Today’s LGFA League results
Division 1, Round 4
- Meath 0-8 Armagh 2-12
- Dublin 0-16 Galway 1-12
- Cork 1-6 Waterford 2-12
***
- By Daire Walsh
AIMEE MACKIN AND Kelly Mallon struck 1-4 apiece at Ashbourne as Armagh moved to the summit of Lidl National Football League Division 1 table with a convincing triumph over Meath.
Both teams had come into this game with 100% records from the opening three rounds of this year’s NFL, but with Mackin and Mallon leading their charge, it is Armagh who are the new pace-setters in the top tier.
While Emma Duggan shone brightly throughout, Meath — who are under the guidance of former Orchard boss Shane McCormack in 2024 — ultimately suffered their first defeat of the campaign.
Fresh from featuring for Leeds Rhinos in the Netball Superleague on Saturday, Caroline O’Hanlon got Armagh up and running with a second minute point at the end of a patient move. 2020 TG4 Senior Players’ Player of the Year Mackin followed up with a neat score, before both she and O’Hanlon doubled their respective tallies to offer Armagh an early stranglehold on the contest.
Meath clawed back through Niamh Gallogly and Duggan, and were just two points in arrears at 0-7 to 0-5 at the interval.
It was an initially tentative start to the second period from both teams, but the excellent Mackin brought the tie back to life by finishing superbly to the net off her reliable left boot seven minutes after the resumption. And while the Royals responded to this set-back, it remained tit-for-tat.
Armagh’s chances of extending their winning run were given a further boost heading into the final-quarter as Mallon lashed home a second goal for the Ulster side via impressive approach work by Mackin.
This effectively placed the outcome beyond doubt, and Armagh eventually sealed an emphatic victory.
Scorers for Armagh: K Mallon 1-4 (0-2f), A Mackin 1-4 (0-1f), C O’Hanlon 0-2, E Druse, E Lavery 0-1 each.
Scorers for Meath: E Duggan 0-4 (2f), M Farrelly 0-1 (f), N Gallogly, A Cleary, M O’Shaughnessy 0-1 each.
ARMAGH: A Carr; G Ferguson, C McCambridge, R Mulligan; C Towe, L McConville, D Coleman; N Coleman, C O’Hanlon; E Druse, A McCoy, E Lavery; A Mackin, L Kenny, K Mallon.
Subs: C Doyle for Kenny (13), M O’Callaghan for Lavery (45), E O’Brien for Druse (56), M Lennon for McCoy (58), M Ferguson for Coleman (60).
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.
Subs: C Lawlor for Newe (13), S Lynch for Farrelly (45), L Young for Smyth (50), T Foster for Thynne (56), S Ennis for Melia, R Casserly for Byrne (both 60).
Referee: Eddie Cuthbert (Down).
***
- By Anthony Newman
Waterford picked up their first league points after they brushed aside the challenge of Cork at Páirc Uí Rinn.
The visitors dominated from start to finish with Cork unable to live with their running game, led by the likes of Aine O’Neill, Kellyann Hogan and Clare Walsh, and they are now drawn firmly into the relegation battle.
Star forward Katie Quirke, sidelined with a knee injury, was a major loss for the Rebels.
O’Neill’s goal sent Waterford into a 1-5 to 0-1 lead midway through the first half, and with several other goal chances going a-begging, they led 1-9 to 0-1 at the break.
Cork hit back on the restart, but Walsh soon got their second goal. Shane Ronayne brought on 12 subs in all, but it made little or no difference as the Déise were by far the better team.
Lydia McDonagh got a late goal for Cork but it was no more than a consolation score as Waterford outplayed and outclassed their opponents from start to finish.
Scorers for Waterford: C Walsh, A O’Neill 1-2 each, K Hogan 0-5 (1f), K Murray, L McGregor, B McMaugh (f) 0-1 each.
Scorers for Cork: L McDonagh 1-0, D Kiely 0-2 (2f), A Ring 0-3 (3f), S O’Leary 0-1.
WATERFORD: E O’Brien; H Power, E Power, A Murray; C Walsh, A McNulty, A O’Neill; E Murray, K Hogan; K McGrath, C Carroll, M O’Brien; B McMaugh, K Murray, L McGregor.
Subs: C Murray for C Carroll (35), L O’Shea for M O’Brien (45), C McCarthy for B McMaugh, A Brazil for L McGregor (both 48), M Comeford for C Walsh (52), O Kennedy for A O’Neill, N Power for A McNulty, D Shanley for E Power (all 56), E Bolger for K Murray (59), A Reynolds for K Hogan, N Whelan for A Murray, K Brazil for H Power (all 60).
CORK: S Murphy; M Duggan, S Leahy, D Kiniry; K Redmond, A Healy, A Ryan; M O’Callaghan, S Cronin; E Jack, L Coppinger, L O’Mahony; S O’Leary, H Looney, D Kiely.
Subs: E Cleary for A Ryan (20), A Ring for L O’Mahony, E Twomey for D Kiniry, K O’Driscoll for L O’Mahony, L McDonagh for L Coppinger (all HT), A McDonagh for S Cronin, L Hallihan for S O’Leary (both 35), A Corcoran for H Looney, E Hurley for K Redmond (both 41), K Smith for D Kiely (45), R Corkery for A Healy (46), A O’Mahony for M O’Callaghan (48).
Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow).
***
- By Darren Kelly
All-Ireland champions Dublin staged a stunning comeback in the closing minutes to come from three points down to beat Galway at Parnell Park.
Trailing by 1-11 to 0-11, Mick Bohan’s team got five of the last six scores to edge past the Tribeswomen by just one.
Entering the final minutes of normal time, Jennifer Dunne and Hannah Tyrrell left one between them before Olivia Divilly replied for Galway.
But as much as the visitors held out opposing attacks, Kate Sullivan and Orlagh Nolan levelled while Galway captain Ailbhe Davoren got a yellow card. Tyrrell landed the winning free following a foul on Leah Caffrey.
Galway, yet to get off the mark, started brightest in the capital. Linda Booth raised the game’s only green flag in the 15th minute, and they led 1-7 to 0-8 at half time.
Dublin were out of the blocks quickest on the restart, and ultimately kicked on for their second win of the campaign as Galway slipped to their fourth loss and are bottom of the table.
Scorers for Dublin: H Tyrrell 0-5 (4f), K Sullivan 0-4 (1f), O Nolan 0-2, C Darby 0-1, A Timothy 0-1, K Murray 0-1, J Dunne 0-1, D Lawless 0-1.
Scorers for Galway: R Leonard 0-4 (3f), L Booth 1-0, A O’Rourke 0-3, L Coen 0-2, A Davoren 0-1, M Glynn 0-1, O Divilly 0-1.
DUBLIN: R Fleming; N Crowley, L Caffrey, M Byrne; H Hegarty, O Carey, K Murray; N Hetherton, J Dunne; C Darby, O Nolan, K Sullivan; H Tyrrell, J Egan, A Timothy.
Subs: D Lawless for Egan (28), E Deeley for Hegarty (ht), N Donlon for Darby (ht), A Nyhan for Timothy (44), A Kane for Crowley (48), H McGinnis for Murray (56).
GALWAY: K Connolly; E O’Riordan, S Ní Loingsigh, E Gavin; K Geraghty, M Jordan, A Ní Cheallaigh; M Glynn, A Davoren; L Booth, S Hynes, M Walsh; A O’Rourke, R Leonard, L Coen.
Subs: O Divilly for Booth (38), N Ward for O’Riordan (38), M Banek for Hynes (55), C Miskell for Glynn (60).
Referee: Maggie Farrelly (Cavan).
Yesterday, Kerry and Mayo finished all square. You can read the full report here>
- Additional reporting by Emma Duffy.
