ARMAGH SUFFER CROKE PARK NIGHTMARE
Richard Bullick
Kerry manager Mark Bourke and captain Anna Galvin aren’t writing off the Orchard challenge despite dethroning National League title holders Armagh in emphatic fashion on Saturday evening with a comprehensive 4-14 to 0-11 victory in Dublin.
Armagh relinquished their crown with a sobering double-digit defeat against the All Ireland champions as Croke Park’s field of dreams turned into the house of horrors for Joe Feeney and Darnell Parkinson’s team.
The Orchard crew were already eight down by the time they finally registered a score in the 18th minute of what had been expected to be a close contest given the great rivalry established between these counties over recent seasons.
It was a chastening afternoon for Armagh as they suffered their heaviest ever loss at headquarters, worst beating anywhere this decade and a third consecutive defeat for the first time since 2017.
Having all but qualified for the final by winning their first five fixtures of the season, Armagh lost their last two regular league games last month, though there were mitigating factors and both were effectively dead rubbers.
The away game against Waterford was wind-affected while, at home to Meath, Armagh made 12 substitutions and eventually lost courtesy of an equalising goal right at the death followed immediately be a last-kick free.
So Armagh went into Saturday’s showpiece with reasonably good grounds for cautious optimism that they could repeat the victory over Kerry in the corresponding game last April, which was the first NFL final in Orchard history.
They made history last year on Armagh LGFA Chairperson Sinead Reel’s birthday and this time it was hoped there would be extra celebrations for forward Niamh Henderson, who had turned 30 last Wednesday.
But, as it transpired, Armagh took a painful 15-point pasting which nobody saw coming, may send shockwaves through the sport and will likely lead some to question the Orchard’s credentials as credible All Ireland contenders.
For whatever reason, there were no Armagh interviews aired after the match on TG4, but victorious boss Bourke acknowledged Kerry’s Orchard opponents hadn’t shown what they are capable of on this occasion.
“Armagh did not do themselves justice – they are much, much, much better than that,” emphasised Bourke, before adding: “But it’s on the day, everything is on the day, and it came off for us here.”
Addressing her vanquished opponents in her captain’s speech, Galvin said: “Girls, I know you’re disappointed today. There have been tough days for us in Croke Park too. We know there’s an awful lot more in you and we’ll see a savage team again in the Championship.”
Armagh will have a few weeks to lick their wounds and work on improvements before putting their provincial crown on the line in a straight Ulster final against their former manager James Daly’s Donegal next month.
This talented and dedicated team will be determined to bounce back from Saturday’s drubbing by Kerry by winning a fifth Ulster title in six seasons and then setting their sights on a redemptive return to Croke Park at the business end of this summer’s All Ireland series.
Armagh will hope that the return of ace markswoman Aimee Mackin, who top-scored in last season’s NFL final victory over Kerry but then sustained a cruciate rupture in the Ulster showpiece, provides a much-needed boost on the back of the weekend’s disappointment.
Meanwhile, last season’s All Ireland finalists Galway won Saturday’s Division Two decider 2-8 to 1-5 against Cork, with both heavyweight ladies gaelic counties having secured an immediate return to the NFL’s top flight after being relegated last spring.
