Kerry into third successive final after low-scoring win over Armagh

Kerry 1-8

Armagh 0-7

A 16th-minute goal from Niamh Ní Chonchúir helped Kerry to a third successive All-Ireland final.

Five points behind at the halfway point of this penultimate round, the Kingdom did enough in a low-scoring second half to secure a place in the deciding match for the top-flight championship, along with Galway.

There they hope to make up for the defeats against Dublin and Meath in the past two seasons.

A lively start to the match saw Armagh score points from Eva Lavery (two), Blaithin Mackin and Dearbhla Coleman. While Kerry forward Siofra O’Shea added a score to complement an earlier free-kick from Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh, Niamh Henderson split the posts on the run to give the Ulster side a 0-5 to 0-2 lead in the first quarter.

However, captain Clodagh McCambridge was temporarily replaced at that point due to a blood injury following a collision with Kerry’s Aishling O’Connell, who was also sent off for five minutes. In her absence, Ní Chonchúir produced an excellent attack, firing a fierce shot past Armagh goalkeeper Anna Carr.

Síofra O’Shea is tackled by Cait Towe. Piaras Ó Mídheach / SPORTFILE

Piaras Ó Mídheach / SPORTFILE / SPORTFILE

This gave Kerry an extra boost and with Danielle O’Leary, Ní Mhuircheartaigh (free) and the returning O’Connell finding the net after a 0-2 salvo from captain Niamh Carmody, the Munster champions led 1-7 to 0-5 at the break.

The Kingdom had suffered a blow, however, just two minutes before half-time when Carmody was sent to the sin-bin. Although their five-point lead remained intact when they reappeared, Armagh scored quickly through Niamh Coleman and Mackin (free) to pile the pressure on Kerry.

The Kingdom, chasing their first title since 1993, maintained possession for much of the match, with Kerry only able to bring the ball into play in the second half in the 49th minute, with striker O’Leary’s goal-scoring free-kick.

Despite this, the 11-time winners took a four-point lead and after Mackin was booked in the 51st minute for a foul on substitute Lorraine Scanlon, they eventually secured a showpiece in the Brendan Martin Cup.

Goalscorers for Kerry: N Ní Chonchúir 1-0, D O’Leary 0-2 (1f), N Carmody 0-2, L Ní Mhuircheartaigh 0-2 (2f), A O’Connell, S O’Shea each 0-1.

Goalscorers for Armagh: E Lavery 0-2, B Mackin 0-2 (1f), D Coleman, N Coleman, N Henderson 0-1 each.

KERRY: CButler; E Lynch, K Cronin, C Murphy; A O’Connell, D Kearney, A Dillane; M O’Connell, A Galvin; N Carmody, D O’Leary, N Ní Chonchúir; S O’Shea, E Dineen, L Ní Mhuircheartaigh. Subs: A Harrington for A O’Connell (13-18), H O’Donoghue for Ní Mhuircheartaigh (46), L Scanlon for Carmody (49), K Brosnan for Ní Chonchúir (58).

ARMAGH: A Carr; G Ferguson, C McCambridge, R Mulligan; C Towe, L McConville, D Coleman; N Coleman, C O’Hanlon; E Druse, A McCoy, B Mackin; E Lavery, N Henderson, M McCambridge. Substitutes: L Kenny for C McCambridge (13-18), K Mallon for Lavery (38), N Reel for Henderson (50), L Kenny for Druse (54), M Feehan for O’Hanlon (58).

Reference: Shane Curley (Galway).