Ladies Wrap

The hosts came with a strong second half performance to run out 0-17 to 1-9 winners at Emyvale and remain in the hunt for top flight honours.

Monaghan’s second victory from three outings keeps them very much in touch towards the top of the table and the Farney Girls produced an impressive attacking performances which yielded scores from all six starting forwards.

Despite playing against the breeze in the first half, Monaghan led by 0-8 to 0-6 at half time as Cora Staunton hit all but one of Mayo’s scores before the break.

Mayo led by 0-6 to 0-4 with 21 minutes on the watch but a run of four unanswered points handed Monaghan the advantage at the midway point.

Approaching the finish, Monaghan had surged well clear before Mayo hit 1-2 in the last five minutes to bring a degree of respectability to the scoreline.

Clodagh Martin hit the Mayo goal but Monaghan were the more impressive force in front of goal and had impressive performances up front from Ciara McAnespie, Niamh Kindlon and Catriona McConnell.

Monaghan also switched Yvonne Connell onto Staunton before the second half and that move worked a treat as Mayo’s main threat was stifled thereafter.

Such is Staunton’s class that she still managed to finish as her team’s leading scorer with eight points while Christina Reilly, making her first start of the year, also caught the eye in a solid Monaghan defence.

In Division 2, pace-setters Armagh lost for the first time this season as they were surprised on home soil in Cullaville by Meath.

The Orchard County lost out by 0-8 to 1-7 as a strong first half performance laid the foundations for this Royal County success.

The visitors led by 1-6 to 0-3 at half-time as 1-2 for Elaine Duffy and three Bridget Lynch points helped to put the Leinster outfit firmly in the driving seat.

They managed just two points after half-time as Armagh looked to arrest the deficit but the home side couldn’t get close enough, despite the best efforts of Shauna O’Hagan and Caroline O’Hanlon.

O’Hagan finished with four points for Armagh while Duffy added a second half point for Meath to finish with a personal haul of 1-3.

In Division 3, Waterford maintained their 100 per cent record with a narrow 1-10 to 3-6 victory over Longford at Fraher Field, Dungarvan.

The hosts found themselves a point down on the stroke of full-time but Gráinne Kenneally struck an equaliser before Sinead Ryan sealed the win in stoppage time.

Waterford’s win was sweet revenge for their intermediate championship defeat against the midlanders last year and leaves them in a strong position alongside Cavan in Division 3.

All the goals came in the opening half yesterday as Louise Ryan struck for Waterford while a Denise Murtagh double and another from Edel Quinn helped Longford to lead by 3-4 to 1-5 at half-time.

And in Division 4, Limerick crushed Kilkenny in Mungret by 1-19 to 0-3.

The Shannonsiders led by 0-9 to 0-1 and finished with eleven different names on the scoresheet, including a six-point haul from Catriona Davis and 1-1 from Niamh Richardson.

Results:

Saturday March 6:
Bord Gáis Energy Ladies National Football League Division 2

Down 0-7 Tipperary 3-6

Sunday March 7:
Bord Gáis Energy Ladies National Football League Division 1

Dublin 5-17 Kerry 1-6
Monaghan 0-17 Mayo 1-9
Laois 0-9 Tyrone 0-11
Cork 4-7 Galway 2-13

Bord Gáis Energy Ladies National Football League Division 2

Armagh 0-7 Meath 1-8
Kildare 3-13 Clare 2-10
Donegal 6-19 Sligo 1-8

Bord Gáis Energy Ladies National Football League Division 3

Westmeath 0-11 Fermanagh 2-7
Cavan 1-12 Wexford 1-3
Roscommon 1-14 Wicklow 2-12
Waterford 1-10 Longford 3-6

Bord Gáis Energy Ladies National Football League Division 4

Offaly 0-6 Antrim 6-20
Limerick 1-19 Kilkenny 0-3