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A comprehensive ten point victory over Meath at Ashbourne has moved Armagh to the top of Lidl National Football League Division 1 table.
Both teams had come into this game with 100% records from the opening three rounds of this year’s NFL, but with scores of 1:4 apiece from Aimee Mackin and Kelly Mallon it is Armagh who are the new pace-setters in the top tier.
While Emma Duggan shone brightly throughout, Meath who are under the guidance of former Orchard boss Shane McCormack in 2024 — ultimately suffered their first defeat of the campaign.
Fresh from featuring for Leeds Rhinos in the Netball Superleague on Saturday, Caroline O’Hanlon got Armagh up and running with a second minute point at the end of a patient move. 2020 TG4 Senior Players’ Player of the Year Mackin followed up with a neat score, before both she and O’Hanlon doubled their respective tallies to offer Armagh an early stranglehold on the contest.
Meath finally opened their account through a Niamh Gallogly point on the first-quarter mark and their deficit was further reduced when Emma Duggan found the target either side of a Mallon free.
Mallon and Mackin went on to add placed-ball efforts for the visitors, but with Maire O’Shaughnessy and Duggan splitting the uprights in fine style, Meath were just two points in arrears at 0-7 to 0-5 at the interval.
It was an initially tentative start to the second period from both teams, but the excellent Mackin brought the tie back to life by finishing superbly to the net off her reliable left boot seven minutes after the resumption. And while the Royals responded to this set-back with points from Aoibhin Cleary and Marion Farrelly (free), Mackin and Eve Lavery also raised white flags to keep Armagh in the driving seat.
Their chances of extending their winning run were given a further boost heading into the final-quarter as Mallon lashed home a second goal for the Ulster side via impressive approach work by Mackin.
This effectively placed the outcome beyond doubt and in spite of Duggan contributing her fourth point of the action, Emily Druse and Mallon (two) also found the range late on to put the seal on an emphatic Armagh victory.
Final score Armagh 2-12 - Meath 0-8
Scorers - Armagh: K Mallon 1-4 (0-2f), A Mackin 1-4 (0-1f), C O’Hanlon 0-2, E Druse, E Lavery 0-1 each.
Meath: E Duggan 0-4 (2f), M Farrelly 0-1 (f), N Gallogly, A Cleary, M O’Shaughnessy 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, E Lavery; A Mackin, L Kenny, K Mallon. Subs: C Doyle for Kenny (13), M O’Callaghan for Lavery (45), E O’Brien for Druse (56), M Lennon for McCoy (58), M Ferguson for Coleman (60).
Meath: M McGuirk; K Newe, A Sheridan, N Troy; N Gallogly, M.K. Lynch, A Cleary; M O’Shaughnessy, S Melia; M Thynne, E Moyles, C Smyth; M Byrne, M Farrelly, E Duggan. Subs: C Lawlor for Newe (13), S Lynch for Farrelly (45), L Young for Smyth (50), T Foster for Thynne (56), S Ennis for Melia, R Casserly for Byrne (both 60).
Referee: Eddie Cuthbert (Down).
