Kildare reach All-Ireland quarter-finals after stunning win in Armagh
Celebrations among the Kildare players after the final whistle Photo: ©INPHO/Leah Scholes
Kildare are through the All-ireland Senior Championship quarter-finals after a stunning upset win away to Ulster Champions Armagh.
Pat Sullivan’s team knew that only a win against a team who reached the Division 1 final would extend their interest in the All-Ireland series and they duly obliged with a magnificent performance.
There was barely 30 seconds on the clock when Alannah Prizeman brought the first save out of goalkeeper Anna Carr and that set the tone for the rest of the game for Kildare.
Lara Curran and Prizeman scored just after the midway point of the half to put them 0-5 to 0-3 ahead but Armagh answered back with two points, the second of those coming from Niamh Reel in the 22nd minute after a foul by Lisa Shaw that led to her being sent to the sin bin.
What followed were the key minutes of the game. Rather than allowing Armagh to build any momentum, Kildare cleverly kept the ball and took the sting out of the game. They weren’t happy with containment though and one long string of passes ended with Curran being sent through on goal but her shot was blocked again by Carr.
By the time Shaw returned to the pitch early in the second half, Kildare had outscored Armagh by 0-2 to 0-1 during the time down to 14 players, and they led 0-7 to 0-6.
When substitute Miah Ryan scored with her first touch after being introduced in the 45th minute, Kildare led 0-9 to 0-7 with nine different scorers.
Niamh Henderson halved the deficit but Captain Fantastic Laoise Lenehan then bundled home a goal for Kildare in the 46th minute after Roisin Byrne did all the hard work in the build up.
Kildare could have got a second goal instantly when they won possession from the kickout but Aoife Rattigan settled for a point to push Kildare five clear.
Armagh rallied, as they had to, and a goal by their captain, Lauren McConville gave them a lifeline in the 55th minute. They introduced former Player of the Year Aimee Mackin off the bench to aid their late push and she converted a free with her first touch to again leave the minimum between the teams.
As the momentum built behind Armagh, all the pressure was on Kildare and yet in the face of all that, they were able come forward again and a fine team moved ended with Ryan brilliantly kicking her second point to leave Kildare 1-12 to 1-10 ahead in the 58th minute.
That was the end of the scoring but not the end of the drama as Kildare still had some defending to do as Armagh chased a late winning goal. The experience of goalkeeper Mary Hulgraine, who had earlier in the half saved brilliantly to deny Kelly Mahon, proved crucial in those tense moments as she safely collected the ball on her goal line on more than one occasion in the last couple of minutes.
A late winning Armagh goal would have been a travesty as the display over the hour by this group deserved to go down in Kildare GAA folklore and the final whistle confirmed that it will.
An All-Ireland quarter-final will hold no fears as Kildare ladies football continues on an upward trajectory.
L Lenehan 1-1, A Rattigan 0-2, A Prizeman 0-2fs, M Ryan 0-2, R Byrne 0-1, R Sargent 0-1, C Wheeler 0-1, G Wheeler 0-1, L Curran 0-1, C O’Hanlon 0-4fs, L McConville 1-0, N Reel 0-2fs, N Henderson 0-2, A Mackin 0-1f, E Druse 0-1.
Mary Hulgraine; Mia Doherty, Molly Aspell, Lia Reilly, Lauren Murtagh, Ruth Sargent, Laoise Lenehan; Ciara Wheeler, Lisa Shaw; Ciara Moran, Aoife Rattigan, Gillian Wheeler, Roisin Byrne, Alannah Prizeman, Lara Curran. Subs: Miah Ryan for Murtagh, 43; Ellen Dowling for Rattigan, 50; Amy Mahon for G Wheeler, 57.
Anna Carr; Maeve Ferguson, Cait Towe, Roisin Mulligan, Emily Druse, Megan McCann, Grace Ferguson; Niamh Coleman, Caroline O’Hanlon; Lauren McConville, Caoimhe McNally, Blaithin Mackin, Kelly Mallon, Niamh Henderson, Niamh Reel. Subs: Eve Lavery for Mackin, h/t; Eimear McConaghy for McNally, 40; Eimear McGeown for Mallon, 50; Aimee Mackin for Reel, 55.
Eddie Cuthbert (Down).
