Galway Ladies Football team edge closer to Div. 2 final and promotion

By JIM CARNEY GALWAY seniors are two hours away from a return to the top flight in the Ladies Football National League after they concluded their Division Two group campaign at Spa, Co. Kerry last Sunday. A draw, Galway 2-13 Kerry 3-10, was enough to give Galway a share of top spot with their Kerry hosts â€â€ both on 17 points and through to the Div. Two semi-finals to be played on Sunday, April 28, at neutral venues to be decided. Galway are officially rated top of the table, having scored more points than Kerry on Sunday. In the semi-finals Galway will play the fourth team on the table, Kildare. Kerry, officially now No. 2, will play the third team on the table, Westmeath. Itâ€â„¢s considered a certainty that Kerry will qualify for the Division Two final, with Galway vs Kildare more difficult to predict. Only the winners of the final will be promoted to Division One, so it will be a high-pressure contest, due to be played on the weekend of May 11-12. In the premier division semi-finals, All-Ireland champions Cork will play Laois and Mayo will play Monaghan. In Galwayâ€â„¢s draw with Kerry on Sunday, the home side scored their three goals in the first half but the visitors still led at the interval, by one point, 1-10 to 3-2, the Galway goal by Róisín Leonard of Corofin. Kerry forged a good lead in the second half but Galway stayed in contention and after a late point by Milltownâ€â„¢s Marie Brennan, the Kilkerrin-Clonberne stalwart Annette Clarke, a Ladies Football legend, struck a huge blow for the Maroon and White with an injury-time equalising goal. A notable feature of Galwayâ€â„¢s League campaign has been the return to the county colours of that excellent defender Marian Hernon. Galway (vs Kerry): Johanna Connolly; Marian Hernon, Sarah Conneally, Nora Ward; Barbara Hannon (0-1), Emer Flaherty, Rebecca McPhilbin; Emma Curley, Annette Clarke (1-1); Tracey Leonard (0-2), Deirdre Brennan (0-1), Aoibheann Daly; Geraldine Conneally, Róisín Leonard (1-3), Edel Concannon (0-5, all frees). Subs., Sinéad Burke, for Emma Curley; Gillian Oâ€â„¢Connor, for Edel Concannon; Marie Brennan (0-1), for Tracey Leonard; Eilis Gannon, for Geraldine Conneally; Amy Rohan, for Marian Hernon. Also in the panel: Lisa Murphy, Noelle Connolly, Lorna Joyce, Charlotte Cooney, Lucy Hannon, Aoife Newell, Sarah Lynch, Meadhbh Moloney, Leonie Higgins, Claire Hehir, Lisa Lenoard, Marie Hoey, Mairéad Coyne, Rebecca Walsh, Caitriona Cormican. Team management: Barry Downey (manager), John Fleming and Padraic Neenan (selectors), Dave Mullally (selector and physio).