Armagh lose in last place

TG4 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

Kerry 1-8 Armagh 0-7

By Daire Walsh

NIAMH Ní Chonchúir scored a 16th-minute goal at Glenisk O’Connor Park to secure Kerry’s third successive TG4 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final with victory over Armagh.

With a five-point lead at the halfway point of this penultimate round, the Kingdom did enough in a goal-sparse second half to secure their place in a top-flight championship tie alongside Galway, where they will hope to atone for defeats to Dublin and Meath in the last two seasons.

A lively start to the match saw Armagh score points through the boots of Eva Lavery (two), Blaithin Mackin and Dearbhla Coleman, while Kerry forward Siofra O’Shea added a goal to complement an earlier free-kick from Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh and Niamh Henderson gave 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.

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, who were winning their first TG4 All-Ireland title since 1993, maintained possession for most of the match. It wasn’t until the 49th minute that Kerry were able to put the ball on the line in the second half with a free kick from striker O’Leary.

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.

Goal Scorers –

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.

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
Subtitles: A Harrington for an 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
Subtitles: 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)

Referee: Shane Curley (Galway)