Aimee Mackin and Kelly Mallon lead Armagh to first Division One title success

Ladies NFL Division 1 final: Armagh 2-12 Kerry 2-9

Aimee Mackin and Kelly Mallon combined for 1-9 at Croke Park on Sunday as Armagh got the better of defending champions Kerry to claim the Lidl National Football League Division 1 title for the very first time.

Having lost out by three points to the Kingdom in a NFL Division 2 decider at the same venue two years ago, it was a sweet victory for an Armagh side that were also appearing in their maiden top tier league showpiece.

A fine point by Aoife McCoy edged Armagh in front for a second time after free-takers Mallon and Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh had exchanged early frees.

But the Kingdom received a massive boost when Lorraine Scanlon fired to the net on 10 minutes after a dead-ball strike from Ní Mhuircheartaigh had dropped short.

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This only proved a brief setback for Armagh, however, as midfielder Niamh Coleman palmed a goal of her own after Kerry netminder Mary Ellen Bolger had knocked down Mackin’s attempt at a point.

An earlier Mallon score meant Armagh led 1-3 to 1-1 on the first-quarter mark and this cushion was extended when Mallon superbly split the uprights from an acute left-hand angle.

Yet Kerry never allowed panic to creep into their play and three points on the bounce from Ní Mhuircheartaigh had the sides level at 1-4 apiece at the break.

After Mary O’Connell pounced on a defensive mishap by Armagh three minutes into the second half, Niamh Ní Chonchuir fired home a second Kingdom goal.

While this looked like being a major blow for the Orchard County, they again produced the required response. After unanswered points from Mallon, Mackin (two) and Niamh Henderson moved Armagh in front once again, the increasingly-dangerous Mackin rifled an unstoppable shot to the roof of the Kerry net on 39 minutes.

Further points from the Shane O’Neills ace either side of the third-quarter mark suddenly left Armagh six ahead, but much-needed contributions from Ní Mhuircheartaigh (two) and Hannah O’Donoghue offered fresh hope to the Kingdom.

The deficit remained at three points when centre half-back Ciara Murphy cancelled out a Mallon free with a well-worked score. But even though Ní Mhuircheartaigh added her seventh point for a battling Kerry, substitute Corrina Doyle also found the range to ensure Armagh sealed a breakthrough success.

ARMAGH: A Carr; G Ferguson, C McCambridge, R Mulligan; C Towe, L McConville, D Coleman; N Coleman (1-0), C O’Hanlon; E Druse, A McCoy (0-1), L Kenny; A Mackin 1-4 (0-2f), N Henderson (0-1), K Mallon 0-5 (3f). Subs: S Quigley for N Coleman (24), C Doyle (0-1) for Druse (49), M McCambridge for Kenny (57), S Grey for McCoy (58), E Lavery for Mallon (59).

KERRY: ME Bolger; C Lynch, D Kearney, E Lynch; A O’Connell, C Murphy (0-1), K Cronin; M O’Connell, A Galvin; N Carmody, N Ní Chonchuir (1-0), L Scanlon (1-0); H O’Donoghue (0-1), E Dineen, L Ní Mhuircheartaigh 0-7 (6f). Subs: D O’Leary for NíChonchuir, C O’Brien for Kearney (both 39), A Harrington for Scanlon (44), K Brosnan for O’Donoghue (57).

Referee: Gus Chapman (Sligo).

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Ladies NFL Division 2 final: Kildare 2-9 Tyrone 0-12

Division 3 final: Clare 1-6 Roscommon 1-4

Division 4 final: Carlow 1-7 Limerick 0-6

National Football League Division 1: Waterford 0-11 Galway 0-9

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