Updated Jun 19th 2021, 7:11 PM

TWO STUNNING GOALS in a five-minute spell just before half-time by Niamh Mallon and Sorcha McCartan, and another in the 57^th minute by Anna Rogan after Antrim had clawed back a seven-point deficit to be level, earned Down victory in a pulsating Littlewoods Ireland Camogie League Division 2 final at Owenbeg, winning 3-8 to 1-11.

In the Division 3 final, Wexford saw off the challenge of Armagh on a score of 0-13 to 1-8.

The Division 2 decider was a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland intermediate final, which Derek Dunne’s side won convincingly, but Antrim are a youthful squad that are going places, and they went close to posting a momentous triumph. 

They will bemoan that period just before the interval particularly, but Down shot 11 wide in the opening half with the wind so the Mournewomen would have had cause for regret themselves had they not prevailed. 

It was fitting that a game of such high quality went down to the wire. Some of the scores were of an ethereal nature, and a great portion of them just plain brilliant. The pace of proceedings was always high and the intensity of the battle in the same category.  

Sorcha McCartan was the key component of the Down attack in the opening period, during which she scored a goal and four points. 

Though Sara Louise Graffin hit a first-minute point, they took a little while to get going, despite playing with the wind and were trailing by the odd point in five early on before McCartan equalised with her second white flag, from a piledriver that was touched over the bar by Catrina Graham. 

Nicole O’Neill, Róisín McCormick and Maeve Kelly had all shot outstanding scores for Antrim, and they led by two when Caitrin Dobbin’s point off the stick was augmented by O’Neill’s conversion of a free. 

Antrim’s Katie McKillop and Aimee Mcaleenan of Down.

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

Down hit 2-3 without reply however and had gotten back level when Mallon provided a 27^th minute goal with her first real contribution of the game. 

It was a trademark documentation of the innate ability the Portaferry prodigy has been illustrating for a number of years now, as she picked up possession around 30m out and rounded the two Antrim defenders tracking her throughout. She then accelerated away as two more gave chase and then, as Graham advanced from the goal, batted the sliotar to the roof of the net without breaking stride. 

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McCartan added a point while off balance and then goaled with a ferocious strike from just inside the 20m line and a little to the right of the posts, after selling an outrageous dummy, having run onto Graffin’s diagonal delivery. 

O’Neill did have time to register a lovely point and it was 2-6 to 0-6 at the change of ends. 

Paul McKillen, Jim McKernan and company managed to organise Antrim sufficiently to shore up their defence in the second half and they set about reducing the deficit, helped by conceding only one point in 26 minutes before Down’s late rapier thrust. 

O’Neill and Mallon exchanged points but then it was all about Antrim from there, points from the 20-year-old McCormick, Anna Connolly and an O’Neill free making it a one-goal game. 

Then McCormick showed a national audience what Ulster supporters have been seeing regularly, with a mind-boggling goal in the 54^th minute. It was well worked, the move started by Shauna Devlin. Dobbin sent a crossfield ball that landed about 25m out. 

McCormick stuck up her hurley among a phalanx of other sticks, killed the sliotar and dropped it into her hand. From there, she ran in an arc around the cover before providing the finish the build-up demanded with a low drive. 

Suddenly the teams were level and Antrim had all the momentum. But Down have more experience of these types of situations and it was they found the killer touch, Graffin grabbing another ball out of the sky, sending Mallon on her way and she in turn, drew the cover before giving Rogan the simplest of tasks from close range. 

It was the decisive score of a game that will live long in the memory. 

Earlier on Saturday, Wexford were two-point winners against Armagh. The result was in doubt right to the very end but a run of four consecutive points secured the Littlewoods Ireland Camogie League Division 3 title for Wexford. 

They had beaten Armagh by a point in the group stages so it was always likely to be a keenly-contested affair at the Donaghmore Ashbourne GAA complex. 

Alan Brennan’s charges held the upper hand throughout but Armagh, who are the reigning All-Ireland premier junior champions, hit the front thanks to a Ciara Donnelly goal ,just before the second-half water break that gave the Orchard County supporters tremendous hope. 

There was a lot of character about the reaction of the Model County contingent however, and they hit back with three consecutive points to garner the silverware. 

Chloe Cashe finished with seven points and it was the Glynn Barntown sharpshooter who restored parity with a neat score from play after the ultra-sharp Armagh netminder Ciarraí Devlin had saved from Emma Codd. 

Cashe then did the donkey work for Ciara Banville’s super score to put Wexford in front before Aoife Dunne thundered forward from wing-back to put an exclamation mark on a fantastic personal display with a lovely score and they had done enough. 

Wexford’s Ciara Banville and Sinead Kiernan of Armagh.

Source: Bryan Keane/INPHO

Playing with more fluidity, Wexford applied the early pressure, Cashe ratcheting up the opening two points. The second arrived in the fourth minute after another good Devlin save. 

Laura Smyth registered Armagh’s opening score in the eighth minute but Megan Cullen quickly responded. 

Armagh were struggling to establish a foothold and that meant the totemic Donnelly was not in the game to the extent anyone connected with the side would like. Her importance was illustrated as she won frees with her first two possessions, and the Eglish star converted them herself. 

Cashe had brought her tally to four by the time Donnelly struck her second point but when Collette McSorley drove over a wonderful score, the margin was just one at the water break, 0-5 to 0-4. 

The scoring rate slowed in the second quarter, and though Armagh managed to earn a greater share of the possession, with Ciara Hill in particular getting on a lot of ball, and equalised courtesy of a Donnelly free, their deficit increased marginally by the interval, Mattie Lennon’s charges trailing by 0-7 to 0-5 as Cashe (free) and Cullen split the posts for Wexford. 

Defences continued to be on top. Among the standout performers were Yellowbellies centre-back Aideen Brennan, a scorer of two goals as a minor star when Oulart-The Ballagh won All-Ireland club title in 2012. 

Donnelly hit the first score of the second half from a free but Ailis Neville and Codd added a couple of points in a minute to stretch the gap to three. 

But Donnelly was the epitome of economy, producing almost a maximum return from very little possession. 

First, she converted a free before somehow emerging from a ruck of players 25m out with possession and soloing into the red zone, before finding the Wexford net and it was Mattie Lennon’s outfit that had gotten their noses in front. 

They couldn’t stretch their advantage however, and with Wexford always having the greater share of the play, they just needed to avail of the opportunities. They did that and thus were just about deserved victors. 

Scorers for Down: S McCartan 1-4 (0-1f); N Mallon 1-3 (0-1f, 0-1 45); A Rogan 1-0; S L Graffin 0-1 

Scorers for Antrim: R McCormick 1-3; N O’Neill 0-5 (2fs); M Kelly, C Dobbin, A Connolly 0-1 each

DOWN: C McGourty, E Rafferty, D Magee, C Caldwell, B Fitzpatrick, K McMullan, D Savage, P O’Hagan, A Keown, A Mcaleenan, S L Graffin, S McCartan, L Clarke, N Mallon, M McNally 

ANTRIM: C Graham, K McKillop, C Conlon, M Lynn, C Patterson, N Donnelly, L McKenna, L McNaughton, A Boyle, M Kelly, A Connolly, N O’Neill, R McCormick, C Laverty, C Dobbin 

Sub: Christine Laverty for Ciara Laverty (57) 

Scorers for Wexford: C Cashe 0-7 (4fs, 1 45); M Cullen 0-2; A Neville, E Codd, C Banville, A Dunne 0-1 each 

Scorers for Armagh: C Donnelly 1-6 (0-6fs); L Smyth, C McSorley 0-1 each 

WEXFORD: L O’Shea, C Jackman, A Halligan, S Furlong, C Donohoe, A Brennan, A Dunne, C Cashe, K Devereux, M Cullen, C Banville, A Neville, G Roche, E Codd, D Cullen 

Subs: L Firman (40), A Davis (48), K Gallagher (58) 

ARMAGH: C Devlin, L Toner, N Woods, S Curry, S McArdle, E Hayes, G McCann, C Hill, K Convie, L Smyth, L Donnelly, S Kierna, C McSorley, O Murray, C Donnelly 

Subs: O Curry (51), E Smyth (52), R Merry (55), M Lenehan (59), B Murray (60+2) 

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1. Clare bounce back from last November

The value of comparing championship meetings with the previous year’s fixture can be debatable but Clare and Waterford came together in Thurles yesterday, only seven months since they had clashed in an All-Ireland quarter-final. There is value in contrasting the two games then, particularly in Clare’s response.

They achieved a 13-point swing, from losing by nine to winning by four. There was a marked improvement at the back, shipping 3-27 then to a more manageable total of 0-21 this time. Their defensive improvement was symbolised by how they curbed the threat of Dessie Hutchinson, destroyer in chief last year. There was also a focus elsewhere, according to Clare boss Brian Lohan.

“The big thing from last year was our fitness, we were blown out of it in the last 10 minutes last year. So we had a huge amount of work to do over the summer, but we have good faith in our lads.”

2. Kelly back fit to cause scoring damage

Another point from that 2020 clash cropped up here. Tony Kelly struck 0-8 that day but his influence was diluted after injuring his ankle in the warm-up. Yesterday he hit 1-12, a scoring increase that demonstrated the greater threat he posed. Waterford had to contend with a fully fit Kelly and having Calum Lyons detailed on him again, had the effect of robbing the Deise of a player powering them forward from wing-back.

It’s not an original point to speak of Kelly’s importance to Clare. But days like this reaffirm his worth – the early scoring burst of three points inside five minutes, the game’s solitary goal in the 29th minute and then Clare’s last three points of the day, two from play.  

Tony Kelly hits the net from a penalty.

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

3. Waterford’s missing players

A new year has meant for Waterford a different team. Beaten All-Ireland finalists seek to mount a renewed assault the following season but Waterford do not have all the assets at their disposal, which carried them so far last season.

Goalkeeper Stephen O’Keeffe has opted out, centre-back Tadhg De Búrca is a long-term miss after tearing his cruciate, while full-back Conor Prunty and midfielder Jamie Barron were the most recent injury losses. That’s a sizeable list of absentees, cutting the spine out of the Waterford team. Perhaps a performance drop-off was inevitable but Liam Cahill was confident beforehand that they could cope.

“They’re all massive players. They’re big game players. Hard to replace them. But we’ve trawled the club scene in Waterford and I really felt we’ve a good strong panel assembled. I know we were without them through injury and what have you but we had guys stepping in to take on the mantle and well equipped to do it.”

A dejected Shane McNulty after the game.

Source: James Crombie/INPHO

4. Clare’s missed chances

It felt like an unnecessarily nervy ending for Clare. They were ten points clear by the 52nd minute and ahead by eight in the 60th minute. Yet Waterford built up the momentum down the closing stretch, aided by four of their subs hitting a point apiece in the second half, and cut the gap to three before that insurance score by Tony Kelly.

Clare should have been out of sight. Scoring 22 points was striking due to the fact that they matched that with the same number of wides, 14 of those arrived in the first half alone. Their shot selection from that distance was an issue as they squandered opportunities to service their attack.

It ultimately didn’t cost them and the volume of chances they created was a good sign of the control they exerted around the middle third. But they’ll need to sharpen up before next Sunday.

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5. New challenges swing into view

The prize for winning is a quick turnaround, the flipside for the losers is three weeks to figure out where to go next. Clare must push on with a Munster semi-final date on Sunday against Tipperary in Limerick. They don’t look to have incurred any significant injury issues in defeating Waterford and will hope they get a bounce off this success to carry them towards their next challenge.

Waterford are out on the weekend of 17-18 July, where they will take on the preliminary round winner or one of the beaten Leinster semi-finalists. They have a few weeks to assess their options, hope their injury situation improves and Liam Cahill indicated afterwards that team changes are likely after the flatness of this display.

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CORK CAPTAIN MARTINA O’Brien says she feels her side is closing in on four-in-a-row All-Ireland winners Dublin, as the sides prepare to face off in the Division 1 final.

The sides have already met in this year’s league campaign, serving up a thrilling spectacle which Dublin edged by 3-15 to 4-11. The decider on Saturday evening will see the old rivals battle it out for silverware once again, with Cork effectively going in as reigning champions from 2019 after last year’s final could not be played due to the pandemic.

Dublin are chasing just their second top tier crown in the league this weekend, but it is their recent record in the championship which puts them at the summit of Ladies football.

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They defeated Cork in the 2018 and 2020 All-Ireland finals, while also getting the better of Ephie Fitzgerald’s side in the 2019 semi-final. But O’Brien is confident that the gap is closing on the Leinster outfit.

“We’d like to think it is. We didn’t expect that game to be such a spectacle, it was end-to-end stuff. We hope it’s closing. We’re trying to win things, win leagues and championships. Dublin are standing in everyone’s way.

“We feel like we’ve progressed over the last couple of years and are hoping to bridge that gap this year but we won’t know if we’ve done it until we’ve beaten them… no team will know that until they’ve beaten Dublin.

“Since then we’ve done more training and worked on things. We just hope we can bring that extra little bit on Saturday that might get us over the line.”

Referring back to the era of Cork’s dominance which yielded 11 All-Ireland crowns in 12 years, O’Brien adds:

“We have lost to Dublin the last couple of years and it is obviously going to be one of those things where you are like, just to beat them could be a good thing. We have beaten them in the league. We have beaten them along the way, just not in the important matches.

“But look, you could flip it the other way, Dublin have experienced a couple of years ago against Cork what we are experiencing now. It is roles reversed. We are getting a bit used of that kind of treatment now.

“We are always thinking about ourselves and who are we playing next, it is never a looking forward thing to we are going to be playing this crowd in the All-Ireland final. We are just playing to the next game.”

O’Brien also explained that Cork are unlikely to have the services of key forward Doireann O’Sullivan for the game against Dublin as she is still recovering from a knee injury.

Remarking on the kind of game that might unfold on Saturday, O’Brien suspects it won’t be a repeat of the high-scoring battle they played out last month. 

“I can’t imagine it will be as loose as it was the last day – we’ll both want to have tightened up – and won’t want to be leaking goals again.

“It will be very measured. We’re looking to play a bit more…be a bit safer..but look we won’t know until Saturday.

“Hopefully it’s a cracker again, with spectators there now the next day it could make a great evening.

“We’re setting our sights on winning every game we play, it doesn’t matter if it’s Dublin or Mayo or Armagh. Saturday is a final. We want to take the cup home.”

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EVERYTHING IS ON the up, says Dublin star Carla Rowe.

Recent positive developments have ladies football in a good place, she believes.

In the past few weeks, major news has been announced with male and female inter-county players set for equal Government funding, while matchday travel expenses will be covered through the Lidl Ladies National Football League.

The recent GPA merger is another landmark move, with strides made off the pitch now starting to match those made on it.

It must be said that the standard of the game has risen a huge amount, with Mick Bohan’s Dublin front and centre to that rise, placing much more emphasis on basic skills, as ever-increasing physicality, speed and intensity make it it a much more attractive game to watch.

Media coverage and sponsorship has also increased ten-fold, resulting in higher interest and improving attendances. Everything certainly is on the up.

“The LGFA and Lidl coming in there is kind of hand-in-hand, the development has been unbelievable,” Rowe nods. “Between just exposure alone, and the WGPA, looking to increase the support around the sport for females.

“We’re looking to constantly raise the bar and as we raise the bar obviously, we hope that everything else follows — along with other teams raising the bar — and if we keep doing that, we keep developing our game which is fantastic.”

While Dublin open their Division 1 league campaign against Waterford at Parnell Park this weekend, they will grace the turf of Páirc Uí Chaoimh for the first time on 29 May.

It’s the first time a Sky Blues ladies team will line out at the Leeside venue, and it’s an opportunity Rowe is relishing as they face arch-rivals Cork. — along with, pivotally, another step in the right direction.

“It’s brilliant. I suppose levelling the playing field probably jumps into my mind, the fact that we haven’t been there before, you’d scratch your head and wonder why, it’s so many years we’ve been around but for us to be here, it’s all about development and looking forward and taking positives.

“Very excited, can’t wait to get down and see it and I know it is a fantastic stadium so looking forward to playing there and, again, a closer step to having a level playing field.”

“That’s what we want,” she adds. “As ladies footballers, footballers, in those big stadiums, we want as many big games as we can in the Croke Parks, in the Páirc Uí Chaoimhs, Semple Stadium and to be starting the year in big venues is a standard bearer and that’s where we want to be.”

2020 Footballer of the Year nominee Rowe also offered an update on Sinéad Goldrick’s injury, as the seven-time All-Star currently rehabilitates in Australia.

The Melbourne FC Aussie Rules star underwent surgery on a hamstring injury in late March and missed the close of the AFLW season, but Dublin are “hopeful” of having her back in the fold at some stage soon.

Goldrick in action for Melbourne.

Source: AAP/PA Images

“A bit of an update that she’s doing her rehab so working away strongly at that and obviously 100% committed to it so not too much but that’s positive for now,” Rowe said.

“We’re not sure of a date, I’m not sure of a date myself of when she’s coming home because for now I’m just personally focusing on getting myself ready but for now, I think it’s positive enough that she’s rehabbing away and hopefully that gives her enough time.

“It is a tight timeframe but we’d be hopeful,” she added, with their other AFLW players Lauren Magee and Niamh McEvoy — who recently called time on her Melbourne stint — back in harness:

“We had Lauren and Niamh in there at the weekend so that’s two in which is brilliant and a huge addition to the team so, yeah, we’re looking forward to getting back training with them.”

Looking at the set-up elsewhere, Rowe hailed their “phenomenal” captain fantastic Sinéad Aherne, and also had some kind words for new vice-skipper Niamh Collins.

Foxrock-Cabinteely ace Collins is one of the best — but under-rated — defenders in the game, Rowe agrees.

“Yeah, 100%. Mick even said it this week, she brings that doggedness, that willingness to get down into the dirt and do the dirty work which you need in your team and if you have a leader that’s doing that then everyone else will follow.

“So fantastic for Niamh, I’m delighted for her because she’s put in an incredible number of years with Dublin and has always contributed so well to the team and her leadership is brilliant so definitely one that is completely underrated.

“But we know what she brings to us as a team and as a panel member so looking forward to hearing and being led by her and Sinéad.”

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GRAINNE EGAN ENJOYED quite the weekend on the field for the Offaly camogie and Ladies football sides.

Lining out for the county team on consecutive days, Egan was in sensational scoring form and racked up a tally of 4-13 between the two codes.

The Offaly dual star posted 3-5 during the camogie team’s victory over Dublin on Saturday before adding 1-8 with the Ladies football side in Sunday’s defeat of Carlow. 

Incredible goalscoring weekend for dual star Grainne Egan.. see her 3 goals for @OffalyCamogie yesterday and she added 1-9 today for @OffalyLGFA! @OfficialCamogie @JOEdotie @ballsdotie @RTEsport pic.twitter.com/7S8q9WXHz6

— Jerome Quinn (@JeromeQuinn) May 23, 2021

The Faithful enjoyed a 4-6 to 1-14 win over Dublin in their Division 1 Group 3 camogie meeting in what was former Galway All-Ireland winner Susan Earner’s first game in charge. 

The win sealed Offaly’s place in the knock-out stage of the league, with their upcoming meeting against Kilkenny deciding who tops the group.

The Ladies footballers ran out 3-16 to 1-16 victors against Carlow on the opening round of the Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 4B.

What an outstanding weekend for this lady. Scoring 3-5 for us yesterday and 1-8 for the @OffalyLGFA today. Congratulations Grainne! pic.twitter.com/MEDofUFhQK

— Offaly Camogie (@OffalyCamogie) May 23, 2021

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ONE OF THE greatest rivalries in Irish sport is renewed this evening.

The greatest in ladies football, without a shadow of a doubt, anyway, as arch-rivals Cork and Dublin enter familiar territory; battling it out for silverware on the biggest stage.

Cork captain Martina O’Brien and Dublin’s history-making skipper Sinéad Aherne.

Source: Brendan Moran/SPORTSFILE

Croke Park hosts the Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 1 final [throw-in 7.30pm, live on TG4], in a move away from its traditional Parnell Park stage. But  untraditional, or unconventional, has been the running theme of the last 15 months.

For the second weekend in-a-row, fans will be present at Gaelic games HQ once again, this double-header — the Division 2 final takes place beforehand — forming the basis of a Government-approved test event for spectators.

It’s a welcome change from last December’s All-Ireland final at the eery, empty venue, when Dublin came out on top of a typically ferocious battle to lift the Brendan Martin cup for the fourth year in-a-row.

It meant that for the 16th consecutive season, one of the two old enemies finished up as All-Ireland champions. 

There’s no question about it, these two great teams have dominated the ladies football landscape over the past decade and-a-half. Well, certainly when it comes to championship matters.

The late Eamonn Ryan’s legendary Rebels lifted the silver 11 times in 12 years between 2005 and 2016, with the Sky Blues winning their first in 2010 to break the chain. Dublin have, of course, since won four-in-a-row, after suffering three decider defeats on the bounce to them.

Their rivalry, and mutual respect, is one like no other in the game, the sides guaranteed to cross swords in the business end of competitions each and every year.

Managers Mick Bohan and Ephie Fitzgerald.

Source: Ken Sutton/INPHO

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While there’s a perception out there that it’s been all Dublin of late, Cork have certainly been the league specialists through the years. 

Ephie Fitzgerald’s side are defending champions, hoping to retain the title they won in 2019 given last year’s league was not completed amidst the pandemic.

They’ve won 12 Division 1 league titles since ’05, and are appearing in the final for the 15th time since ’04. Dublin, on the other hand and to a lot of people’s surprise, are chasing just a second top-flight title, having beaten Mayo in the 2018 decider.

This is just their third final appearance, losing to Cork in the ’14 finale. 

In recent years, Mick Bohan has used the league to blood younger players and unearth new gems on the Dublin fringes. It’s often been said there may be a bit of a hangover from the previous year’s championship success, but the Jackies have certainly found a nice balance this season.

With four wins from four, they’ve used 29 players with some big names like Carla Rowe, Ciara Trant and Nicole Owens yet to take to the field (their bench for tonight is stacked.) Former Irish rugby star Hannah Tyrrell has been the headline find, her return to football a massive boost after Noelle Healy’s retirement and Sinéad Goldrick’s hamstring injury blow, though many others have put their hands up.

Cork, meanwhile, have been more consistent in finding that balance, and have the perfect blend of youth – Erika O’Shea and Sadhbh O’Leary to name just two – and experience, with the evergreen Ciara O’Sullivan leading the charge.

Every time these counties meet, they serve up a classic.

🏆The latest instalment of a gripping rivalry is coming your way tomorrow at @CrokePark, as @CorkLGFA and @dublinladiesg lock horns in the 2021 @lidl_ireland National League Division 1 Final!

🎫Buy your tickets now! 👉https://t.co/SkGHyMuYqF👈#SeriousSupport

📹 @JeromeQuinn pic.twitter.com/itXxn8WTv4

— Ladies Football (@LadiesFootball) June 25, 2021

The most recent fixture was a seven-goal thriller in the group stages at the end of May in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, which Dublin won by a single point. As Cork captain Martina O’Brien said during the week, though, this should be more “measured” with the sides likely to play more safely.

Both fond of playing free-flowing, attacking football, you’d hope that will still be the case on Jones’ Road this evening.

Last December, there was a fierce pace and intensity to the All-Ireland final. Cork came out and put the game to Dublin, leading to a very open – and error-ridden – first half, but the eventual winners’ conditioning, physicality, athleticism and big-match experience shone through in the latter stages as the Leedsiders tired.

Cork often go into their shell and change the way they play when they face Dublin, reverting to a more defensive game.

Though league specialists, you get the sense they are underdogs coming into this one, and they’ll need a more complete performance to get over the line.

A win over Dublin on the biggest stage would certainly come as a huge pre-championship boost for Fitzgerald’s side, though that certainly won’t come easy as the Sky Blues target an improvement of their record in the early-season competition.

Whatever happens, the next chapter in this remarkable rivalry is sure not to disappoint.

*************************

Division 2 final captains Aislinn Desmond of Kerry, left, and Shauna Ennis of Meath.

Source: Brendan Moran/SPORTSFILE

The Division 2 finale, should also be an enthralling battle between two teams on the rise in Meath and Kerry, with promotion to the top-flight the all-important reward [throw-in 5pm, TG4].

The Royals are reigning All-Ireland intermediate champions after making it third time lucky in the Croke Park decider last December. More silverware and another promotion would be a huge boost and represent another significant step as they prepare for senior championship, having secured promotion from Division 3 in 2019.

Kerry, meanwhile, will be hoping for a return to the top tier after relegation from Division 1 in 2018 and a turbulent time off the field. Under Declan Quill and Darragh Long, they’re motoring nicely, and beat Meath by six points in the group stages.

That means little today, though. Anything could happen, especially with two star-studded forward lines going head-to-head.

The Division 3 and 4 finals take place on Sunday, with neighbours Laois and Kildare doing battle in Baltinglass for the former title [4pm], and the latter on the line as Leitrim and Louth face off in St Tiernach’s Park, Clones [2pm].

Both games are live on the Spórt TG4 YouTube Page.

Updated May 10th 2021, 7:18 PM

SLIGO FOOTBALLER NEIL Ewing has announced his retirement from the senior inter-county game.

The 33-year-old defender started out in 2008 and featured in three Connacht finals. Success eluded him in those clashes against Roscommon in 2010 and twice against Mayo (2012 and 2015).

Ewing outlined how injury had been a reason behind his decision to bow out.

“Dodged injury for a long time but luck couldn’t last forever. At the minute the body is not willing to do what the heads is telling it. It was a childhood dream to pull on the Sligo jersey. An honour to have enjoyed the opportunity to do so.

“From 2008 it has been a privilege beyond words to get to play alongside some who were heroes growing up, some who will be future stars and some whose monumental, unseen, commitment to train/travel/prepare didn’t get them a regular run in the 1-15 jersey.”

Grateful to have had the opportunity to fulfil a childhood dream. Time for the terrace. pic.twitter.com/jbATeJIfzy

— Neil Ewing (@Bob__Ewing) May 10, 2021

The Drumcliffe-Rosses Point club man admitted his regret at not landing that provincial honour.

“Hugely disappointing to not have a Connacht championship medal. Will forever regret a free I gave away in 2010. Did everything I could, in my limited capabilities, to make up for that moment.

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“In the absence of achieving ambitions I have to take solace in the great experiences shared, friends made and support received along the way.”

Confirmation also from @OfficialCorkGAA selector Sean Hayes that @carrigoon @Lockaldhino has called time on his inter-county career.
Best of luck to James who played some outstanding games in the red jersey.
Game v @KildareGAA live on @BigRedBench @C103Cork pic.twitter.com/cWPJMW0WVa

— Finbarr Mc Carthy (@FiFinnymac) May 10, 2021

Elsewhere this evening, it has been confirmed that Cork’s James Loughrey has called time on his inter-county career.

Local radio station 96fm reported the news this evening, days after The Echo first broke the Belfast-born defender’s retirement story.

Having played for Antrim before, Loughrey joined the Rebel set-up at the start of 2013 when he moved to live and work on Leeside.

The 34-year-old established himself as a mainstay in the Cork defence from there — though recently struggled with injury — while playing his club football with Mallow.  

– additional reporting from Emma Duffy.

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Mayo 2-15
Galway  2-14

Stephen Glennon reports at MacHale Park

AN UNANSWERED 1-4 in the closing five minutes saw Mayo claim the bragging rights over neighbours Galway in this pulsating Lidl National League Division 1 derby at MacHale Park.

Mayo’s second goal from a Rachel Kearns 55th minute penalty re-ignited her side’s challenge before Kearns and substitute Deirdre Doherty kicked two frees in the final minute to overturn an earlier six-point deficit and secure a dramatic victory for the home side.

It was Mayo, bolstered by the return of Fiona McHale and the Carnacon contingent to the squad, that made the better start in the contest, with Maria Reilly netting the opening goal on seven minutes. The score gave Mayo a 1-2 to 0-1 lead.

In the opening quarter, Kearns (free), Tamara O’Connor and Sinead Cafferkey were also on the scoresheet while a lethargic Galway kept in touch with points from Claregalway duo Andrea Trill and Megan Glynn.

It was a tentative opening from the visitors, but they began to find their feet in the second quarter and in the next 10 minutes they outscored Mayo five points to two. The experienced Mairéad Seoighe tallied four of those – three from frees – while Nicola Ward scored the other after Charlotte Cooney stole a Mayo kickout.

However, Mayo finished the first half stronger with centre-half forward Shauna Howley kicking their last three points, two from play, and Michael Moyles outfit led 1-8 to 0-7 at the break.

A blistering third quarter, in which Galway struck for 2-4 without reply, saw Gerry Fahy’s charges race into a 2-13 to 1-10 lead by the 46th minute, with Kate Slevin shooting the Tribeswomen’s two goals. The first was a superbly taken penalty on 39 minutes followed by a fisted effort from play seven minutes later.

Also to the fore was Seoighe, captaining the side on the evening. She kicked seven points in all and looked set to guide Galway to an opening day win.

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However, Mayo, roused by the introduction of Grace Kelly, rallied in the final 10 minutes and, with Kearns leading the charge, secured new manager Michael Moyles his first victory.

Scorers for Mayo: S Howley 0-6 (2f), R Kearns 1-3 (1-0 penalty, 0-2 frees), M Reilly 1-0, T O’Connor 0-1, M McHale 0-1, S Cafferkey 0-1, F McHale 0-1, G Kelly 0-1, D Doherty 0-1 (1f).

Scorers for Galway: M Seoighe 0-7 (3f), K Slevin 2-1 (1-0 penalty), A Trill 0-3 (1f), M Glynn 0-1, N Ward 0-1, E Noone 0-1.

Mayo: L Brennan; O Conlon, K Sullivan, T O’Connor; E Ronayne, C McManamon, E Brennan; F McHale, M McHale; N Kelly, S Howley S Cafferkey; M Reilly, R Kearns, L Cafferkey.

Subs: C Needham for Reilly (37), D Doherty for M McHale (43), G Kelly for S Cafferkey (44), C Whyte for O’Connor (51), A Lambert for Howley (57).

Galway: D Gower; S Brennan, S Lynch, S Molloy; K Geraghty, N Ward, C Cooney; A Davoren, M Glynn; O Divilly, M Seoighe, L Coen; E Noone, A Trill, K Slevin.

Subs: S. Divilly for Davoren (h-t), J Burke for Molloy (37), A Morrissey for Coen (45), A McDonagh for Noone (46), C Crowe for Burke (57).

Referee – Siobhan Coyle (Donegal).

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LIMERICK HAVE CALLED up four players to their squad for the 2021 season while All-Ireland winning defender Paddy O’Loughlin has dropped out of the setup ‘for personal reasons for a while.’

John Kiely’s team commence their campaign next Saturday in the Gaelic Grounds against Tipperary after a terrific 2020 season that yielded All-Ireland, Munster and league triumphs.

They are currently operating with a 38-player squad, youngsters Colin Coughlan (Ballybrown) and Cathal O’Neill (Crecora-Manister) both joining for the first time. The pair are Leaving Cert students who won Munster minor medals in 2019.

O’Neill is a highly-rated attacker who scored 0-9 in that provincial final win over Clare while Coughlan is a wing-back. They both lined out last December when Limerick lost to Cork in the Munster U20 semi-final.

The Doon pair of Tommy Hayes and Barry Murphy have also been drafted in. They both featured when their club reached last year’s Limerick senior hurling final, losing heavily to champions Na Piarsaigh. 

Barry Murphy (left) in action for Limerick against Cork in 2018.

Source: James Crombie/INPHO

Murphy was captain of that side and is recalled after previously being involved in the 2018 All-Ireland winning summer. In the opening game in Munster that year, he came off the bench to score a goal against Tipperary.

Kilmallock defender O’Loughlin was part of last year’s victories while the UCC Fitzgibbon Cup winner had started three times in the 2019 championship against Waterford, Clare and Tipperary.

In another loss to the defensive ranks, Tom Condon retired in January after being involved for 12 seasons but Limerick will be able to call upon Richie English and Mike Casey during this season after their recovery from cruciate injuries.

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IT’S 22 MONTHS since Kerry mounted the second-half fightback that took down Tyrone by three points in an All-Ireland semi-final in Croke Park.

Source: James Crombie/INPHO

It’s 16 months since Tyrone held off Kerry by a point to win a league encounter in Edendork.

A pair of tight contests. A success for each side. The background as they approached yesterday’s meeting in Killarney.

How then to explain the 16-point hammering that Kerry handed out in the latest clash? How do you account for the six goals that Kerry posted? How much value can be placed on it, with the summer examinations in mind?

Kerry knew that winning this league semi-final would not propel them towards a final, a strange quirk of the 2021 GAA schedule. But you wouldn’t have known that by the manner in which they started the game, sharp and enthusiastic, rampaging forward at will as they sliced apart the Tyrone defence.

Three goals registered by the first water break, five on the board by half-time and a sixth added for good measure towards the end by substitute Jack Barry. The identity of the goalscorers – Clifford, White, Moynihan and Geaney – reaffirmed again the attacking riches at Kerry’s disposal, while Sean O’Shea was outstanding in directing the forward line traffic.

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Further back, it was hard to digest much from Kerry’s performance. Beaufort’s Mike Breen does look another bright prospect off their All-Ireland minor winning productions. Kieran Fitzgibbon is in command of the number one jersey after another solid outing. Jason Foley took the man-of-the-match award for his full-back performance.

Kerry’s league campaign ends with them handing out another hammering on home soil. That speaks of a team playing with a temper and frustration, generated from the long and painful inquest they endured after their exit last winter.

Their brilliant scoring capacity up front, the element of uncertainty in defence, the question marks over where to fit all their pieces into the starting team, those areas of debate all remain around Kerry.

Kerry’s Mike Breen and Tyrone’s Conor Meyler.

Source: James Crombie/INPHO

But yesterday they looked like a team who are stepping it up, two weeks out from their Munster quarter-final. They may be strong favourites for that game yet Clare are one of the most progressive sides in the country.

And if 2020 taught Kerry anything, it is the danger of not hitting full speed from the off in a knockout championship. Yesterday’s display reflected a necessary sharpness for their last run-out a fortnight before they take on Clare.

In contrast Tyrone have more time. It’s four weeks until they have their Ulster championship opener, playing in Omagh against the kingpins Cavan. The news of their relegation to Division 4 had filtered through before throw-in at Fitzgerald Stadium, Tyrone joint manager Brian Dooher dimissed the thought afterwards that Cavan will be damaged by that loss.

The lack of defensive resistance in this game was striking and begged the question as to where their interest levels truly lay. Leaking five goals in the first half was a glaring statistic but it was also instructive to reflect on the first-half openings Kerry did not convert. David Clifford fisted an early chance wide, O’Shea had to settle for a point on another occasion, Paudie Clifford was crowded out after a strong run and Stephen O’Brien saw a handpass close to goal just elude the intended target. Tyrone’s defending was surprisingly passive, which permitted Kerry to pour forward with such frequency.

They did pick off some nice scores, Kieran McGeary’s point-taking was excellent. But the costliest aspect of their long away trip, could be the extended loss of Darragh Canavan. The highly-promising forward was wheeled off with an ankle problem after ten minutes and he limped out of the stadium afterwards on crutches, his left footed covered in a protective boot. On a day where form was difficult to read, that may be the key outcome with the wider season picture in mind.

League done, get set for championship. The bigger tests and more significant days of judgement await. Kerry back out in two weeks, Tyrone return in four. We will see how they fare.

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