Armagh 7-19 Leitrim 0-5
Report by Shaun Casey
Armagh qualified for the All-Ireland ‘C’ Championship final with their best performance of the year against Leitrim.
Having already claimed the Ulster crown two months ago, the Orchard County will be eyeing up another piece of silverware.
Things got under way with an early penalty from Caoimhe Gollogly to put Armagh 1-3 to 0-0 up after just eight minutes. Lily McBennett and Alanna O’Neill also rattled the net during the first half of the game.
Armagh were extremely sharp up front and made the most of the opportunities they got in attack. Emma Hart and Cassie Henderson were dominant in midfield and Armagh marched into the interval winning 3-10 to 0-3.
The Armagh defence and midfield was again on top in the second period, repelling any of the Leitrim attacks. Aoife McDonald, Gollogly, Hart and Aoife Farrell all raised further green flags as Armagh continued to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
Armagh only conceded three-points after the turnaround, none of which came from open play. Goalkeeper Lily O’Neill was assured when called into action and full back Mia O’Hara was exceptional throughout the contest.
The driving runs from the half back line, particularly through Aoife Hagan and Erin Melanoph, helped the Ulster champions to push on. 34-points separated the sides when the referee sounded the full time whistle.
It’s Longford up next for the Orchard youngsters as they defeated Limerick in their semi-final by nine, 5-11 to 2-11. That game against the Leinster champions is set to take place on Saturday 25th, with a venue TBC.
