TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship Group 4 round 1: Armagh 6-16 Tyrone 3-13
ARMAGH manager Ronan Murphy was “delighted” with his side’s performance as they recorded a crucial win over Tyrone in the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship on Friday night in Kingspan Breffni Park.
It was the second time in two weeks that the Orchard County inflicted defeat on their neighbours and it leaves them in a good place going into the final group game against Mayo next weekend.
For Tyrone, they must beat Mayo on Saturday if they are to keep their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive, otherwise defeat will send their season.
This was a superb game of football, under lights, to mark the start of the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship. The first half in particular was fantastic. Where Armagh blew Tyrone away with a superb start in their provincial semi-final clash, it was Tyrone who shocked their opponents early on. Chloe McCaffrey had 1-2 to her name as Tyrone led 1-4 to 0-2 after just 10 minutes. However, it was that goal from the St Macartan’s girl that ignited Armagh into action and within three minutes they hit an unanswered 2-1, Aoife McCoy with her first of what would be a hat-trick before the evening was out and the outstanding Aimee Mackin with the other goal.
In a very open half, Tyrone edged in front again with the lively duo of McCaffrey and Niamh O’Neill (2) pointing. McCoy and O’Neill traded goals before Armagh began to take control and with further goals from Caroline O’Hanlon and a super finish from Kelly Mallon they led at the break 5-7 to 2-9.
In the third quarter scores dried up somewhat but Armagh stretched their lead outscoring Tyrone 0-4 to 0-3 and then all but wrapped up the contest with McCoy completing her hat-trick and her side’s sixth goal.
To their credit Tyrone kept plugging away and O’Neill flicked the ball to the net but Armagh always looked the winner.
“We played some good football and it was nice to win and now we look forward to Mayo in the next game but delighted with the performance,” said Murphy.
“We played some good combination football at times but there would be aspects of the play obviously we wouldn’t be happy with. We conceded a fair bit but in the main we were very, very happy with our play.
“We were slow to start and we knew Tyrone would come out very, very sharp after the Ulster championship game where we got a good start so we are happy with the way we came back but not the way we started.”
His counterpart, Tyrone boss Gerry Moane, was left feeling disappointed that despite scoring 3-13 they still ran out on the losing side.
“We conceded goals and let Armagh back into the game. At that time, we had all the momentum and we totally in control of the game but a few mistakes left us open and they punished us and fair play for doing that but that’s disappointing on our part. Goals wins matches and to score 3-13 and not be even close.
“The disappointing thing for me was we didn’t get any second phase ball. There were plenty of break balls but Armagh were hungrier.
“If someone said to us coming down the road that we would score 3-13 and lose heavily you wouldn’t have believed it. We have to regroup. We got some massive performances from the young girls, some wonderful scores but defensively that is not good enough at this level.”
Armagh: A Carr; S Marley, C McCambridge, C McKenna; T Grimes (0-1), B Mackin, G Ferguson; N Coleman, A Bellew; C Marley (0-2), A McCoy (3-0), A Mackin (1-6, 0-1f); C O’Hanlon (1-2), K Mallon (c), E Lavery (0-2).
Subs: S Grey for McKenna (h-t), N Reel for Lavery (55), M Sheridan for Marley (59), A Clarke for A Mackin (60).
Tyrone: S Lynch; C Hunter, E Mulgrew, C Conway; M Mallon, T McLaughlin, N McGirr; N Woods (c), A McHugh; N Hughes, E Brennan (0-1), C McCaffrey (1-4); N O’Neill (2-4), G Rafferty (0-3), D Gallagher.
Subs: E Hegarty for M Mallon (46), S Sherrin for Rafferty (48), C Kelly (0-1) for Gallagher (50), C Monroe for Mulgrew (51), A Tuohey for Conway (54).
Referee: Garryowen McMahon (Mayo).
TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship Group 3 round 1: Dublin 2-13 Donegal 2-10
DONEGAL manager Maxi Curran said his side were “sucker-punched” by Sinead Aherne’s freakish goal as All-Ireland champions Dublin survived at a scare in the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship at Kingspan Breffni Park on Saturday.
That major came 14 minutes from the end at a time when Donegal had got themselves right back into the game and trailed by just a single point. Aherne’s effort for a point came back off the right hand post, bounced on the ground and spun into the back of the net. It opened up a four point lead for Mick Bohan’s side and it proved to be the crucial score for the champions, who remain in pole position to qualify for the semi-finals as group winners.
Donegal can be extremely proud of their efforts and with the disappointment on their faces after the final whistle they knew just how close they had come.
“It’s little consolation the girls did themselves proud and did Donegal proud especially in the third quarter and we were sucker-punched with that goal that went in and we were just working ourselves back into the game but I suppose we were just too slow out of the blocks when we had the elements in the first period and we didn’t make enough of it and I think that what it comes down to,” said Curran afterwards.
“They fought tooth and nail and we believed in our forward line and we believed in ourselves and we tried to keep as many players up the field as much as possible in the hope that it would benefit us. “Dublin are a very experienced outfit they are very well drilled and they have a brilliant manager, probably the second best team ever to play ladies football.
“We went toe-to-toe with them and we gave them a real rattle for it and I just don’t think the gods were shining on us and we just didn’t get the rub of the green with goal that went in and that kind of sums it up.”
Donegal needed a good start and they got that through Yvonne Bonner and Geraldine McLaughlin (free) but Dublin took the lead in the 11th minute when Noele Healy finished low to the back of the net and they swiftly followed up with points from impressive midfielder Jennifer Dunne and Aherne to lead 1-3 to 0-2.
With their backs to the wall at this stage, Donegal grabbed an important score when Nicole Gordon’s effort found its way through a crowd of Dublin defenders to cut the deficit to two points 12 minutes from the break. However, that was to be their final score of the half and Dublin latched on four points to lead 1-7 to 1-2.
Donegal made another great start to the half when McLaughlin fired past Ciara Trant within 60 seconds of the restart to cut the champions’ lead to two points, although Dunne replied with a point for her side. McLaughlin and Karen Guthrie sent over points for the Ulster side and with five minutes of the half gone there was just a point between the sides, 2-4 to 1-8. Each time Dublin responded, Donegal matched them but then came that freak goal from Aherne, a huge blow for Donegal, who now trailed 2-10 to 2-6. Donegal continued to rally and they hit three without reply, two from McLaughlin (frees) and the other from Guthrie to bring it back to two with four minutes remaining but a late Healy point was enough to see out a three-point win.
Dublin now play Waterford this weekend and should they win they will book their place in the semi-finals leaving the final group game between Donegal and Waterford a dead rubber.
TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship Group 1 round 1: Kerry 5-14 Cavan 0-13
KERRY’S ability to find the net no less than five times proved Cavan’s undoing when the sides met in Birr in the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship on Sunday afternoon.
Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh and Siofra O’Shea combined for 4-6 of their side’s total while for James Daly’s Cavan side, Aisling Gilsenan led the way with five points.
With just three teams in the group, Kerry have put themselves in a good position to make the semi-finals ahead of their showdown with Cork this weekend, while for Cavan it’s a waiting game to see how that pans out before their final game with the Rebelettes next weekend.
This game was evenly contested before the first water break with the sides level at 0-3 apiece but upon the resumption, Kerry took control with O’Shea firing past Cavan goalkeeper Elaine Walsh and it wasn’t long until they had their second major, this time from Ni Mhuireachtaigh. Donna English and Gilsenan were keeping Cavan ticking over but at the break they trailed 2-7 to 0-6.
Within six minutes of the restart, Kerry dealt Cavan another double blow with two goals in quick succession, Ni Mhuireachtaigh with her second major and Andrea Murphy the other.
Gilsenan and English replied with points for Cavan but it was a momentary interruption as Kerry hit 1-4 without reply, O’Shea with her second goal of the game.
Cavan kept going as Gilsenan (two), substitute Emma Halton and Aishling Sheridan raised white flags but they were never getting within reach and now must turn their attentions to Cork next weekend.
Elsewhere, Galway overcame Tipperary by a single point 1-15 to 1-14 at the Gaelic Grounds on Saturday.
TG4 All-Ireland Junior Championship
ULSTER’s three junior teams will prepare themselves for winners-take-all encounters this weekend in crunch games.
Both last year’s All-Ireland finalists Fermanagh and Antrim lost in their group games on Sunday meaning their final round clashes against Carlow and Derry respectively this weekend are must-wins.
Fermanagh lost out 0-9 to 1-2 to title contenders Wicklow, who after defeating Carlow last weekend, booked their place in the semi-finals while 2018 winners Limerick followed up last week’s victory over Derry with a 2-8 to 1-5 win over Antrim on Sunday.
Antrim trailed 1-1 to 0-1 before a Meabh McCurdy goal on 15 minutes levelled the score although at the break Limerick had a two point advantage, 1-4 to 1-2. An unanswered 1-2 saw Limerick open up a 2-6 to 1-2 lead nine minutes into the second half and although Antrim tagged on a couple of points through Aoife Taggart and Grainne McLoughlin they were unable to reel Limerick back in.
Sunday’s Ulster derby between Derry and Antrim will see the winner clinch second spot in Group B and book their place in the All-Ireland semi-finals against Group A winners Wicklow.
On Saturday, in difficult conditions in Lannleire, scores were at a premium as Wicklow defeated Fermanagh. The first half was evenly contested but it was two late points that proved crucial as Wicklow took a two point lead in at half-time, 1-1 to 0-6. The sides were level on 11 minutes when Fermangh found the back of the net for their first score and again on 20 minutes 1-1 to 0-4 before Wicklow edged into a lead they were never to relinquish. They may only have managed another three points after the break but with Fermanagh grabbing just a solitary point themselves through Blaithin Bogue on 60 minutes, it was enough for the Garden County to book their place in the semi-finals.
TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Championship
DOWN gave All-Ireland intermediate title favourites Meath a scare in Lannleire on Sunday but the Royal County held out for a 0-11 to 1-6 victory.
The Leinster side were 0-3 to no score ahead after 10 minutes with a strong wind at their backs and by half-time they led 0-8 to 0-0. However, credit to the Mourne girls, they rallied in the second half, outscoring their opponents 1-6 to 0-3.
Scores were hard come by and it was only in the final 10 minutes that Down found their scoring prowess to give Meath a fright. They were trailing 0-10 to 0-1 with 50 minutes on the clock but a 52nd minute Jessica Foy goal had the gap down to four, 0-10 to 1-3 and another two points within as many minutes made it just a two point game. They continued to rally and it was a one-point game with one minute of normal time remaining before the all-important insurance score from Meath two minutes into injury saw them through.
In the other groups, Westmeath have the advantage after victory over Longford, Wexford are on top of their group thanks to a win over Offaly and Kildare overcame Clare and Laois had an emphatic victory over Sligo.
