Kildare LGFA manager Pat Sullivan (file photo). Tom Beary/INPHO

Big upset as Kildare stun Dublin, while Armagh put Tyrone to the sword

There were two games down for decision in Division 1 of the Lidl National Football League this afternoon.

Kildare 1-8

Dublin 0-8

By Seamus Dillon

KILDARE CAUSED a major upset when they enjoyed a well-deserved three point win over Dublin in a hugely entertaining Lidl NFL Division One encounter at Manguard Park.

On an afternoon where Dublin would have been fancied to make it back-to-back wins, it was a superb Kildare showing that secured the points with Alannah Prizeman’s 10th minute goal proving the difference.

It was a huge win for new manager Pat Sullivan — they lost to his former side, Waterford, last week — and a first defeat for Dublins joint bosses Paul Casey and Derek Murray.

Kildare opened the brightest but both sides stuggled for scores in the early stages. The Lilywhites drew first blood after nine minutes when Gillian Wheeler played a quick free to Nessa Dooley who tapped over. 60 seconds later, Dooley forced a ’45 and when her effort dropped short, Prizeman was on hand to raise a green flag for the home side. Wheeler and a Roisin Byrne free had Kildare six points up after 20 minutes.

Niamh Hetherton and Jodi Egan, inside a minute, landed Dublin’s opening scores but Kildare finished the half with Dooley and Wheeler scores to lead 1-5 to 0-2 at the break.

The introduction of Kate Sullivan and Carla Rowe at half-time quickly paid dividends for Dublin as both pointed inside three minutes. Kildare lost Lauren Murtagh to a yellow and, from the resultant free, Rowe added her second.

Byrne settled Kildare with a 41st=minute free to open a four-point buffer again but Rowe quickly pointed two more frees and with 15 minutes left, Dublin were back within two. Egan reduced it to the minimum with 11 minutes remaining.

But Kildare finished the stronger and a third Byrne free on 59 minutes and a late Leah Doran effort put three between and Kildare held on for a deserved victory.

Scorers for Kildare: A Prizeman 1-0, R Byrne 0-3f, N Dooley and G Wheeler 0-2 each, L Doran 0-1

Scorers for Dublin: C Rowe 0-4 (3f), J Egan 0-2, N Hetherton and K Sullivan 0-1 each.

KILDARE: M Hulgraine; R Sargent, L Dunlea, M Doherty; L Murtagh, L Lenehan, M Aspell; C Sullivan, L Curran; E Wheeler, C Moran, G Wheeler; N Dooley, A Prizeman, R Byrne.

Subs: A Rattigan for Prizeman (50), L Shaw for Wheeler (55), S Galvin for Curran (55), A Mahon for Murtagh (63).

DUBLIN: K Moran Tighe; J Tobin, M Byrne, A Nyhan; N Donlon, L Caffrey, A Curran; G Kós, H McGinnis; R McDonnell, C Darby, S McIntyre; A Timothy, N Hetherton, J Egan.

Subs: K Sullivan for McIntyre (half-time), C Rowe for Nyhan (half-time), O Martin for Timothy (45), K Murphy for Egan (50), C Fox for McDonnell (55).

Referee: Shane Curley (Galway).

******

Armagh 0-16

Tyrone 0-5

By Shaun Casey

A STRONG SECOND-HALF display from Division One champions Armagh put rivals Tyrone to the sword in round two of the Lidl NFL at St Paul’s.

The sides were all square at the break but the Orchard County were the dominant force once the sides switched ends.

Tyrone failed to score after the turnaround and a yellow card to corner forward Chloe McCaffrey midway through the second period left last year’s beaten TG4 All-Ireland intermediate championship finalists with an even more difficult task.

niamh-reel Niamh Reel led the scoring for Armagh. Leah Scholes / INPHO Leah Scholes / INPHO / INPHO

Armagh, who needed three late goals to secure an opening day win over All-Ireland champions Kerry last weekend, didn’t hit the net this time but kept the scoreboard ticking over with points.

It was the Red Hands were who the commanding side during the opening exchanges, however. As the rain trickled down at the Lurgan venue, the visiting side raced into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead.

Maria Canavan, her side’s only scorer in their first round defeat to Meath, got things up and running with a pointed free. Armagh top scorer Niamh Reel played provider early on and set up the energetic Emily Druse for the equaliser.

Canavan fired over two more frees while McCaffrey also raised a white flag to put her team three ahead. That gap could have been wider, but McCaffrey’s goal chance sailed harmlessly wide.

Caroline O’Hanlon pointed and two from Reel — her second a marvellous outside-of-the-boot effort — got the Orchard back on level terms. Canavan and Reel traded scores to bring the first-half to a close, with the sides tied at 0-5 apiece.

Within 90 seconds of the second period, Armagh stretched three ahead with Druse, Niamh Coleman and O’Hanlon all firing over scores. Roisin Mulligan and Reel grew the lead further as Tyrone were reduced to 14 players for a ten-minute period.

A stunning Amelia Coyle stop denied Druse a goal, but Armagh continued to split the posts with Reel landing four of the final five points (all frees) while Maeve Lennon also got in on the scoring act.

The victory sets Armagh up well for their trip to Dublin next weekend, and Darnell Parkinson and Joe Feeney’s side will be keen to extend their winning streak. Tyrone, on the other hand, have yet to get off the mark and will hope to do so against Mayo in round three.

Scorers for Armagh: N Reel 0-8 (5f), C O’Hanlon 0-2 (1f), E Druse 0-2, R Mulligan, N Coleman, M Lennon, C McNally 0-1 each.

Scorers for Tyrone: M Canavan 0-4 (4f), C McCaffrey 0-1.

ARMAGH: A Carr; M Ferguson, C Garvey, C Towe; E Druse, L McConville, R Mulligan; N Coleman, C O’Hanlon; A McCoy, M Feehan, B Mackin; N Reel, E McGeown, M Lennon.

Subs: N Henderson for E McGeown (39), C McNally for B Mackin (44), M Lavery for E Druse (54), L Kavanagh for M Ferguson (56) R Cunningham for A McCoy (56).

TYRONE: A Coyle; J Lyons, J Barrett, E Quinn; C Canavan, M Corrigan, A Strain; A McHugh, M Mallon; C Campbell, S Byrne, E McNamee; C McCaffrey, M Canavan, A Quinn.

Subs: A Horisk for A Quinn (39), S McCarroll for E McNamee (44), A Grimes for C Canavan (47), E Conroy for S Byrne (52), C Daly for A Strain (57), M Moore for C Campbell (59).

Referee: Eoghan O’Neill (Kildare).

******

Meanwhile, in Division 2, promotion favourites Galway and Cork went head-to-head in Tuam, and it was Galway who came out on top by 2-8 to 0-12 in the battle between two sides who were relegated from the top flight last year.

Leanne Coen and Róisín Leonard got the goals for Galway, while Katie Quirke landed 0-9 for Cork.

Lidl National Football League Round Two results

Division 1 

  • Kildare 1-8 Dublin 0-8
  • Armagh 0-16 Tyrone 0-5

Division 2 

  • Roscommon 3-13 Clare 0-8
  • Galway 2-8 Cork 0-12
  • Monaghan 0-10 Tipperary 1-6
  • Westmeath 1-6 Donegal 0-9

Division 3

  • Cavan 3-15 Down 1-8
  • Carlow 2-11 Offaly 1-8
  • Louth 6-5 Laois 1-10
  • Wexford 1-12 Limerick 1-6

Division 4

  • Wicklow 6-12 Kilkenny 0-6
  • Sligo 2-12 Longford 1-5
  • Leitrim 3-13 Derry 1-5
  • Antrim 3-10 Fermanagh 3-9

- Additional reporting from Emma Duffy and Ladies Gaelic Football

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