Kerry are into the Lidl Ladies National Football League final.
At Austin Stack Park in Tralee they've overcome Meath 13 points to 1-8.
Playing with a strong breeze in the opening half, Kerry took a 0-6 to 0-2 lead in at the break.
It was Meath who were first off the mark however when Niamh Gallogly slotted over after a bout of good patient play from the visitors.
Kerry then had a goal chance in the seventh minute when Mary O’Connell picked up a kick out, but Jadyn Lucey shot straight at Robyn Murray with the goal at her mercy.
Siofra O’Shea got Kerry’s first from a free two minutes later but in the 12th minute Danielle O’Leary had a goal ruled out for a square ball after Niamh Ní Chonchúir’s shot for a point fell short.
Both sides were guilty of some basic errors but Meath, with Vikki Wall a major influence, took the lead in the 15th minute when Emma Duggan slotted over.
Murray then made a brilliant save in the Meath goal from Niamh Carmody although O’Leary pointed soon afterwards to level up the game at 0-2 apiece.
From here on the rest of the half belonged to Kerry as they found their rhythm and scores from Carmody, a fine individual point from Aishling O’Connell and two frees from O’Shea saw the hosts take a four point lead in at the break.
Kerry started the second half like they meant business with scores from Anna Galvin and Carmody and Robin Murray was forced into another fine save, this time from O’Shea,
Then Meath took control, scoring 1-5 in a nine minute spell with Meadhbh Byrne hitting a brilliant goal in the 42nd minute. Byrne saw yellow two minutes later and her loss hurt Meath.
Rachel Dwyer struck a super point for Kerry off the bench and O’Shea struck for three to nudge Kerry 0-11 to 1-8 ahead with six minutes left on the clock.
The large crowd were really involved now, and O’Shea pointed another free for Kerry and then Dwyer struck for her second to seal the Kerry victory after a very exciting second half.
Scorers – Kerry: S O’Shea 0-6 (5f), N Carmody 0-2, R Dwyer 0-2, D O’Leary 0-1, A O’Connell 0-1, A Galvin 0-1.
Meath: E Duggan 0-5 (2f), M Byrne 1-1, N Gallogly 0-1. C Smyth 0-1.
Kerry: ME Bolger; E Lynch, D Kearney, R Rahilly; K Cronin, A O’Connell, A Dillane; M O’Connell, A Galvin (capt.); C Evans, N Ní Chonchúir, N Carmody; J Lucey, S O’Shea, D O’Leary. Subs: R Dwyer for J Lucey 47, C McCarthy for A Dillane 55, L Boyle for C Evans 58.J Curtin for N Carmody 59.
Meath: R Murray; A Sheridan, S Wall, A Gaffney; K Newe, MK Lynch (capt.), C Millington; N Gallogly, E Moyles; M Thynne, O Sheehy C Smyth; M Byrne, V Wall, E Duggan. Subs: M Farrelly for E Moyles 21, K Kealy for C Millington 34, N Troy for A Gaffney 48, M Collins for K Newe 55.
Referee: Shane Curley (Galway).
Kerry manager Mark Bourke
Former Kerry player Liam Brosnan
Waterford 1-22 Armagh 1-12
By Tomás McCarthy
Waterford stunned the Lidl NFL Division 1 leaders Armagh at a windswept Kilmacthomas.
The Déise blew the reigning champions away with sixteen second half points. Ballymacarbry trio Kellyann Hogan, Bríd McMaugh and Clare Walsh scored 1-15 between them as Tomás Mac a t’Saoir's side registered their third win of the campaign. Rebecca Casey was another outstanding performer at centre back.
Armagh won the toss and elected to play with the strong breeze in the first half. It was Waterford who attacked straight away however and Aine O'Neill split the uprights after just 40 seconds. Niamh Reel levelled from a free. Bríd McMaugh then won a Waterford free which Kellyann Hogan converted.
Armagh defender Róisín Mulligan tied the scores again. A Karen McGrath tackle led to a McMaugh point at the other end. Eve Lavery made it three apiece after ten minutes. Aoife McCoy added another for Armagh off a Waterford short kickout. Déise captain Emma Murray cleared a ball off the line and then fired a point.
The next three white flags belonged to the wind assisted visitors. Lavery scored two more off her left before Niamh Reel got another. On 18 minutes, Maeve Ryan and Lauren McGregor sent Clare Walsh through on goal and she bended a shot off her right boot to the far corner of the Armagh net (1-5 to 0-7). Hogan extended Waterford's lead.
Déise number one Katelyn Gardiner smothered a shot from Niamh Reel before Lavery (free), McCoy and Moya Feehan edged the Orchard County back in front at halfway (0-10 to 1-6). Waterford created two goal chances and three point chances before the break but got no return.
Points from Eve Power, Katie Murray and Lauren McGregor snuck the home side ahead early in the second period. Blaithin Mackin got one back but the league leaders were swept aside by a Waterford blitz. Tomás Mac a t’Saoir's team struck seven points in the space of six minutes. The brilliant Bríd McMaugh accounted for three. Kellyann Hogan kicked two while McGregor and Walsh added one each.
Déise centre back Rebecca Casey kept Armagh at bay with inspirational tackles and interceptions. Late scores from Hogan and Emma Murray sealed a sensational home victory. Mackin converted a last minute penalty for Armagh.
Scorers for Waterford: K Hogan 0-8 (4fs), C Walsh 1-2, B McMaugh 0-5, E Murray, L McGregor 0-2 each, E Power, A O'Neill, K Murray 0-1 each.
Armagh: B Mackin 1-1 (1-0 pen), E Lavery 0-4 (2fs), A McCoy, N Reel (1f) 0-2 each, R Mulligan, M Feehan, K Mallon (1f) 0-1 each.
Waterford: K Gardiner; C Murray, E Power, M Ryan; C McCarthy, R Casey, K McGrath; E Murray, H Power; Á O’Neill, K Murray; B McMaugh; K Hogan, C Walsh, L McGregor. Subs: L Ni Arta for McCarthy (48), N Power for Ryan (53), C Fennell for Walsh (56), A Brazil for McGregor (60).
Armagh: A Carr; M Ferguson, C Towe, L Kenny; G Ferguson, L McConville, R Mulligan; N Coleman, B Mackin; E Druse, A McCoy, E Lavery; N Reel, M Feehan, N Henderson. Subs: C McCambridge for G Ferguson (22), C McNally for M Ferguson (HT), K Mallon for McConville (40), E McGeown for Feehan (48), M McCann for Coleman (52), C Marley for Reel (58), S Quigley for Lavery (58), M Lennon for Druse (60).
Dublin 1-11
Tyrone 3-04
By Deniese O’Flaherty
Dublin had to withstand a late Tyrone comeback to hold on for a narrow Lidl NFL Division 1 victory at O’Neill Park in Dungannon.
Although the Red Hands were defeated their fate in Division 1 is still in their own destiny as they travel to Kildare next weekend. A win for Tyrone would see them retain their Division 1 status.
Tyrone played against a strong wind in the opening half. They had early chances to get scores but twice kicked the ball short into the hands of Dublin goalkeeper Abby Shiels.
In the fifth minute Dublin went on the attack and Hannah Tyrrell found the net, finishing from close range.
Tyrone got their first score in the eighth minute when Niamh O’Neill kicked over a free. At the other end Caoimhe O’Connor restored her side’s three point advantage.
The home side levelled matters in the 10th minute when Aoife Horisk raised the green flag with an excellent shot. Two minutes later Tyrone netminder Amelia Coyle saved from Sophie McIntyre.
Tyrone took the lead in the 13th minute when O’Neill pointed. Dublin though were level minutes later. Paul Casey’s side were dangerous in attack. Eilish O’Dowd was unlucky to see her shot come off the upright in the 20th minute. The Dubs were back ahead by three in the 25th minute with points from Chloe Darby, Kate Sullivan (free) and Niamh Hetherton.
Both sides tried to create further scores before half-time but defences were on top as Dublin went in ahead at the break - 1-5 to 1-2.
Dublin were five ahead in the 36th minute. O’Neill kicked over another free for Tyrone in the 39th minute but Dublin replied with points from Hetherton and Sullivan (free) to extend their lead to six points after 41 minutes.
The Dubs were reduced to 14 in the 42nd minute when Tyrrell was sin-binned. With numerical advantage Tyrone grabbed a second goal when substitute Chloe McCaffrey’s high and hopeful ball ended up in the back of the net.
When Tyrrell returned she pointed for Dublin the 57th minute but that was their final score of the game as Tyrone staged a comeback.
Sorcha Gormley kicked over a point and in stoppage time McCaffrey did well to win possession before firing to the net. The deficit was just one but time was running out and they couldn’t get the equaliser. Right at the end McCaffrey was sin-binned as her side just came up short.
Scorers - Dublin: H Tyrrell 1-2, K Sullivan 0-5 (3fs), N Hetherton 0-2, C Darby, C O’Connor 0-1 each.
Tyrone: C McCaffrey 2-0, A Horisk 1-0, N O’Neill 0-3 (2fs), S Gormley 0-1.
DUBLIN: A Shiels; J Tobin, L Caffrey, A Kane; A Curran, M Byrne, G Kós; É O’Dowd, H McGinnis; C O’Connor, C Darby, K Sullivan; H Tyrrell, N Hetherton, S McIntyre. Subs: H Leahy for Curran (34), A Timothy for McIntryre (40), J Egan for Darby (55), C Fox for O’Connor (60+1).
TYRONE: A Coyle; J Lyons, C Campbell, E Quinn; T McElroy, M Corrigan, S McCarroll; M Mallon, A McHugh; E McNamee, E McCanny, A Quinn; N O’Neill, A McGahan, A Horisk. Subs: S Gormley for E McNamee, C McCaffrey for A Quinn, A Strain for McElroy (all half-time), M Canavan for McCanny (49), G McKenna for Lyons (53), A Daly for McCarroll (60), M Moore for Quinn (60+2)
Referee: Brendan Rice (Down).
Mayo 3-4
Kildare 0-12
By Stuart Tynan
Mayo kept their Lidl NFL Division 1 survival hopes intact after a nerve-wracking one-point win over Kildare in Swinford Amenity Park.
The result means Mayo can stay up if they beat Waterford next Saturday and Tyrone fail to beat Kildare.
The Green and Red were on the ropes in the second half, scoring only one point as the Lilywhites reeled them in, and Leah McGovern saw a point attempt crash off the crossbar in the final moments to secure the draw Kildare needed for their own safety in the division.
Kildare got the opening two points before Mayo got the first of their three first half goals, as excellent work from Chelsea Doherty and Bree Hession put in the returning Sinead Walsh to fire into the bottom corner.
A trio of Walsh points kept Kildare at arm’s length before the corner forward got her second goal on 27 minutes after capitalising on a spilled ball by Kildare goalkeeper Mary Hulgraine.
Nessa Dooley and Roisin Byrne brought Kildare level, but Mayo got a third goal from the penalty spot through Annie Gough after Aoife Geraghty was fouled.
Sinead Walsh and Lisa Shaw traded the opening scores of the second half on 34 and 35 minutes, the former being the last score of the game for Mayo as Kildare began to claw their way back.
Three from Nessa Dooley and one each from Lisa Shaw and Aoife Murnane brought to within one with ten minutes of normal time remaining.
Walsh missed a free for Mayo in the closing stages while Dooley saw two chances for Kildare go wide as the game entered injury-time. As the seconds ticked away, Leah McGovern’s point that looked set to keep Kildare up and send Mayo down cannoned back off the bar and Saoirse Lally made the crucial interception to get the ball away and win a vital three-points for Liam McHale’s side.
Scorers – Mayo: S Walsh 2-4, A Gough 1-0p.
Kildare: N Dooley 0-5 (3f), R Byrne 0-2, M Aspel 0-1, A Rattigan 0-1, E Dowling 0-1f, L Shaw 0-1, A Murnane 0-1.
Mayo: J Gawalkiewicz; L Wallace, C Durkan, S El Massry; D Caldwell, J Mortimer, S Lally; H Reape, A Geraghty; C Doherty, E Murray, B Hession; A Gough, C Keane, S Walsh. Subs: E Brennan for El Massry (15-28 temp sub), L Hanley for Mortimer (43), C Whyte for Reape (48), S Delaney for Hession (48), M Cannon for Doherty (52), A Flanagan for Keane (54).
Kildare: M Hulgraine; R Sargent, L Lenehan, E Wheeler; M Doherty, L Dunlea, M Aspel; C Sullivan, G Wheeler; C Moran, A Rattigan, N Dooley; L Shaw, E Dowling, R Byrne. Subs: A Murnane for G Wheeler (35), L Doran for Shaw (46) A Mahon for E Wheeler (46), A Prizeman for Dowling (49), L McGovern for Moran (54).
