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Sarah Conneally and Karen Guthrie starred.
tough at the top

Galway see off Mayo and Donegal edge Tipp to maintain 100% league records

The Tribeswomen and Maxi Curran’s Ulster champions are both four from four at the top.

Galway 1-11

Mayo 0-8

By Daragh Small at MacHale Park

SARAH CONNEALLY STRUCK 1-1 as Galway made it four wins from four in Division 1 of the Lidl National Football League against Mayo at MacHale Park in Castlebar.

The wind was likely to have a massive impact on proceedings but Galway played against the breeze in the first-half and still took a 0-6 to 0-4 lead into half-time.

Conneally struck shortly after the interval and Tim Rabbitte’s side picked up a confidence boosting victory before they defend their provincial crown against Mayo on 23 June.

Mayo captain Niamh Kelly won the toss and she elected to play with the breeze in the opening half, but Galway kicked the first three scores of the game.

Olivia Divilly scored in the third minute for the dream start, and further points followed from cousins Róisín and Tracey Leonard.

Mayo had to make use of the elements and began to drive the ball long into their dangerous forward line. But they had to wait until the sixth minute before Niamh Kelly pointed off her right, and her sister Grace Kelly reduced the arrears further with a free.

The Moy Davitts duo kept Mayo in the game, and the teams were level for the first time when Niamh Kelly sent over her second point at the end of the first quarter but it was Galway who powered on.

Ella Brennan and Oliva Divilly Mayo's Ella Brennan and Oliva Divilly of Galway earlier. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO

Mairead Seoighe scored a fine effort and Louise Ward gave them a two-point lead with seven minutes remaining in the first-half.

Neither side could add to their tallies towards the end of the half and Galway held a comfortable 0-6 to 0-4 advantage, considering the had the wind to come after the break.

Mayo manager Peter Leahy introduced Nathasha Gaughan, Kathryn Sullivan and Natalie Prendergast at half-time, and the former scored two frees to tie the game up after 35 minutes.

But the crucial goal arrived three minutes later when Róisín Leonard put Conneally through and she blasted to Sorcha Murphy’s top left corner.

And Fabienne Cooney came to her team’s rescue, when she dispossessed a goal-bound Grace Kelly, as Galway closed in on another impressive victory.

Scorers for Galway: S Conneally 1-1, T Leonard 0-3 (3f), R Leonard 0-3, M Seoighe 0-1, L Ward 0-1, O Divilly 0-1, A Thompson 0-1.

Scorers for Mayo: N Gaughan 0-3 (3f), G Kelly 0-2 (2f), N Kelly 0-2, T O’Connor 0-1.

Galway: L Murphy; S Lynch, M Coyne, F Cooney; B Hannon, S Molloy, C Cooney; Á McDonagh, L Ward; M Seoighe, T Leonard, O Divilly; S Conneally, R Leonard, L Coen.

Subs: L Gannon for B Hannon (40), L Hannon for Coen (45), R Ni Flatharta for Conneally (51), A Thompson for McDonagh (59), N Daly for Seoighe (64).

The Mayo team huddle The Mayo team huddle. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO

Mayo: S Murphy; N O’Malley, R Flynn, N Meehan; E Brennan, D Caldwell, R Durkin; Clodagh McManamon, D Finn; S Cafferky, N Kelly, A Roddy; G Kelly, R Kearns, F Doherty.

Subs: Ciara McManamon for Caldwell (22), N Gaughan for Kearns (ht), K Sullivan for Durkin (ht), N Prendergast for Roddy (ht), E Needham for Meehan (46), Kearns for G Kelly (52), T O’Connor for N Kelly (54), L McManamon for Finn (56), L Dervan for Clodagh McManamon (58), A Sheridan for Doherty (59).

Referee: Maggie Farrelly (Cavan).

***

Donegal 3-11

Tipperary 3-9

By Chris McNulty in Convoy 

Donegal are on the verge of a spot in the Lidl Ladies NFL Division 1 semi-finals as their perfect start to 2019 continued.

Karen Guthrie, Róisín Friel and Geraldine McLaughlin netted the goals as Maxi Curran’s team eked out a two-point win over a gallant Tipperary, who fought to the finish and made the home side earn their corn.

Donegal led by two at the break and, within seven minutes of the re-start the Tir Chonaill side took a giant leap towards the win.

Tipp were stunned as Donegal added two quickfire goals. Guthrie – who scored Donegal’s first half goal – and McLaughlin combined to work the chance for Friel, who coolly side-stepped to find the net.

Roisin Friel  Deirdre Murphy Tom Beary / INPHO Tom Beary / INPHO / INPHO

McLaughlin tucked home Donegal’s third goal after a neat give-and-go with Friel to put the deficit out to ten points.

Tipp weren’t going down without a fight and Anna Rose Kennedy found the net to set Donegal nerves jangling. When Roisin Howard bagged her second, and Tipperary’s third goal, Donegal were looking rocky, but it was too late for the visitors to upset their hosts.

Donegal – fresh from wins over Dublin, Mayo and Monaghan – got off to the perfect start as captain Gurthrie latched onto McLaughlin’s pass on the ground to steer in her third goal of the year.

Tipp, buoyed by a first win of the term last weekend in Cork, hit 1-3 to take a momentary hold of the game.

Howard’s shot dropped over the head of Donegal ‘keeper Aisling Nee to level things up before Niamh Lonergan, Roisin Daly and Aishling Moloney – who hit 2-9 in the win over Cork – tipped the scales.

By the time Moloney was sin-binned for a 27th minute foul on Katy Herron – who suffered a similar infraction herself earlier in the half – Donegal had regained the advantage.

Niamh Hegarty fired off a post, but with Guthrie, McLaughlin and Megan Ryan on the mark, Donegal had pulled clear again.

Donegal reeled off three-in-a-row, with McLaughlin (2) and Hegarty edging the hosts back in front.

Lonergan brought Tipp back to within a point, but Guthrie’s free had Donegal 1-7 to 1-5 ahead at the short whistle.

Roisin Howard scores a goal Roisin Howard scored 2-1. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO

Soon, Donegal were toasting two goals and they were needed as Tipp hit back with a strong rally late in the game, but the home side held solid to claim the points.

Scorers for Donegal: G McLaughlin 1-5 (2f), K Guthrie 1-4 (3f), R Friel 1-0, M Ryan, N Hegarty 0-1 each

Scorers for Tipperary: R Howard 2-1, A Moloney 0-4 (3f), A.R Kennedy 1-0, N Lonergan 0-2, R Daly, A Carey 0-1 each 

Donegal: A Nee; T Hegarty, E Gallagher, N Carr; T Doherty, N McLaughlin, N Boyle; K Herron, M Ryan; R Friel, N Hegarty, A Boyle Carr; G McLaughlin, K Guthrie, S McGroddy. 

Subs: C Grant for McGroddy (44), S McLaughlin for T Hegarty (52). 

Tipperary: L Fitzpatrick; E Buckley, L Dillon, E Cronin; B Condon, S Lambert, C Maher; A R Kennedy, R McGrath; N Lonergan, A Moloney, R Daly; R Howard, C Condon, S Everard.

Subs: R O’Donnell for Dillon (33), A Carey for Condon (39), C Kennedy for Lonergan (43), C Lonergan for Everard (43). 

Referee: Garryowen McMahon (Mayo).

Bernard Jackman joins Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey to discuss the backlash to World Rugby’s league proposal, captaincy styles, sports psychology and more in The42 Rugby Weekly.


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