Cork 1-10 Kildare 2-7
By Ger McCarthy
Cork and Kildare played out a thrilling Lidl National Football League Division 1 draw at MTU Cork.
The new rules being trialled in this year’s league had an immediate and positive effect on a cracking first round encounter.
The solo and go was used to good effect and both teams were penalised for not retreating, resulting in numerous close-range frees.
Pat Sullivan’s Kildare adapted better and deservedly led for most of an entertaining game.
The Lillies were 2-6 to 1-6 ahead with less than 10 minutes remaining when Cork found another gear. Two Abigail Ring efforts and a Katie Quirke free, meant it was all square with time almost up.
Then, Alannah Prizemann’s converted free looked to have won it for Kildare. That was until Quirke’s fifth converted free of the afternoon, four minutes into injury-time, salvaged a point for the Rebels.
Kildare were the better team in the opening half and built a 0-5 to 0-3 lead thanks in part to Aoife Murnane’s brace of points.
Mayah Doyle, Aoife Rattigan and Prizemann also scored while Quirke and Grace Ní Mhurchú points kept Cork in touch.
It was Joe Carroll’s team who first billowed the net via a Melissa Duggan goal and looked set to change ends a point to the good. Instead, Aoife Murnane made her presence felt with an injury-time green flag to send the visitors in 1-5 to 1-3 ahead.
A low scoring third quarter saw the team draw level, 1-6 apiece, as Emma Cleary, Leah Hallihan and Quirke (free) scored. Kildare’s Prizemann converted a 13-metre free in response.
Both goalkeepers, Caoime Richmond and Rachel Fennin, produced excellent point-blank saves to keep the score unchanged until the 50th minute.
That was when Murnane left three Cork defenders in her wake and walloped the ball into the net to make it 2-6 to 1-6. An exciting finale saw Cork draw level before Prizemann and Quirke exchanged frees at either end.
Kildare will feel this is one that got away with a new-look Cork thankful to have a point on the board on their first day back in Division 1.
Scorers for Cork: K Quirke 0-5 (0-5 f), M Duggan 1-0, A Ring 0-2, G Ní Mhurchú, E Cleary, L Hallihan 0-1 each.
Kildare: A Murnane 2-2, A Prizemann 0-2 (0-2 f), M Doyle, A Rattigan, J Harney 0-1 each.
CORK: C Richmond; M Duggan,D Kiniry, K Horgan; A Corcoran, S McGoldrick, R Corkery; A Healy, A O’Mahony; R Leahy, G Ní Mhurchú, E Cleary (captain); R O’Regan, K Quirke, L Hallihan. Subs: Á Terry O’Sullivan for R O’Regan (42), K Redmond for A O’Mahony (50), A Ring for L Hallihan (50), E Hurley for R Leahy (57), C Hughes for R Corkery (58).
KILDARE: R Fennin; E Wheeler, R Sargent, M Doherty; H McLoughlin, L Shaw, L Lenehan (captain); N Murphy, G Wheeler; M Doyle, C Wheeler, A Rattigan; A Murnane, L Curran, A Prizeman. Subs: J Harney for L Curran (2, inj), M Aspell for M Doyle (37), M McDonagh for G Wheeler (52), R Forde for A Rattigan (46), A Mahon for J Harney (57), A Cahill for A Prizemann (58).
Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow).
Waterford 2-14 Armagh 0-8
By Shaun Casey
Waterford made a winning start to their Lidl NFL Division 1A campaign against last year’s league finalists Armagh at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds.
Waterford were 10-points better off when these sides met in the 2025 league and improved that result by two-points this time around and were full value for their comfortable victory.
Armagh were without experienced players such as Caroline O’Hanlon, Niamh Henderson, Niamh Reel, the Mackin sisters, Blaithin and Aimee, along with the Coleman siblings, Niamh and Dearbhla.
The travelling side made the perfect start to proceedings with Chloe Fennell raising a green flag inside six minutes. Brid McMaugh’s shot had dropped short and Fennell was on hand to knock home a major.
Armagh made a rapid response with debutant Lara Marsden, daughter of 2002 All-Ireland winner Diarmaid Marsden, nabbing two scores inside 30 seconds.
Fennell grew her own personal tally but neither side split the posts for the next ten minutes. Waterford could, and should, have added another goal but Brianna Mathers pulled off a fine save while they also hit the post and crossbar during that period.
Áine O’Neill notched three quickfire points inside 90 seconds and added a fourth straight score to make six the difference. Maeve Lennon grabbed the final score of the half for the Orchard County, who trailed 1-5 to 0-3 at the interval.
McMaugh got the game up and running after the turnaround but her effort was cancelled out by Aoife McCoy. O’Neill and Clare Walsh grew the margin to seven before the hosts hit a purple patch for the first time.
Gregory McGonigle’s side nailed three on the bounce, with Lennon pointing twice from the dead ball while skipper Lauren McConville also raised a white flag. Waterford substitute Kellyann Hogan then converted two frees to restore their six-point advantage.
Kelly Mallon tagged on a score after coming off the bench but any hope of a revival was washed away when Treasa Ní Chrontaigh slashed home her sides second three-pointer and they tagged on the final three points of the day to soar into a 12-point win.
Scorers – Waterford: Á O’Neill 0-5, C Fennell 1-1, T Ní Chrontaigh 1-0, K Hogan 0-2 (2f), C Walsh 0-2, B McMaugh 0-2, K Murray 0-1, J Queally 0-1.
Armagh: M Lennon 0-3 (2f), L Marsden 0-2, K Mallon 0-1, L McConville 0-1 A McCoy 0-1.
WATERFORD: K Gardiner; C Murray, L Mulcahy, R Casey, L Ní hArta, K McGrath, L Cusack; E Power, B Browne; K Murray, B McMaugh, Á O’Neill; C Fennell, C Walsh, L McGregor. Subs: K Hogan for C Walsh (41 mins), A McGrath for E Power (49 mins), T Ní Chrontaigh for C Fennell (55 mins), A Hahesy for A O’Neill (59 mins), J Queally for K Murray (59 mins).
ARMAGH: B Mathers; M Ferguson, C McCambridge, G Ferguson; Emily Druse, L McConville, C Towe; S Quigley, C Marley; L Marsden, A McCoy, C McNally; M Lennon, A Donnelly, K Mallon. Subs: K Mallon for C McNally (39 mins), E Cassidy for S Quigley (45 mins), E Lavery for M Lennon (53 mins), Elsie Druse for L Kavanagh (59 mins).
Referee: Maggie Farrelly (Cavan).
