Armagh Will Take on Kerry Once Again in League Final

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: John Fallon; Category: Sports; Published: 24 March 2025

Armagh will bid to become only the fourth county in history to retain the Lidl National Football League Division 1 crown when they take on Kerry in the 2025 top flight decider at Croke Park on Saturday April 12. Champions Armagh were stopped in their winning run of five in a row on Saturday 22 March when they went down by 1-22 to 1-12 away to Waterford and with just one game remaining neither they or Kerry can be caught with both sitting at 15 points.

Chris Kent 30 October and Blondie Tribute 28 December @ Canal Court Hotel

The clash with the reigning TG4 All-Ireland SFC champions is a repeat of last year’s decider which Armagh won for the first time with a 2-12 to 2-9 win over a Kerry side who came into the final as league title holders.

Waterford blew the reigning champions away on Saturday with sixteen second half points. Ballymacarbry trio Kellyann Hogan, Bríd McMaugh and Clare Walsh scored 1-15 between them as Tomás Mac a t’Saoir's side registered their third win of the campaign. Rebecca Casey was another outstanding performer at centre back.

Armagh won the toss and elected to play with the strong breeze in the first half. It was Waterford who attacked straight away however and Aine O'Neill split the uprights after just 40 seconds. Niamh Reel levelled from a free. Bríd McMaugh then won a Waterford free which Kellyann Hogan converted.

Armagh defender Róisín Mulligan tied the scores again. A Karen McGrath tackle led to a McMaugh point at the other end. Eve Lavery made it three apiece after ten minutes. Aoife McCoy added another for Armagh off a Waterford short kickout. Déise captain Emma Murray cleared a ball off the line and then fired a point.

The next three white flags belonged to the wind assisted visitors. Lavery scored two more off her left before Niamh Reel got another. On 18 minutes, Maeve Ryan and Lauren McGregor sent Clare Walsh through on goal and she bended a shot off her right boot to the far corner of the Armagh net (1-5 to 0-7). Hogan extended Waterford's lead.

Déise number one Katelyn Gardiner smothered a shot from Niamh Reel before Lavery (free), McCoy and Moya Feehan edged the Orchard County back in front at halfway (0-10 to 1-6). Waterford created two goal chances and three point chances before the break but got no return.

Points from Eve Power, Katie Murray and Lauren McGregor snuck the home side ahead early in the second period. Blaithin Mackin got one back but the league leaders were swept aside by a Waterford blitz. Tomás Mac a t’Saoir's team struck seven points in the space of six minutes. The brilliant Bríd McMaugh accounted for three. Kellyann Hogan kicked two while McGregor and Walsh added one each.

Déise centre back Rebecca Casey kept Armagh at bay with inspirational tackles and interceptions. Late scores from Hogan and Emma Murray sealed a sensational home victory. Mackin converted a last minute penalty for Armagh.

Armagh joint manager Joe Feeney was disappointed to lose their unbeaten run. “We're very disappointed,” said Feeney. “But credit to Waterford, they were very good. They were hungry and up for it. We were decent in spells in the first half but Waterford were impressive. We were very flat in the second half.”

Scorers

Waterford: K Hogan 0-8 (4fs), C Walsh 1-2, B McMaugh 0-5, E Murray, L McGregor 0-2 each, E Power, A O'Neill, K Murray 0-1 each.

Armagh: B Mackin 1-1 (1-0 pen), E Lavery 0-4 (2fs), A McCoy, N Reel (1f) 0-2 each, R Mulligan, M Feehan, K Mallon (1f) 0-1 each.

Teams

Waterford: K Gardiner; C Murray, E Power, M Ryan; C McCarthy, R Casey, K McGrath; E Murray, H Power; Á O’Neill, K Murray; B McMaugh; K Hogan, C Walsh, L McGregor. Subs: L Ni Arta for McCarthy (48), N Power for Ryan (53), C Fennell for Walsh (56), A Brazil for McGregor (60).

Armagh: A Carr; M Ferguson, C Towe, L Kenny; G Ferguson, L McConville, R Mulligan; N Coleman, B Mackin; E Druse, A McCoy, E Lavery; N Reel, M Feehan, N Henderson. Subs: C McCambridge for G Ferguson (22), C McNally for M Ferguson (HT), K Mallon for McConville (40), E McGeown for Feehan (48), M McCann for Coleman (52), C Marley for Reel (58), S Quigley for Lavery (58), M Lennon for Druse (60).

Referee: E O'Neill (Kildare).

Kerry sealed their place in the final for the third year in a row when they edged out Meath by 0-13 to 1-8 in Tralee. Armagh will bid to follow in the footsteps of Cork, Kerry and Monaghan and retain the crown when the showpiece takes place at Croke Park on April 12.

Armagh take on Meath in the last game before the final this Saturday 29 March in the Box-It Athletic Grounds at 2.30pm.

Report by: Tomás McCarthy and John Fallon