ACE FORWARD TRACEY Leonard made a welcome late return from cruciate knee ligament damage as Galway joined holders Cork at the head of affairs in Division 1 of the Lidl Ladies National Football League.
Two Róisín Leonard goals, and another from Ailbhe Davoren, helped the Tribeswomen to see off Kerry by 3-6 to 1-10 on Sunday afternoon.
Dublin could have made it a three-way tie at the top but the Leinster champions suffered a surprise 3-5 to 3-12 defeat against Armagh in Abbottstown.
Leonard’s first goal was the first decisive piece of action in Corofin and that strike helped the hosts to lead by 1-4 to 0-5 at half-time.
But Kerry took control early in the second half and Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh’s 34th-minute goal opened up a 1-7 to 1-4 lead for the Kingdom.
But Galway regained the initiative when Leonard and Davoren netted quickfire goals, while Kerry lost Denise Hallissey to the sin-bin.
Victory makes it four wins in five League outings for Stephen Glennon’s Galway this year, with Leonard brought on in the 59th minute.
In Dublin, Aimee Mackin scored 1-9 for visiting Armagh, who collected their second win of the campaign.
Mackin’s haul included 1-7 from play, as the Orchard County dented Dublin’s hopes of a top-four finish.
Dublin did come to life with second half goals from Carla Rowe and Lyndsey Davey, while a Sarah McCaffrey effort was ruled out as the home side had 16 players on the pitch at the time.
Aoife McCoy scored the game’s opening goal for Armagh in the sixth minute, an effort cancelled out by Hannah O’Neill nine minutes later.
Armagh’s second goal arrived early in the second half, Lauren McConville on target, and the visitors were six points clear before Rowe netted for Dublin.
Armagh’s response was immediate, Mackin bagging their third goal, before she added a point.
Davey’s goal cut Armagh’s lead back to four points but Armagh, who had a big performance from influential midfielder Caroline O’Hanlon, kept the scoreboard ticking over down the home straight.
Elsewhere, the scheduled Donegal-Mayo game was postponed, due to a bereavement in the Donegal camp.
On Saturday, it was revealed that Cork’s 11-time All-Ireland senior medallist Deirdre O’Reilly is retiring from inter-county football.
The Leesiders still managed to come from behind and secure a valuable 2-14 to 1-12 victory against hosts Monaghan in Clones, with Rachel McKenna’s sin-binning for Monaghan proving a real turning point.
In Division 2 on Sunday, Cavan beat Waterford by just a single point, 2-7 to 0-12, as Westmeath saw off Laois by two points, 0-14 to 1-9.
In Sunday’s only Division 3 game, Wexford won by 3-13 to 0-14 at home to Meath and in Division 4, there were victories for Longford, Wicklow, Carlow and Derry.
Results
Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 1
Dublin 3-5 Armagh 3-12
Galway 3-6 Kerry 1-10
Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 2
Cavan 2-7 Waterford 0-12
Laois 1-9 Westmeath 0-14
Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 3
Wexford 3-13 Meath 0-14
Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 4
Fermanagh 2-5 Longford 3-15
Wicklow 3-19 Louth 1-7
Antrim 1-9 Carlow 2-8
Kilkenny 2-4 Derry 3-11
