DIVISION 1
Cork 3-08 Galway 1-14
Lorna Joyce’s late point salvaged a replay for Galway in an enthralling Tesco Ladies National Football League Division 1 final at Parnell Park.
Galway, runners-up in 2010, 2007, 2005 and 1979, had holders Cork rattled at the Donnycarney venue but couldn’t deliver the knockout punch.
Galway led by four points in the second half when they were awarded a penalty after Cork goalkeeper Martina O’Brien impeded Geraldine Conneally.
The penalty responsibility fell to Annette Clarke, who converted two in last year’s Division 2 decider, but the midfielder dragged her effort wide.
Having wriggled off the hook, Cork netted almost immediately at the other end, Valerie Mulcahy picking up the pieces after Doireann O’Sullivan’s shot was well-saved by Johanna Connolly.
Cork sub Rhona Ní Bhuachalla made a positive impact with eight minutes left, netting a third goal for the Rebelettes as they moved two points clear, 3-08 to 1-12.
But Galway had a kick left in them and after Tracey Leonard kicked her eighth point, and sixth from play, Joyce swung over the leveller.
Leonard had five points from play in the first half for Galway, who trailed by 0-06 to 1-06 at the break.
Ciara O’Sullivan’s 15th minute goal separated the sides, palmed over the line following a neat interchange of passes with Valerie Mulcahy, scorer of 1-05.
The sides had been level twice in the early stages before O’Sullivan’s goal but Leonard kept the Tribeswomen in the hunt with a remarkable display of sharpshooting.
But Galway opened the second half with a run of 1-04 without reply to transform a three-point deficit into a four-point lead.
Points from Clarke and Louise Ward brought Kevin Reidy’s Westerners to within a point before former All-Ireland minor medallist Ward banged home a stunning goal six minutes after half-time.
Leonard added two frees for a four-point lead but resilient Cork were boosted by Clarke’s miss and did enough to claim a replay, which will take place next Saturday, May 16 at a venue to be confirmed.
Cork: M O’Brien; M Ambrose, R Phelan, B Stack; V Foley, R O’Sullivan, G O’Flynn; R Buckley (0-01), B Corkery; C O’Sullivan (1-00), A Hutchings, A Walsh (0-01); D O’Sullivan (0-01), V Mulcahy (1-05, 0-04f), O Finn.
Subs: E Scally for Finn (38), R Ní Bhuachalla (1-00) for Hutchings (42), L Joyce for Concannon (57), G Kearney for Walsh (51).
Galway: J Connolly; S Gormally, E Flaherty, Á Seoighe; N Connolly, N Ward, S Burke; A Clarke (0-01), G Conneally; B Hannon (0-01), P Gleeson (0-01), L Ward (1-01); O Divilly, T Leonard (0-08, 0-02f), E Concannon 0-1.
Subs: C Cormican for N Connolly (38), O Farmer for D O’Sullivan (57), A Daly for Divilly (51).
Referee: G Corrigan (Down).
DIVISION 2
Armagh 4-18 Donegal 4-6
Aimee Mackin delivered an attacking masterclass as Armagh steamed past Donegal to win Tesco Ladies National Football League Division 2 final at Parnell Park.
Shane O’Neill’s star Mackin hit 2-05 from play on a day when Armagh leaked four goals but scored four themselves en route to a comfortable 12-point win.
The Orchard County will be playing top-flight football next season after claiming victory in a crucial all-Ulster promotion shootout.
In a repeat of the 2005 Division 2 decider, the outcome was the same as Armagh claimed three first-half goals to turn the screw, before adding another in the second half to halt the momentum of a Donegal mini-revival.
And the Ulster champions can now plan the defence of their provincial crown with a first piece of league silverware in ten years in the bank.
Armagh were rocked after just 40 seconds when Yvonne McMonagle netted for Donegal but the response was impressive from Daly’s charges.
Mackin responded in kind after eight minutes before Fionnuala McKenna, who also raised two green flags, struck in the 17th minute.
Geraldine McLaughlin scored Donegal’s second goal four minutes before half-time, but Armagh pounced with a decisive blow with just 17 seconds remaining on the clock, as Mackin showed a blistering turn of pace to evade the Donegal cover before lashing home her second goal.
That well-taken effort handed Armagh a 3-10 to 2-3 half-time lead and the lead increased to eleven points after the break, as Lauren McConville responded to McLaughlin’s point with a brace of scores.
But Donegal had shown enough in that first half to suggest that they could punch holes in an Armagh defence missing centre-back Sinéad McCleary.
Sharon McGroddy had rammed a first-half effort off the crossbar and over before Amber Barrett drew a fine save from Katie Daly, the manager’s daughter.
Barrett also blazed wide with another decent goal chance, but McMonagle did haul Donegal back into contention with a 38th-minute goal and when McLaughlin popped over a free, the deficit was down to six points, with Donegal trailing by 3-6 to 3-12.
Armagh steadied themselves with points from Kelly Mackin and Mackin before McKenna put the result beyond doubt with her second goal, comfortably put away after Kelly Mallon delivered the pass.
McMonagle did pull another goal back for Donegal with eight minutes remaining, the Glenfin full-forward credited with the final touch to beat Daly.
But it was routine stuff from there until the finish for last year’s beaten All-Ireland semi-finalists Armagh, and they finished with a flourish as Mackin fired over a picture-book score from distance, to complete the rout with just seconds remaining.
Armagh: K Daly; M Tennyson, C Morgan, S Marley; S Reel, N Henderson, N Marley; C Malone (0-01), C O’Hanlon (0-01); A McCoy (0-01), K Mallon (0-06, 0-03f), L Kenny; L M McConville (0-02), F McKenna (2-02), A Mackin (2-05).
Subs: S McCoy for S Marley (44), M McAlinden for McKenna (50), M McGuinness for N Marley (50), T McCoy for McConville (60), S Grey for McCoy (60).
Donegal: L Gallagher; D Foley, E Gallagher, Nicole McLaughlin; A McDonnell (0-01), C Hegarty, Niamh McLaughlin; K Herron, R Curran; E Ward, N Hegarty (0-01), S McGroddy (0-01); A Barrett (0-01), Y McMonagle (3-0), G McLauglin (1-02, 0-1f).
Subs: R Boyle for Curran (15), K Keeney for Nicole McLaughlin (h.t.), T Doherty for Ward (h.t.), E McCrory for Barrett (41).
Referee: G Carmody (Mayo).
DIVISION 3
Sligo 2-12 Waterford 2-08
Paddy Henry’s Sligo claimed a remarkable come-from-behind victory against Waterford in the Ladies National Football League Division 3 decider at Parnell Park.
Sligo were eight points down in the first half but rallied to claim a first League crown since their 1995 Division 3 success.
In the process, Sligo claimed promotion to Division 2 for the 2016 campaign and the manner of victory was all the more startling given that Waterford beat them by 22 points in the group stages of the League campaign.
Sligo, admittedly depleted, suffered a 0-06 to 5-13 whipping early in the season and when Waterford full-forward Sinead Ryan bagged two first-half goals this afternoon, the big fear was that the Déise would run riot again.
But Ryan’s opposite number and player of the match Katie Walsh turned the game on its head to finish with a personal haul of 2-04.
And after Waterford steamed into a 2-03 to 0-01 lead in the first half, they were outscored by 0-05 to 2-11 for the remainder of the game.
Sligo also registered eight wides in the first half, as Waterford had just the one, but the roles were reversed after half-time as the runners-up finished with six second-half wides.
