Armagh Faces Urgent Challenge: Refocus and Regroup for Relegation Playoff Against Donegal, Urges Parkinson

TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship Group 3 round 3: Armagh 1-10 Kildare 1-12

ULSTER champions
Armagh
must now fight for their senior status after crashing out of the All-Ireland championship losing to Kildare at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds on Saturday.

The Orchard County will face fellow Ulster side Donegal, in a repeat of the Ulster final, after they also lost their final round group game to Tipperary 0-11 to 1-6 in Bansha, in a relegation qualifier on Saturday July 5.

The winner will save their senior status while the loser will have another chance against the losers of Mayo and Leitrim in the relegation play-off the following week.

Playing in a relegation match in two weeks was certainly not what Armagh had been planning for, but they will have no qualms about the result in the Athletic Grounds.

Coming into this game, the provincial champions needed just a draw to qualify for the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

It would have meant an away tie against a group winner, but they would have taken that at any stage on Saturday with the way the game panned out.

They were favourites, however, for the win, to top the group and with it enjoy a home quarter-final but it is now Meath who claimed that with Kildare taking the runners-up spot and an away quarter-final to All-Ireland champions Kerry.

It is an obvious statement, but Armagh will be hugely disappointed, and it will take a day or two to process the game, but they will also quickly have to turn their attentions to this relegation game against Donegal.

Armagh were certainly not at their best on Saturday but full credit to Kildare, they were and from the off, the Lilywhites showed they wanted that quarter-final place.

It was 0-6 each at half-time with Armagh not able to get going, mostly because Kildare were making it difficult for them, but they were very much still in the game but that lift in performance everyone was waiting on in the second half just did not come.

Armagh joint manager Darnell Parkinson said it was difficult to say the game hinged on any one event or incident but rather their overall performance just was not where it needed to be.

“It’s hard to identify one single thing that cost us. We were really disappointed with our first half performance,” said Parkinson.

“We allowed Kildare to dictate the pace of the game and credit to them they were really aggressive and pressed us all over the pitch.

“Obviously going in level we felt we could improve our performance in the second half and try and implement our style of play, but in the second half we probably missed too many chances to deserve to win any game.”

Armagh still could have snatched a last gasp win as they piled huge pressure on Kildare in the final few minutes knowing that they needed a goal to win as they trailed 1-12 to 1-10 but everything the threw at their opponents, they were more than a match for.

“We probably had better goal opportunities in the first half when through on goal but fouled a couple of times for tap over frees,” Parkinson added.

“But Kildare also had a couple of opportunities themselves truth be told.

“The last five minutes was probably the most momentum we had all game, but again credit to Kildare they were able to hold firm and get over the line.

It was a pair of Caroline O’Hanlon frees either side of a Kildare point from Ruth Sargent that saw Armagh take the early lead but in those first few minutes it was the only time they led, although the sides were level five times in the first half.

Kildare edged ahead 0-3 to 0-2 through Gillian Wheeler and Aoife Rattigan before Niamh Henderson levelled the game but once again, they were playing catch-up after another pair of Kildare points, this time Lara Curran and Alannah Prizeman (free) raising the white flag to make it 0-5 to 0-3.

O’Hanlon and Niamh Reel points from frees saw them back on level terms on 23 minutes.

The home side too had a numerical advantage after Kildare defender Lisa Shaw was sin-binned in those final 10 minutes but they could not make it count as Kildare moved ahead again with Cara Wheeler on target but a fourth O’Hanlon free saw the sides level at half-time, 0-6 each.

Kildare made it 0-7 to 0-6 within seconds of the restart, Laoise Lenahan on the end of a move that started from winning the throw-in.

Armagh scuppered chances at the other end while Kildare captain Roisin Byrne doubled their lead 0-8 to 0-6 after 33 minutes.

A Reel free brought it back to the minimum but Kildare were always able to find the next score, this one from substitute Mia Ryan although Henderson replied for Armagh.

The next score proved crucial and it fell Kildare’s way, Lenehan slotting home for a Kildare goal in the 46th minute and Rattigan following up with a point as they opened up a five point advantage, 1-10 to 0-8.

Emily Druse got one back for Armagh, who also had a goal chance saved but Kildare again popped up with the next score, Prizeman (free) on target over the bar as the gap remained five.

Lauren McConville, captain in the absence of Clodagh McCambridge, gave the home side a life line with a well taken goal on 55 minutes to bring them to within two, 1-11 to 1-9.

Aimee Mackin, making her first appearance of the year after her cruciate injury last season, converted a free to leave it a one point game with minutes remaining.

They could not find the equaliser for the draw that would have done but Kildare added a final point from Ryan in the 58th minute leaving Armagh needing the goal to win, which just never came.

Armagh must now lift themselves for this relegation qualifier against Donegal and Parkinson knows his side can produce the right reaction.

“It will obviously take some time to get over the disappointment of the Kildare game, but the fact is we have to now refocus and regroup very quickly,” he said.

“We aren’t where we want to be going into the next two weeks, but the reality is we have to recognise as a group we are representing Armagh until the season comes to a close.

“Knowing what I do of these girls they will give it absolutely everything they have over these next few weeks to ensure that whoever is coming to represent this county next season will be playing senior championship football.”

Kildare: M Hulgraine; R Sargent (0-1), L Lenehan (1-1), M Doherty; L Shaw, L Murtagh, M Aspel; L Reilly, C Moran; C Wheeler (0-1), A Rattigan (0-2), L Curran (0-1); G Wheeler (0-1), A Prizeman (0-2f), R Byrne (0-1). Subs: M Ryan (0-2) for L Murtagh (43 mins), E Dowling for A Rattigan (50 mins), A Mahon for G Wheeler (57 mins).

Armagh: A Carr; M Ferguson, C Towe, R Mulligan; E Druse (0-1), M McCann, G Ferguson; N Coleman, C O’Hanlon (0-4f); L McConville (1-0), C McNally, B Mackin; K Mallon, N Henderson (0-2), N Reel (0-2f). Subs: E Lavery for B Mackin (HT), E McConaghy for C McNally (40 mins), E McGeown for K Mallon (50 mins), A Mackin (0-1f) for N. Reel (55 mins).

Referee: Eddie Cuthbert (Down).