Marvellous Mackin inspires Armagh to first league title

A sweet victory over Kerry for an Armagh side appearing in their maiden top tier league showpiece.

Armagh's Caroline O'Hanlon tackles Emma Dineen of Kerry. Pic ©INPHO/Leah Scholes

Lidl NFL Division 1 final: Armagh 2-12 Kerry 2-9 

ARMAGH’S ladies kept Ulster football’s juggernaut rolling on this season by sensationally dethroning the reigning champions to win their first Lidl Division One title.

In their first appearance in a premier final they followed in the footsteps of their direct opponents - and Meath also in recent years – by clinching it just 12 months after winning the second division.

The sides were level on 1-4 apiece at half-time and Kerry’s defending champions looked to have got the gap they needed when they were gifted a goal by a bad defensive error a couple of minutes after the re-start.

Armagh full-back Clodagh McCambridge badly misjudged a pass back to her goalkeeper which Mary O’Connell pounced upon and laid it on for Niamh Ni Conchuir to nab Kerry’s second goal.

It was the perfect fillip at the perfect time for a Kerry side looking to copperfasten their confidence after losing last year’s All-Ireland final to Dublin.

But then, after holding Aimee Mackin scoreless for the first half, she and Armagh then took flight.

The three-time All Star only got her first score (a free) in the 36th minute and then looked to have scored a boomer from play which was overruled by Hawkeye.

But, as if taking that as a personal insult, Mackin, literally, kicked on, in a whirlwind six minutes, adding another from play and a brilliant goal which was set up by a marvellous low cross into the square by Kelly Mallon and her 1-4 tally (2f) was vital to the Orchard’s historic victory.

Kerry goalkeeper Mary Ellen Bolger actually made two great saves in that second half and the Kingdom cut a six-point deficit back to three.

But far too often they chased goals when they could have opted for points, repeatedly playing into the hands of Armagh’s tigerish defence, led by Player of the Match centre-back Lauren McConville, who just kept swarming and blocking them at vital periods.

Scorers for Armagh: A Mackin 1-4 (0-2f), K Mallon 0-5 (3f), N Coleman 1-0, A McCoy, N Henderson, C Doyle 0-1 each. 

Scorers for Kerry: L Ní Mhuircheartaigh 0-7 (6f), N Ní Chonchuir, L Scanlon 1-0 each, C Murphy, H O’Donoghue 0-1 each.

ARMAGH: A Carr; G Ferguson, C McCambridge, R Mulligan; C Towe, L McConville, D Coleman; N Coleman, C O’Hanlon; E Druse, A McCoy, L Kenny; A Mackin, N Henderson, K Mallon. 

Subs: S Quigley for N Coleman (24), C Doyle for Druse (49), M McCambridge for Kenny (57), S Grey for McCoy (58), E Lavery for Mallon (59).

KERRY: ME Bolger; C Lynch, D Kearney, E Lynch; A O’Connell, C Murphy, K Cronin; M O’Connell, A Galvin; N Carmody, N Ní Chonchuir, L Scanlon; H O’Donoghue, E Dineen, L Ní Mhuircheartaigh. 

Subs: D O’Leary for NíChonchuir, C O’Brien for Kearney (both 39), A Harrington for Scanlon (44), K Brosnan for O’Donoghue (57).

Referee: Gus Chapman (Sligo).