Ladies National Football League: Armagh beat Waterford in Division One opener

Aimee Mackin top-scored for Armagh at Crossmaglen as they made a winning start to their Division One campaign by beating Waterford 2-8 to 2-3

Armagh opened their Ladies National Football League Division One campaign with a 2-8 to 2-3 win over Waterford at a wet and windy Crossmaglen.

Lauren McGregor's early goal put Waterford ahead but two strikes in 60 seconds from Aimee Macken and Aoife McCoy helped Armagh move nine up.

Another McGregor goal cut Armagh's half-time advantage to 2-6 to 2-0.

Armagh's only further scores came from McCoy and Kelly Mallon but Waterford failed to utilise their wind advantage.

Mallon's point brought up to tally to 0-3 as Mackin top-scored with 1-2.

"It's a good first game back in Division One since 2016, to get three points on the board," said Armagh boss Gregory McGonigle.

"The big thing we targeted, we want to win our home games and conditions were a big factor today and they defended deep.

"But the girls put in a massive shift in the second half. We'll get ready now for Cork next week, it doesn't get any easier."

Lauren McConville, playing on her home ground, and Louise Kenny were Armagh's other scorers.

Also in Division One, Emma Dineen's goal helped defending league champions Kerry beat All-Ireland kingpins Dublin 1-8 to 0-6 at Parnell Park, with Cork edging out Galway 1-6 to 0-5 and Meath accounting for Mayo 2-18 to 1-15.

Donegal and Tyrone were among the winners in Division Two.

After suffering relegation from Division One in 2023, Donegal got their campaign off to a satisfactory start by winning 0-7 to 0-3 in Laois while the Red Hands secured a 2-9 to 1-7 home success over Westmeath.

Ulster's other Division Two hopefuls Cavan and Monaghan both lost with the Breffni ladies defeated 1-4 to 0-2 by Tipperary in a low-scoring affair at Lacken and Kildare clinching a 1-6 to 0-5 home win over the Farney women.

Down and Antrim both made losing starts in Division Three with Roscommon exploiting their home advantage to beat the Mourne women 0-11 to 0-5 and the Saffrons suffering a 1-10 to 1-6 home defeat by Louth.

In Division Four, Derry suffered a second successive defeat as they lost 1-8 to 0-4 against Limerick while Fermanagh followed up their opening win over Longford with a 2-10 to 2-10 draw against Carlow at the neutral venue of Dunleer.

LIDL LADIES NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE RESULTS

Division One

Kerry 1-8 Dublin 0-6

Cork 1-6 Galway 0-5

Meath 2-18 Mayo 1-15

Armagh 2-8 Waterford 2-3

Division Two

Tyrone 2-9 Westmeath 1-7

Tipperary 1-4 Cavan 0-2

Kildare 1-6 Monaghan 0-5

Donegal 0-7 Laois 0-3

Division Three

Roscommon 0-11 Down 0-4

Clare 1-7 Wexford 0-1

Louth 1-10 Antrim 1-6

Offaly 1-8 Sligo 1-8

Division Four

Limerick 1-8 Derry 0-4

Leitrim 4-6 Wicklow 0-15

Carlow 2-10 Fermanagh 2-10

Longford 4-9 Kilkenny 2-1