Kerry have lost to Galway in the Lidl Ladies National Football League.
Galway won in Austin Stack Park, Tralee by 1-11 to 1-9.
By Dan Kearney
Galway sealed their fourth win of their Lidl National League Division One campaign with a hard fought victory over Kerry at Austin Stack Park in Tralee in hardy winter conditions.
A goal 30 seconds into the second half by Leanne Coen made all the difference for the winners despite a stirring comeback from Kerry in the final quarter of the game.
A swirling wind favoured Kerry in the opening period where both sides did quite well even with the heavy downpour before the start of the game.
It was the visitors that settled better early with Aoife Molloy raising a white flag after two minutes following some good patient play.
Scores followed from Roisin Leonard and Aoife O’Rourke as Galway attacked with intent and purpose and certainly looked the better side early on.
Siofra O’Shea finally got Kerry off the mark in the 8th minute from a free but a flowing move involving the rampant Hannah Noone and Coen finished with Noone striking over a good score to push Galway three ahead once more.
Full forward Julia Curtin replied for Kerry in the 10th minute after Danielle O’Leary’s initial shot was blocked, and straight afterwards Rachel Dwyer slotter over to leave Kerry just a single score behind, before Andrea Trill showed fantastic pace to slot over for the visitors.
Kerry struck for the goal they craved in the 18th minute when Danielle O’Leary struck low and hard past Leah O’Halloran after a brilliant raking pass from Niamh Carmody.
Galway responded in style from Kate Slevin and the brilliant Noone, with O’Shea getting a welcome reply with another free for the hosts.
It was Galway who finished the half the stronger though with Slevin popping over her second, and Coen slotting her first, to see the maroon and white take a 0-9 to 1-4 lead in at the half time break.
Coen scored the all-important and crucial goal at the start of the second half for Galway when she showed a snipers instincts to finish after Roisin Leonard’s initial shot was blocked.
Trill and a brace of frees from O’Shea saw Galway lead by 1-10 to 1-6 with 40 minutes gone and the visitors were unlucky not to add a goal when, after a poor kick out from Mary Ellen Bolger, Roisin Leonard’s shot was saved by Bolger and Trill hit the follow-up off the post.
Kerry roared into the game from here on with Dwyer, an O’Shea free and a monster Anna Galvin point bringing them within one , but the final say of the game fell to Kate Slevin when she popped over the insurance free on the final whistle.
Scorers: Galway: L Coen 1-1, H Noone 0-2, K Slevin 0-3 (1f), A Trill 0-2, R Leonard 0-1, A Molloy 0-1, A O’Rourke 0-1.
Kerry: S O’Shea 0-5f, D O Leary 1-0, R Dwyer 0-2, J Curtin 0-1, A Galvin 0-1.
GALWAY: L O’Halloran; R Quinn, S Ní Loingsigh, B Quinn; H Noone, S Divilly, A Molloy; N Divilly, A Madden; A O’Rourke, K Slevin, K Thompson; A Trill, L Coen, R Leonard. Subs: O Divilly for A O’Rourke 41, L Ward for S Divilly 43, N Ward for S Ní Loingsigh 46, L Noone for R Leonard 49, M Glynn for A Madden 59.
KERRY: M.E. Bolger; K Furey, E Lynch, D Kearney; R Rahilly, A Galvin, A Dillane; M O’Connell, C Evans; N Carmody, K Enright, R Dwyer; S O’Shea, J Curtin, D O’Leary. Subs: J Lucey for J Curtin, K Brosnan for K Furey (both h/t), N Ní Chonchúir for R Dwyer 53, M Mulvihill for C Evans 59.
Kerry selector Mike Tim O'Sullivan MikeTimPostGalway
Armagh 2-11 Dublin 2-11
By Elaine Ingram
An exciting battle at the Box-It Athletic Grounds which included penalties at both ends, saw the spoils shared between Armagh and Dublin in this Lidl National League Division 1 clash.
With relegation a real worry for both the reigning TG4 All-Ireland champions Dublin and last year's Division 1 finalists Armagh, a win was the desired outcome for both sides but a draw was probably a fair result.
Despite a strong wind at their back in the opening half, Armagh were quickly playing catch-up with a point from Ellen Gribbin followed by a goal drilled home from close range by Orlagh Nolan with just three minutes on the clock.
The Orchard County settled with Kelly Mallon getting them on the scorebord with a fifth minute point and she added a second from a free following traded scores between Laura Grendon and Lauren McConville.
Brianna Mathers denied Dublin a second goal when she bravely came off her line and saved Grendon's effort, but Nolan stretched Dublin's lead again with a couple of converted frees to make it 1-4 to 0-3.
The hosts managed to go into the break with just the goal between the teams with points from Aoife McCoy, Mallon and Blaithin Mackin while a couple of Nolan frees gave Dublin a 1-6 to 0-6 half-time lead.
McConville opened the second half scoring with a beauty, using all of her power and speed, and Mallon added a free to reduce the deficit to one but a penalty converted by Nolan followed by a free, wiped those scores out putting Dublin 2-7 to 0-8 in front.
It was game on again however, when Mallon netted from the spot midway through the half and despite Dublin replying with three points in a row. Mallon nailed a second penalty and Mackin tagged on a point to square proceedings at 2-10 apiece to with four minutes left to play.
A frantic finish ensued with O'Hanlon pointing and Grendon doing likewise at the other end and when the hooter sounded the sides were tied at 2-11 each.
Scorers: Armagh: K Mallon 2-4 (2-0 pens, 0-2f), L McConville 0-2, B Mackin 0-2, C O'Hanlon 0-2 (1f), A McCoy 0-1.
Dublin: O Nolan 2-7 (0-7f, 1-0 pen), L Grendon 0-2, E Gribbin and K Sullivan 0-1 each.
ARMAGH: B Mathers; M Ferguson, C McCambridge, C Towe; A Donnelly, L McConville, E Druse; C Marley, C O’Reilly; L Marsden, A McCoy, B Mackin; M Loughran, C O’Hanlon, K Mallon. Subs: C McNally for Loughran (24), L Kavanagh for Druse (h-t), M Lennon for Marsden (52)
DUBLIN: A Shiels; N Crowley, H Leahy, C Almeida; S McIntyre, H McGinnis, N Donlon; R Hartnett, O Nolan; E Gribbin, L Grendon, K Sullivan; M Davoren, N Hetherton, A Timothy. Subs: C Rowe for A Timothy (40), C O'Connor for Davoren (45), L Caffrey for Hartnett (48)
Referee: Kevin Phelan (Laois)
