Lidl LGFA National League Division Two

ARMAGH 2-13                  ROSCOMMON 0-12

Kevin Egan at Kiltoom

For the second week in succession, Roscommon ladies produced a performance that outshone expectations, but just wasn’t quite enough to yield anything tangible by way of results on the scoreboard. Last week, Tyrone’s strength off the bench was to prove the undoing for Ollie Lennon’s side, but this time out, they paid a heavy price for two self-inflicted errors, which led to Armagh goals in each half.

Outside of those mistakes, Roscommon were more than a match for the side that look like the class act of this division, and a team that lost a thrilling senior quarter-final to eventual All-Ireland finalists Kerry last Summer.

The home side produced their best football in the opening half of the game, where Aisling Feely hit three early points, with Laura Fleming and Aisling Hanly also on the mark with key scores. Caoimhe Cregg and the returning Lisa O’Rourke dominated midfield, and Roscommon briefly led by 0-7 to 0-3 before a misplaced kickout from Sasha Lavin allowed Aimee Macken to find the net for a crucial goal.

Again Roscommon rallied, but another Armagh surge before half-time levelled the game at 0-9 to 1-6, and with a strong breeze set to favour the Orchard County after half-time, it looked like the Rossies had left themselves too much to do.

Aisling Hanly and Niamh Feeney picked off good points either side of a Laura Fleming free to keep Roscommon on level terms with ten minutes gone, before disaster struck again. This time it was Ruth Cox who misplaced a pass, giving a short free straight to Mackin, who duly hoisted a long ball in towards the unmarked Kelly Mallon. Sasha Lavin and Rachel Fitzmaurice converged on the Armagh captain, bringing her to ground and conceding a penalty, which Mackin converted.

Roscommon continued to enjoy plenty of possession for the remainder of the game, but working the ball up the field into the wind proved to be incredibly difficult, and while they continued to defend wholeheartedly, Armagh were able to pick off enough scores to put a flattering seven-point gap between the sides by the end.

For a full report and reaction from this game, see next Tuesday’s Roscommon Herald