Stunning Tipperary revival edges out Armagh to seal Lidl NFL Division 2 final place

LIDL Ladies National Football League Division 2 Semi-Final – Sunday, 22nd April

Tipperary 3-10 
Armagh 4-6 

Darren Kelly in Kinnegad 

Tipperary recovered from three goals down to produce a storming comeback on Sunday before late points from Aishling Moloney and Kate Davey secured them a Division Two league final place.

When Blathin Mackin got Armagh’s fourth goal 19 seconds into the second half, they led by 4-3 to 1-3 and looked home and dry despite playing into a stiff breeze.

Tipperary countered but three early wides looked to suck out any momentum before Moloney’s free was followed by an Orla O’Dwyer point.  Moloney added two more minors making it 4-3 to 1-7 before the Premier County were back in proceedings on 44 minutes.

A poor kick out was intercepted and Tipperary attacked.  Anna Rose Kennedy and Roisin Howard were involved before Gillian O’Brien received the final pass for the second goal.  When Morrissey converted again, they trailed by just one point.

Caroline O’Hanlon didn’t start for Armagh having returned from the Commonwealth Games but she made an impact upon her arrival with two scores pushing the Orchard County a goal ahead again.  But Tipperary reacted with seven minutes left as Moloney set up Howard for the equalising goal.

O’Hanlon was denied by the crossbar but Aoife McCoy put Armagh back ahead.  Moloney equalised and the game was destined for extra-time before Davey landed the winner even though Moloney was sinbinned in injury time for a challenge on O’Hanlon.

It started much different for Tipperary in the first half as Howard picked out Mairead Morrissey for a goal on two minutes and O’Dwyer made it 1-1 to 0-0.

Armagh, especially Aimee Mackin, looked threatening and were back to one point by 10 minutes through Mackin and a McCoy brace.  And when the latter was rewarded a 12th minute penalty, Mackin hit the net to make it 1-3 to 1-1.

O’Dwyer and Moloney restored parity by 20 minutes for Tipperary but three minutes, Aimee Mackin got her second Armagh goal.  And she was involved along with McCoy to allow Lauren McConville get the third major making it 3-3 to 1-3 at half-time.

When Blathin Mackin got the fourth after the restart, Armagh looked set for a final date with Cavan but Tipperary used the elements to get back through O’Brien and Howard’s goals before Davey kept their good run intact.

Scorers: 

Armagh – Aimee Mackin 2-1 (1-0 penalty), Lauren McConville 1-0, Aoife McCoy 0-3, Blathin Mackin 1-0, Caroline O’Hanlon 0-2

Tipperary –Aishling Moloney 0-6 (three frees), Mairead Morrissey 1-0, Orla O’Dwyer 0-3, Gillian O’Brien 1-0, Roisin Howard 1-0, Kate Davey 0-1

Armagh: Caroline O’Hare; Sharon Reel, Caoimhe Morgan, Sarah Marley; Lauren McConville, Rebecca O’Reilly, Mairead Tennyson; Blaithin Mackin, Megan Sheridan; Aoife McCoy, Aimee Mackin, Clodagh McCambridge; Kelly Mallon, Fionnuala McKenna, Marian McGuinness.

Subs used: Caroline O’Hanlon for Mallon (34 mins)

Tipperary: Lauren Fitzpatrick; Siobhan Condon, Maria Curley, Emma Buckley; Brid Condon, Samantha Lambert, Caoimhe Condon; Jennifer Grant, Gillian O’Brien; Anna Rose Kennedy, Mairead Morrissey, Niamh Lonergan; Orla O’Dwyer, Aishling Moloney, Roisin Howard.

Subs used: Kate Davey for O’Brien (45 mins), Rachel O’Donnell for Condon (54 mins), Sarah Everard for Lonergan (60 mins)

Referee: Stephen McNulty (Wicklow)