Mayo needed points on the board, having lost their opening three Lidl Ladies National Football League fixtures. The Green and Red were slipping further and further into relegation territory after defeats to Cork, Kerry and Waterford. Few might have predicted this result, but a three-point win over All-Ireland champions and Division 1 holders Meath at Páirc Tailteann gets them off the mark and halts the slide.
Michael Moyles has done brilliant work with the Westerners since taking charge in January 2021, and this was an impressive victory on the road. They produced a big second-half fightback, an unanswered burst of 2-2 moving them into the ascendency after trailing by four points at the break. Rachel Kearns was the super sub, her ’45 which found its way into the back of the net key at the finish.
Moyles welcomed “that small bit of luck we were lacking” afterwards, noting the fine margins between sides in the top flight.
2. Kerry show real credentials with statement win
Kerry are the only Division 1 team with a 100% record thus far. They had previously chalked up wins over Waterford, Mayo and Donegal, but this 3-15 to 1-10 clipping of Dublin felt like a real statement. Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh was the scoring star with 0-11 (0-9f), while Hannah O’Donoghue, Síofra O’Shea and Ciara Murphy bagged the goals at Austin Stack Park, Tralee.
“The first three games we were getting the results but we weren’t happy with the performances but tonight I think that we got the right mix,” joint-manager Darragh Long said afterwards. “We got an absolutely fantastic performance from the girls — one of those kind of statement performances that showed the amount of work that this group has done over the last couple of years.”
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The Kerry ladies football team before their Division 1 opener. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO
Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO
Long stressed they wouldn’t get carried away with themselves, but it’s fair to say the Kingdom have made a real splash upon their return to the top tier. Last year’s Division 2 league champions and All-Ireland finalists have shown real credentials, and look hell-bent on building on a breakout 2022.
3. Donegal in real danger
Donegal, like Mayo, really needed points on the board over the weekend. Maxi Curran’s charges are the only ones left on zero — it’s fair to say they are facing relegation danger. It’s some contrast to last season, when they pushed Meath all the way in the league final, falling short by just two points. They lost the All-Ireland semi-final to the same opposition by the same margin.
Afterwards, Curran signalled “the end of an era,” the general feeling that a changing of the guard was en route. He came back for more though, with all indications pointing to his experienced cohort going again. Yvonne Bonner, Geraldine McLaughlin, Karen Guthrie, Niamh McLaughlin, Katie Herron and Niamh Hegarty are yet to feature, and they’re massive misses at the minute.
Sunday’s clash with Waterford in Letterkenny was a must-win — or draw at the very least — and one Donegal would have been targetting, but the hosts were eight points off in the end. It was a big win for the Déise, who suddenly find themselves third in the table. “We’re moving on nicely,” manager Pat Sullivan beamed afterwards, Division 1 status well and truly preserved after being embroiled in relegation battles last year.
The Kingdom top the Division 1 table with maximum points, with Galway second on 10 points from 12. Then it’s Waterford on seven, Dublin on six, Cork and Meath on four, Mayo three, and Donegal rock-bottom.
The top two advance straight to the final, with Galway keeping themselves right in contention with a 1-15 to 4-4 win over Cork in Salthill on Sunday. Joint-manager Fiona Wynne conceded the Tribe were “very lucky” afterwards, battling back from six points down at the break and holding off a late Rebels goal chance.
Armagh and Louth hold perfect records atop Division 2 and 3 resepctively (star forward Aimee Mackin hit 3-3 for the Orchard against Tyrone), with no shortage of teams on their tails. Laois enjoyed a last-gasp win in the former tier yesterday, leapfrogging opponents Tipperary into second place. And in Division 4, which is split into two groups and the only league with semi-finals this year, Antrim, Leitrim, Limerick and Wicklow are among those flying highest.
5. Rules on the radar
As expected, the rules have remained firmly in the spotlight as frustration continues to grow. The ‘charging’ rule is coming in for real scrutiny, as calls heighten for change, including more contact and physicality:
This whole issue of the tackle & ‘barging’ needs to be addressed. Incidents (or sometimes non-incidents!) are occurring in every match at this stage. Standing in the way is not defending! We’re destroying the skills of good defending & limiting the skills of good attacking. https://t.co/sUjqfzsM9x
It hasn’t all been negative in terms of the rules, though. Roisin Leonard of Galway made use of a recent change to the LGFA rulebook which rewards players who score directly from a ’45 with two points.
While Maria Delahunty (Waterford) and Meadhbh Deeney (Wicklow) often kick frees from the ground, attempting direct shots from ’45s remains a rarity in the game so it was fantastic to see Leonard raise a white flag yesterday. Unquestionably a huge asset for any team.
🔥2pts
“Players who kick a 45 from the ground and over the bar will be rewarded with two points on the scoreboard”
Adopted May 2020 has it been done before ? Roisin Leonard with serious technique to “raise the white flag and at the same time raise the other hand to point up.” pic.twitter.com/iyPdJjsm5j
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Mayo off the mark against Meath, Kerry's statement win and Donegal in danger
1. Mayo get off the mark – against the champions
Mayo needed points on the board, having lost their opening three Lidl Ladies National Football League fixtures. The Green and Red were slipping further and further into relegation territory after defeats to Cork, Kerry and Waterford. Few might have predicted this result, but a three-point win over All-Ireland champions and Division 1 holders Meath at Páirc Tailteann gets them off the mark and halts the slide.
Michael Moyles has done brilliant work with the Westerners since taking charge in January 2021, and this was an impressive victory on the road. They produced a big second-half fightback, an unanswered burst of 2-2 moving them into the ascendency after trailing by four points at the break. Rachel Kearns was the super sub, her ’45 which found its way into the back of the net key at the finish.
Moyles welcomed “that small bit of luck we were lacking” afterwards, noting the fine margins between sides in the top flight.
2. Kerry show real credentials with statement win
Kerry are the only Division 1 team with a 100% record thus far. They had previously chalked up wins over Waterford, Mayo and Donegal, but this 3-15 to 1-10 clipping of Dublin felt like a real statement. Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh was the scoring star with 0-11 (0-9f), while Hannah O’Donoghue, Síofra O’Shea and Ciara Murphy bagged the goals at Austin Stack Park, Tralee.
“The first three games we were getting the results but we weren’t happy with the performances but tonight I think that we got the right mix,” joint-manager Darragh Long said afterwards. “We got an absolutely fantastic performance from the girls — one of those kind of statement performances that showed the amount of work that this group has done over the last couple of years.”
Long stressed they wouldn’t get carried away with themselves, but it’s fair to say the Kingdom have made a real splash upon their return to the top tier. Last year’s Division 2 league champions and All-Ireland finalists have shown real credentials, and look hell-bent on building on a breakout 2022.
3. Donegal in real danger
Donegal, like Mayo, really needed points on the board over the weekend. Maxi Curran’s charges are the only ones left on zero — it’s fair to say they are facing relegation danger. It’s some contrast to last season, when they pushed Meath all the way in the league final, falling short by just two points. They lost the All-Ireland semi-final to the same opposition by the same margin.
Afterwards, Curran signalled “the end of an era,” the general feeling that a changing of the guard was en route. He came back for more though, with all indications pointing to his experienced cohort going again. Yvonne Bonner, Geraldine McLaughlin, Karen Guthrie, Niamh McLaughlin, Katie Herron and Niamh Hegarty are yet to feature, and they’re massive misses at the minute.
Sunday’s clash with Waterford in Letterkenny was a must-win — or draw at the very least — and one Donegal would have been targetting, but the hosts were eight points off in the end. It was a big win for the Déise, who suddenly find themselves third in the table. “We’re moving on nicely,” manager Pat Sullivan beamed afterwards, Division 1 status well and truly preserved after being embroiled in relegation battles last year.
4. Title races heat up
The Kingdom top the Division 1 table with maximum points, with Galway second on 10 points from 12. Then it’s Waterford on seven, Dublin on six, Cork and Meath on four, Mayo three, and Donegal rock-bottom.
The top two advance straight to the final, with Galway keeping themselves right in contention with a 1-15 to 4-4 win over Cork in Salthill on Sunday. Joint-manager Fiona Wynne conceded the Tribe were “very lucky” afterwards, battling back from six points down at the break and holding off a late Rebels goal chance.
Armagh and Louth hold perfect records atop Division 2 and 3 resepctively (star forward Aimee Mackin hit 3-3 for the Orchard against Tyrone), with no shortage of teams on their tails. Laois enjoyed a last-gasp win in the former tier yesterday, leapfrogging opponents Tipperary into second place. And in Division 4, which is split into two groups and the only league with semi-finals this year, Antrim, Leitrim, Limerick and Wicklow are among those flying highest.
5. Rules on the radar
As expected, the rules have remained firmly in the spotlight as frustration continues to grow. The ‘charging’ rule is coming in for real scrutiny, as calls heighten for change, including more contact and physicality:
It hasn’t all been negative in terms of the rules, though. Roisin Leonard of Galway made use of a recent change to the LGFA rulebook which rewards players who score directly from a ’45 with two points.
While Maria Delahunty (Waterford) and Meadhbh Deeney (Wicklow) often kick frees from the ground, attempting direct shots from ’45s remains a rarity in the game so it was fantastic to see Leonard raise a white flag yesterday. Unquestionably a huge asset for any team.
Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 1
Results
Fixtures
Saturday 25 February
Sunday 26th February
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