Pair impress as assured Armagh move to summit
Mackin and Mallon lead the charge
AIMEE Mackin and Kelly Mallon struck 1-4 apiece as Armagh moved to the summit of the Division 1 table with a convincing triumph over Meath at Ashbourne yesterday.
Both teams had come into the game with 100 per cent records from the opening three rounds, but with Mackin and Mallon leading their charge, Armagh are the new pace-setters in the top tier.
Armagh manager Greg McGonigle paid tribute to the goalscorers, along with the versatile and long-serving Caroline O’Hanlon.
‘As I keep saying to younger players coming into our set-up, Aimee Mackin and Kelly Mallon are the last two people to leave the field every single night and they’re the first two people on the field,’ said McGonigle.
‘It doesn’t come from our coaching, it comes from them being diligent and putting in the hard work.
‘That’s obviously why they’re two of the best forwards in Ireland.’
Of O’Hanlon, who had played for Leeds Rhinos in the Netball Super League on Saturday, he added: ‘She is nearly superhuman. She’s a credit to not even just female athletes, but any athlete as regards playing at the top of your game.
‘Her knowledge of the game as regards her coaching of younger players.
‘We have a lot of 18, 19-year-olds on the panel, who mightn’t get game time, but they’re getting some experience playing with Caroline O’Hanlon.’
While Emma Duggan shone brightly throughout, Meath — who are under the guidance of former Orchard boss Shane McCormack in 2024 — ultimately suffered their first defeat of the campaign.
‘It was obviously a big game, whoever won would get on top of the table,’ said Meath’s Mary Kate Lynch.
‘It’s not gone away from us. We still have three games left and it’s still there for the taking. I think it’s still there for anyone really at this point in time.
‘We’ll have to just reassess, go back.
‘See where the errors were and kick on from there.’
It was O’Hanlon who got Armagh up and running with a second-minute point at the end of a patient move.
Mackin followed up with a neat score, before both she and O’Hanlon doubled their respective tallies to offer Armagh an early stranglehold.
Meath finally opened their account through a Niamh Gallogly point on the first-quarter mark and their deficit was further reduced when Duggan found the target either side of a Mallon free.
Mallon and Mackin went on to add placed-ball efforts for the visitors, but with Maire O’Shaughnessy and Duggan splitting the uprights in fine style, Meath were just two points in arrears at 0-7 to 0-5 at the interval.
It was an initially tentative start to the second period from both teams, but the excellent Mackin brought the tie back to life by finishing superbly to the net off her reliable left boot seven minutes after the resumption.
And while the Royals responded to this setback with points from Aoibhin Cleary and Marion Farrelly (free), Mackin and Eve Lavery also raised white flags to keep Armagh in the driving seat.
Their chances of extending their winning run were given a further boost heading into the final-quarter as Mallon lashed home a second goal for the Ulster side via impressive approach work by Mackin.
This effectively placed the outcome beyond doubt and in spite of Duggan contributing her fourth point of the action, Emily Druse and Mallon (two) also found the range late on to put the seal on an emphatic Armagh victory. ARMAGH: A Carr; G Ferguson, C McCambridge, R Mulligan; C Towe, L McConville, D Coleman (M Ferguson 60); N Coleman, C O’Hanlon; E Druse (E O’Brien 56), A McCoy (M Lennon 58), E Lavery (M O’Callaghan 45); A Mackin, L Kenny (C Doyle 13), K Mallon. Scorers: K Mallon (0-2f), A Mackin (0-1f) 1-4 each, C O’Hanlon 0-2, E Druse, E Lavery 0-1 each. MEATH: M McGuirk; K Newe (C Lawlor 13), A Sheridan, N Troy; N Gallogly, M.K. Lynch, A Cleary; M O’Shaughnessy, S Melia (S Ennis 60); M Thynne (T Foster 56), E Moyles, C Smyth (L Young 50); M Byrne (R Casserly 60), M Farrelly (S Lynch 45), E Duggan. Scorers: E Duggan 0-4 (2f), M Farrelly 0-1 (f), N Gallogly, A Cleary, M O’Shaughnessy 0-1 each. Referee: Eddie Cuthbert (Down).
“They are two of the best forwards”