THERE’S an intriguing weekend of Lidl Ladies National Football League action in store – with a Munster derby on the horizon in Division 1.
Cork were stung by Tipperary on home soil last year, and will aim for revenge when they visit Ardfinnan on Sunday (1pm).
Also on Sunday in the top flight (1pm), Westmeath and Galway both need points after losing their opening round fixtures, while there are two Saturday fixtures down for decision.
The action gets underway when Waterford, fresh from victory over Galway, entertain Donegal, who lost out to Mayo in Round 1.
That game has a 12pm start, before TG4 All-Ireland Senior Champions Dublin make the trip to Elvery’s MacHale Park and a clash with Mayo (5pm), a game that is part of a double-header with the men’s teams from both counties.
In Division 2, Armagh and Tyrone will have Facebook LIVE coverage of their fixture in Silverbridge (2pm).
1st February 2020
Lidl Ladies NFL Division 1 – Round 2
Mayo v Dublin, 5.00pm, Elvery’s MacHale Park, Castlebar, (Gus Chapman, Sligo)
Dublin travel to Mayo in need of a win after being held by Tipperary in Round 1.
Mayo, meanwhile, are high on confidence after seeing off the challenge of Donegal in their opening fixture.
These two counties have enjoyed a healthy rivalry in recent times, including a 2017 TG4 All-Ireland Senior Final clash.
Dublin enjoyed victory at Croke Park when they met in the 2019 League, while they were also winners on their last visit to Castlebar two years ago.
There are changes to both teams ahead of this one, with Dublin boss Mick Bohan bringing in Éabha Rutledge and Kate Sullivan for starts.
Mayo manager Peter Leahy has handed call-ups to Saoirse Lally, Dayna Finn, Nicola O’Malley and Roisin Durkin, as the Westerners aim to make it two from two.
Mayo (v Dublin): L Brennan; S Lally, D Finn, N O’Malley; K Sullivan, D Caldwell, C Whyte; Clodagh McManamon, S Cafferky; R Durkin, F Doherty, A Duffy; L Cafferky, R Kearns, N Gaughan.
Dublin (v Mayo): C Trant; M Byrne, M Ní Scanaill, É Rutledge; L Caffrey, N Collins, L Collins; L Magee, J Dunne; R McDonnell, C Rowe, K Sullivan; S McCaffrey, N Sweeney, O Whyte.
Waterford v Donegal, 12.00pm, Fraher Field, Dungarvan, Waterford (Kevin Phelan, Laois)
Waterford couldn’t have asked for a better start to life in the top flight.
The Déise would have started as outsiders against last year’s beaten finalists Galway but they made the trip to Corofin a winning one, as the Murray triplets; Emma, Katie and Aoife, all found the net.
Waterford are unchanged as they prepare for their opening home game of the 2020 campaign, while Donegal boss Maxi Curran has brought Amy Boyle Carr into his attack.
Donegal have begun recent campaigns in impressive fashion, but they stumbled against Mayo in Round 1, and Curran will be hoping for a successful trip South.
These sides last met in a do-or-die TG4 Championship group clash last year, when Mayo came out on top.
Waterford (v Donegal): R Landers; M Dunford, R Dunphy, R Casey; M Wall, C McGrath, M Ryan; E Murray, C Fennell; R Tobin, A Baumann, A Wall; K Murray, L Devine, A Murray.
Donegal (v Waterford): A McColgan; A.M. Logue, E Gallagher, D Foley; N Carr, K Keeney, A Nee; N McLaughlin, E McGinley; A Boyle Carr, G McLaughlin, K Ward; N Gordon, E McCroary, C Sharkey.
Lidl Ladies NFL Division 2 – Round 2
Monaghan v Clare, 3.15pm, St Tiernach’s Park, Clones, (Declan Carolan, Down)
Monaghan began life under new boss Ciaran Murphy with a hugely impressive victory over Wexford last weekend, with an impressive tally of 6-23 racked up.
Ellen McCarron helped herself to an incredible individual haul of 3-6 as the Farney girls, who were relegated from the top flight last year, provided evidence that they want an immediate return.
Clare had home advantage for their opening fixture, but conceded 5-8 against Armagh and lost out by 12 points.
2nd February 2020
Lidl Ladies NFL Division 1 – Round 2
Tipperary v Cork, 1.00pm, Ardfinnan, (Niall McCormack, Laois)
These two counties have been pitted against each other in a TG4 Munster semi-final in May.
Before that, they lock horns in a Lidl NFL fixture that could turn out to be one of the games of the season.
Tipp memorably defeated Cork at Páirc Uí Rinn last year, when Aishling Moloney scored one of the goals of the season with a stunning fisted effort.
Cork will be anxious for revenge and they began their campaign with victory against Westmeath last Saturday, in what was the first ever fixture for the county’s senior team at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Moloney scored 1-6 against Dublin as Tipperary claimed a merited draw against Dublin in Ballyboden last Sunday.
Tipp are unchanged as Sarah Leahy, Niamh Cotter and Laura Cleary come into the Cork team.
Cork (v Tipperary): M O’Brien; M Ambrose, R Phelan; S Leahy; L O’Mahony, M Duggan, A Hutchings; M O’Callaghan, H Looney; L Coppinger, N Cotter, L Cleary; Á O’Sullivan, S Noonan, O Finn.
Tipperary (v Cork): L Fitzpatrick; E Moore, L Spillane, E Cronin; M Curley, B Condon, S Lambert; L Dillon, C Kennedy; O Winston, E Morrissey, R Daly; A Fennessy, A Moloney, N Hayes.
Westmeath v Galway, 1.00pm, St Loman’s, Mullingar (Mel Kenny, Mayo)
Galway were Lidl NFL Division 1 and TG4 Senior Championship runners-up last year – and they began 2020 on a losing note against Waterford last weekend.
Manager Tim Rabbitt will demand an immediate response from his players against Westmeath, who have home advantage.
A second consecutive loss for the Lake County would have them deep in relegation trouble already, but manager Sean Finnegan would have taken encouragement from a battling display against Cork.
Rabbitt has handed starts to Leanne Coen, Lynsey Noone, Sarah Conneally for this one, as Westmeath go with an unchanged starting 15.
Galway know that if they’re to repeat last year’s Final appearance, they need to start collecting points, and quickly.
Westmeath (v Galway): L McCormack; R Dillon, K McDermott, L Power; F Coyle, F Claffey, A Roche; J Maher, V Carr; A Dolan, L Archibold, L McCartan; T Dillon, S McCormack, J Draper.
Galway (v Westmeath): D Gower; C Crowe, N Connolly, L Coen; F Cooney, C Cooney, S Molloy; O Divilly, A Davoren; L Noone, L Hannon, T Leonard; S Conneally, A Trill, R Leonard.
Lidl Ladies NFL Division 2 – Round 2
Armagh v Tyrone, 2.00pm, Silverbridge, (Brendan Rice, Down)
