Ladies National Football League: Armagh beat Kerry in final as Tyrone lose to Kildare
- Published
Kerry forward Louise Scanlon tackles Armagh's Grace Ferguson in the top-flight final
Armagh have won the Division One title for the first time thanks to a 2-12 to 2-9 victory over Kerry in Sunday's final at Croke Park.
Orchard Aimee Mackin and Kelly Mallon combined for 1-9 in a game which saw the sides go in level at the break.
Niamh Ní Chonchuir's goal helped Kerry go in front before Mackin netted as Armagh came back for the win.
Meanwhile, Kildare hit two first-half goals as they beat Tyrone 2-9 to 0-12 in the Division Two final.
Claire Sullivan fired home an early opener on six minutes at Croke Park before Neasa Dooley's superb finish after 27 minutes.
The goals helped Kildare to a 2-4 to 0-6 lead at the break but Tyrone cut the gap with two points on the restart.
However, Kildare stayed in front to win the Division Two title for the first time since 2004.
Tyrone's Joanne Barrett and Aoibhinn McHugh tackle Roisin Byrne of Kildare
Roisin Byrne ensured the Lilywhites were first on the scoreboard before Emma Conroy's double edged Tyrone in front.
Kildare, who won last year's All-Ireland Intermediate Championship title, found the net on six minutes as Sullivan shot low into the net.
It was a tight contest and Maria Canavan struck twice to bring the Ulster side level and they moved ahead when Sasha Byrne split the posts.
Kildare responded with two points from Byrne and held a four-point advantage after Dooley's excellent goal.
Tyrone threatened a comeback early in the second half but Trina Duggan halted their momentum with a point.
Canavan completed her tally of 0-8 before Dooley sealed victory for Diane O'Hora's team.
Orchard overcome Kingdom
Armagh lost out to Kerry in the Division Two final two years ago but they won this time with an impressive point from edging them in front for a second time.
Kerry scored the opening goal on 10 minutes with Lorraine Scanlon rifling into the Armagh net.
The Ulster side responded with a goal of their own as Niamh Coleman palmed in a goal of her own after Kerry netminder Mary Ellen Bolger 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 all-square at 1-4 apiece the interval.
After Mary O'Connell pounced on a defensive mishap by Armagh three minutes into the second half, Niamh Ní Chonchuir comfortably fired home a second Kingdom goal.
While this looked like being a major blow for the Orchard County, but they were instead galvanised in the minutes that followed Ní Chonchuir's major.
After unanswered points from Mallon, Mackin (two) and Niamh Henderson moved Armagh in front once again, the increasingly-dangerous Mackin blasted an unstoppable shot into the 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 life to the Kingdom challenge.
Their 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.