’Donoghue; A O’Connell, K Cronin, C Lynch; M O’Connell, A Galvin; N Carmody (capt.), N Ní Chonchúir, A Harrington; K Brosnan, E Dineen, H O’Donoghue.
Waterford v Dublin; Fraher Field, Dungarvan – Live on Streamsport.ie https://page.inplayer.com/streamsportireland/
Waterford produced a sensational performance against Cork last time out to nail their first points of the season.
The Déise ran out very comfortable winners against Cork away from home and will now look to build on that performance when they welcome Dublin to Dungarvan.
The Sky Blues came from behind to beat Galway last time out and are not entirely out of the running for a Final place.
They’ll need another win here to stay in the hunt while Waterford could also do with the points to boost their chances of avoiding the drop.
The home side are unchanged following the Cork win, as Dublin make five changes in personnel to their starting team.
All Star goalkeeper Abby Shiels returns, along with Ashling Nyhan, Niamh Donlon, Aoife Kane and Ellen Gribben.
Rachel Fleming, Martha Byrne, Hannah Hegarty, Chloe Darby and Jodi Egan drop out of the team for the visit to the Déise, with Jessica Tobin a notable addition to the subs bench and hopeful of making a return following a serious knee injury sustained in April 2023.
Hannah McGinnis is also listed among the Dublin subs, and she’s a sister of Killian McGinnis, who has featured recently for Dessie Farrell’s Dublin men’s team.
Waterford: E O’Brien; H Power, E Power, A Murray; K McGrath, A McNulty, A O’Neill; E Murray, K Hogan (capt.); C Walsh, C Carroll, M O’Brien; B McMaugh, K Murray, L McGregor.
Dublin: A Shiels; N Crowley, A Nyhan, N Donlon; A Kane, L Caffrey (capt.), K Murray; O Carey, J Dunne; E Gribben, O Nolan, K Sullivan; A Timothy, H Tyrrell, N Hetherton.
Galway v Meath; Duggan Park, Ballinasloe – Live on Streamsport.ie https://page.inplayer.com/streamsportireland/
It’s now must-win territory for Galway as they welcome Meath to Ballinasloe.
The Tribeswomen, who contested the 2023 Division 1 Final, are rock bottom of the table with four defeats to date.
There was much to be encouraged about in their defeat to Dublin but Galway allowed the hosts to pip them at the post from a winning position.
Meath suffered their first defeat of the campaign against table-toppers Armagh in their previous outing and are now in third, one point outside of the top two spots.
Ahead of this crucial tie for both sides, Meath go with the same starting 15 as manager Shane McCormack looks for a big response from his charges.
There’s just one change to the Galway side that lost out against the Dubs, with Dearbhla Gower replacing Karen Connolly between the sticks.
Galway: D Gower; E Gavin, S Ní Loingsigh, E O’Riordan; K Geraghty, M Jordan, A Ní Cheallaigh; M Glynn, A Davoren (capt.); L Booth, S Hynes, M Walsh; L Coen, A O’Rourke, R Leonard.
Meath: M McGuirk; K Newe, A Sheridan, N Troy; N Gallogly, M.K. Lynch, A Cleary; M O’Shaughnessy, S Melia; M Thynne, E Moyles, C Smyth; M Byrne, M Farrelly, E Duggan.
Lidl NFL Division 2
Monaghan v Cavan; Cloghan Centre of Excellence, 1pm
A huge game for both counties in this Ulster derby.
Cavan, on six points and with two Áine Bradys in their full-back line, are four points off a Final place while Monaghan are in the relegation zone.
The Farney girls did finally get off the mark with a draw against Donegal last time out but they’ll need more points on the board to avoid relegation trouble in the final three rounds of group fixtures.
Monaghan: Ó Kelly; M Monaghan (capt.), N Cogan, S Brady; A Garland, Á Loughman, E Clerkin; J Duffy, C Nally; N Flanagan, É Sherry, C Treanor; L Garland, L Maguire, S Tierney.
Cavan: E Baugh; Áine Brady (Ballyhaise), Áine Brady (Cornafean – capt.), C Brady; H Gilsenan, R Dolan, K Tuipulotu; Á Smith, C Halpin; Z Fay, S McCabe, S Levingstone; C Charters, N McCorry, D McCaffrey.
Donegal v Tyrone, Ballybofey
Donegal and Tyrone are both genuine promotion hopefuls and this is another massive Ulster derby in Division 2 on Sunday.
Donegal, who drew with Monaghan in their previous fixture, are in third place, three points behind second-placed Tyrone and five behind pace-setters Kildare.
Tyrone also drew last time out against Laois and the winners here will give their promotion hopes a massive shot in the arm.
Donegal: C Friel; S McLaughlin, A Temple Asokuh, E McGinley; C Keon, N Gordon, T Hegarty; R Rodgers, N Boyle; J McFadden, N McLaughlin (capt.), K Long; S White, K Herron, A Boyle-Carr.
Tyrone: C Donnelly; J Lyons, J Barrett, Z Loughran; C Campbell, M Corrigan, E Mulgrew; M Mallon, A McHugh (capt); A Horisk, E.J. Gervin, C McCaffrey; E Conroy, M Canavan, S Byrne.
Kildare v Laois, Manguard Park
Kildare, Division 3 winners last year, have their sights firmly set on top flight football in 2024.
The Lilywhites lead the pack on 12 points in Division 2 and with a 100 per cent record to date.
They welcome Leinster rivals Laois to Manguard Park for a clash with huge potential consequences at both ends of the table.
Laois claimed a good point against Tyrone in their last game but sitting bottom of the table on scoring difference, the O’Moore County need more good results before the end of the group phase to avoid the drop.
Kildare: A Dunlea; F Troute, L Lenehan, A Clifford; M Doherty, R Sargent, L Gilbert; G Clifford (capt.), E O’Toole; A Rattigan, E Dowling, S Munnelly; N Dooley, R Byrne, H McLoughlin.
Laois: E Barry; S Farrelly, C Dunne (capt.), M Cotter; Susie Delaney, A Moran, Sarah Delaney; A Moore, O Hennessy; R Allen, E Lacey, K Donoghue; M Nerney, L Kearney, G Lalor.
Westmeath v Tipperary; TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar
A big game at TEG Cusack Park pits Westmeath against Tipperary in a game that could alter the course of the League season for both sides.
Westmeath are on three points and currently hovering above the relegation zone, while Tipperary are on six points, four points adrift now of the promotion places.
Tipp lost by just a point against high-flying Kildare in their last game, as Westmeath suffered a similar fate against Cavan.
Westmeath: L McCormack (capt.); L Kiernan, L Power, L McCartan; C Kelly, F Coyle, R Dillon; K Boyce-Jordan, V Carr; A Ruane, R Higgins, C Clarke McMahon; K Hegarty, L Slevin, T Dillon.
Tipperary: L Fitzpatrick; N Martin, L Spillane, E Cronin; K Downey, M Curley (capt.), N Martin; L Morrissey, A.R. Kennedy; N Towey, M Creedon, E McCarthy; E Morrissey, A McGuigan, A Moloney.
Lidl NFL Division 3
Roscommon v Wexford; Kiltoom, 1pm
Roscommon, relegated from Division 2 last season, can take a big step towards promotion with victory here.
Wexford are still very much in the hunt on seven points but it’s the Rossies who lead the way in the standings on ten points alongside Clare.
In their previous fixtures, Roscommon were impressive in victory over Sligo, as Wexford drew with Louth.
Roscommon: H Cummins; A McGrath, E Irwin (capt.), A MacAuliffe; R Fitzmaurice, S Wynne, C Cregg; L O’Rourke, K Nolan; L Fleming, L Shanagher, S Farrell; A Hanly, A Shanagher, J McDermott.
Wexford: S McCarthy; L Doyle, M Byrne, K English; A Power, A Halligan, S Harding Kenny; R Murphy (capt.), C Banville; R Hughes, C Donnelly, A Cullen; C Ní Nualláin; T Doyle, C Foxe.
Louth v Clare, Stabannon Parnells
Louth are on four points in the standings, six points off the two promotion slots currently occupied by Roscommon and Clare.
All hope is not lost for the Wee County but they’ll need a very strong finish to the group stages if they’re to have a chance of squeezing into the top two.
Clare, with Ailish Considine back in the fold, are in good shape, sitting alongside Roscommon on ten points at the head of affairs.
Clare defeated Offaly last time out, as Louth claimed a point against Wexford.
Louth: R Lambe Fagan; K Mathews, C Boyle, C O’Reilly; A Russell, A Whyte, C McDonald; A Halligan, E Byrne; C Keenan, N Rice (capt.), S Mathews; M Duffy, C Woods, K Flood.
Clare: A Lenihan; S Ní Chonaill, G Harvey, A Keane; R Considine, J Doohan, S Considine; C Harvey (capt.), A Reidy; T Collins, C Hickey, L Ryan; C Moloney, A Considine, F Marrinan.
Antrim v Sligo, Spórtlann na hÉireann, Coláiste Feirste, Falls Road, Belfast
Antrim have found the going tough in Division 3, after gaining promotion last year.
The Saffrons have lost all four of their games to date and need a really strong finish to the campaign to avoid relegation.
Sligo are in a similar boat, sitting just a point ahead of Antrim in the Division 3 standings.
This is a massive game for both sides in their quest to preserve third-tier football for 2025.
Antrim: S Murphy; D Coleman, E Ferran, N McArdle; C McKenna, C Brown (capt.), H Donaghy; A Mulholland, L Dahunsi; A Sheehan, L Agnew, C Lohan; B Ní Cahail, E Rogers-Duffy, E Murphy.
Sligo: E McGuire; A Molloy, E McDermott, C Dunne (capt.); C King, A Morrisroe, T Breheny; S Cunney, S Regan; C Gilligan, R O’Brien, J Lyons; R Smith, N Brennan, L Duffy.
Offaly v Down, Edenderry GAA
Offaly and Down are two sides who won’t give up on their promotion hopes.
Offaly are currently third in the table, three points behind the leaders, while Down are a point behind the Faithful County.
This is a vital tie for both sides as they aim for a promotion surge in the remaining three rounds of group fixtures.
Offaly: K Cunningham; A Grehan, M Mann, K Farrelly; N Buckley, E Hand, N Farrelly; A Gavin Mangan, E McEvoy (capt.); F Dempsey, C Sheridan, C Walsh; E Hackett, M Byrne, K Furey.
Down: A McGivern; A Greene, O Boyle, P Smyth; N McKibbin, M Doherty (capt.), O Duffy; C Mulvenna, A Laverty; N Scullion, N King, L Duffy; A O’Higgins, N Ferris, V McCormack.
Lidl NFL Division 4
Longford v Leitrim; Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, 12pm
Longford need a win here and then all eyes will turn to the Limerick-Carlow tie at 2pm to determine their fate.
Leitrim are already through to the last four of the competition, along with Fermanagh, and two semi-final slots remain up for grabs ahead of the final round of group fixtures.
Victories for Longford and Limerick would see three teams locked together on eleven points – Carlow, Longford and Limerick – and, in that case, scoring difference will determine which two teams progress.
Longford: R McGrath; O Nevin, E O’Brien, G Kenny; K McKeon, L Shannon, C McCormack (capt.); S Gallagher, S Hagan; Clodagh Lohan, G Shannon, Caoimhe Lohan; C Mulligan, N Brady, K Shannon.
Leitrim: M Monaghan; E Bruen, C Tyrrell, C Owens; S Reynolds, K Bruen, O Flynn; N Tighe, M McGovern; V Egan, L O’Dowd, M Guckian (capt.); A Clancy, L Fox, A Redican.
Limerick v Carlow; Feohanagh/Castlemahon
A crucial shoot-out between two sides aiming to squeeze into the semi-final placings.
Victory is a must for Limerick as they aim to move alongside Carlow on 11 points, while a Longford win against Leitrim would see three teams locked together on that total.
Carlow have a scoring difference of +25, compared to Longford’s +10 and Limerick’s +6, and that could well prove crucial at the close of play.
Limerick: S Hennessy; J McGuire, Y Lee (capt.), F Bradshaw; M MacNamara, C Mee, G Lee; R Ambrose, L Ryan; K Heelan, D Murphy, K O’Leary; E Woulfe, C McGrath, I Kennelly.
Carlow: N Hanley; A Carroll, A Roche, S McCullagh; R Bermingham (capt.), N Murphy, N Forde; M Townsend, R Bailey; E Hayden, B Nolan, S Doyle; R Sawyer, M O’Neill, C Ní Shé.
Kilkenny v Wicklow; MW Hire Training Centre, Dunmore
Wicklow’s fate is out of their hands and all they can do is win against Kilkenny and see how results elsewhere pan out.
There is the prospect of Carlow, Longford and Limerick finishing the group phase all locked together on 11 points, while Wicklow can only get to ten at this point.
However, if Longford and Limerick both lose, or draw, a Wicklow victory would see them make the top four.
Kilkenny: E Lawlor; K Hennessy, A O’Neill, S Smith; L Brett, A Galwey, R Roche; K Comerford, E Lawlor (capt.); C Moore, H Brennan, J O’Keeffe; M Gilsenan, S Corcoran, B Roche.
Wicklow: E Griffin; M Corr, S.J. Winders, S Goetelen; N Caffrey, C Murphy, R Byrne; A Gorman, M Healy; S Evans, S McGettigan, A Harmon; E O’Brien, N Cullen, L Dunne.
Fermanagh v Derry; Donagh
Fermanagh conclude the group stages safe in the knowledge that they’re safely through to the semi-finals.
But the Erne County will still be anxious to finish on top of the table, which would see them play the fourth-place finisher in the last four.
Derry recorded their first victory of the season against Kilkenny last weekend and will be keen to finish their season with a positive display in this all-Ulster clash.
Fermanagh: M Maguire; E Douglas, K Murphy, S Gunn; S McQuade (capt.), C Murphy, E Maguire; B Bogue, S Feeley; L Maguire, J Doonan, D Maguire; B Smyth, E Smyth, A McCabe.
Derry: E Conway; O McGough, A McGough, J Corr (capt.); S Hargan, O McGeough, K Holly; M Devine, A Kilpatrick; Erin Doherty, D McKeever, A Martin; Emma Doherty, C Donnelly, L McGonagle.
Note: Venues subject to change depending on weather conditions.
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