AS the 2018 Lidl Ladies National Football Leagues, we recap how last year's series went for the Ulster counties
DIVISION ONE
DONEGAL came within a point of being crowned National League champions as they blazed a trail on their return to the top flight in 2017.
Survival was their priority but after putting together an impressive run of results that saw them defeat champions Cork and as well as their fellow two Ulster sides, they qualified for the league semis finishing top of the table.
They blew Galway away in the semi-final to set up a final meeting with Cork.
The Tir Chonaill girls had the champions on the wire in a game that was level six times with Geraldine McLaughlin and Yvonne McMonagle combining for 1-7 in the first half alone.
In the end, however, Cork's vast experience in those situations saw them hold on despite Donegal having a few late chances to find the equaliser.
MONAGHAN needed a relegation play-off against neighbours Armagh to ensure their Division One status for a 26th consecutive year in 2018.
The Ulster side had been rebuilding for the past number of seasons and the 2017 priority was survival.
They recorded an early surprise victory over Mayo but had to wait until their final game, which was against Armagh, for just their second win and it was a must-win one to force that relegation play-off scenario.
That game was a nip-and-tuck battle that went down to the wire, Cathriona McConnell’s goal four minutes from time, her second of the game, proving to be the winner as they held on for a 3-11 to 2-11 win and prolong their lifetime at the top of the game as one of the longest Division One playing counties.
ARMAGH recorded their first ever senior win over champions Cork and followed that up with another fantastic victory over Dublin in a very competition Division One league but poor results against the top tiers other teams, like Mayo and Galway, cost them dearly as they ended up in a relegation decider with fellow Ulster counterparts Monaghan.
They could have avoided that play-off had they defeated the same side in the final league game of the campaign but they came out on the wrong side of a 2-15 to 2-12 scoreline and a week later their fate would rest on this winner-takes-all battle for survival.
The Orchard County certainly had the game for the taking but they could not quite shake off Monaghan whose late goal sealed their fate and Armagh make a return back to Division Two after two years at the top.
2017 Division One Table
Team Pld W D L Diff Pts
Donegal 7 5 0 2 +26 15
Cork (C) 7 5 0 2 +23 15
Dublin 7 4 0 3 +5 12
Galway 7 4 0 3 +3 12
Mayo 7 3 0 4 –10 9
Kerry 7 3 0 4 –16 9
Monaghan 7 2 0 5 –13 6
Armagh 7 2 0 5 –18 6
Division One relegation play-off: Monaghan 3-11 Armagh 2-11
Division One semi-finals: Cork 1-16 Dublin 0-13, Donegal 5-11 Galway 1-7
Division One final: Cork 2-15 Donegal 2-14
DIVISION TWO
CAVAN must feel like they will never get out of Division Two. The Breffni County have been there or thereabouts for the last few years and have saw Donegal and Armagh win promotion to Division One.
They qualified for the knockout stages, finishing strongly with three wins on the trot, and in the semi-finals against Clare they showed their real intent with a 14 point rout of their Munster opposition.
The final, against Westmeath, who were appearing in their third Division Two final in four years, was one Cavan will look back on and know they let get away.
They outplayed and outclassed their opposition but couldn’t shake them off and a late point denied them victory, the 0-15 to 2-9 draw forcing the replay.
The replay was one to forget for Cavan.
This time they were outplayed and comprehensively lost 3-15 to 0-11.
TYRONE found out just how tough life in Division Two is for teams in 2017.
Relegated from Division One the previous season, they were looked on as title contenders but the Red Hands failed even to make the knock-out stages.
They finished fifth in the table after just a mediocre campaign although they did narrowly miss out on a top four finish and semi-final berth, their one point head-to-head loss to Laois going against them as the final league positions were sorted.
They made the perfect start to life in Division Two with wins over Sligo and Kildare and despite defeat to Westmeath, who finished top of the table, defeats to Clare and Laois when the league resumed after a bit of a break that proved costly and ultimately saw them miss out on challenging for promotion.
2017 Division Two Table
Team Pld W D L Diff Pts Notes
Westmeath (P) 7 5 0 2 +18 15
Cavan 7 5 0 2 +32 15
Clare 7 4 1 2 +22 13
Laois 7 4 0 3 0 12
Tyrone 7 4 0 3 –1 12
Sligo 7 3 0 4 –11 9
Waterford 7 2 1 4 +1 7
Kildare 7 0 0 7 –61 0
Division Two semi-finals: Westmeath 2-17 Laois 1-10, Cavan 3-16 Clare 0-11
Division Two final: Cavan 0-15 Westmeath 2-9; Replay: Cavan 0-11 Westmeath 3-15
DIVISION THREE
DOWN have been struggling the last couple of seasons as the county goes through a major redevelopment process.
Their 2017 league campaign was another difficult one and they found themselves down at the bottom of Division Three fighting for survival.
They lost their first four games, finally getting their first and what would be their only win, over Limerick, but it would be enough as the Munster side failed to win any of their seven games and for another year Down survived.
They did come close in their last game, against Offaly, to ending their league campaign on a high, but lost out by a point in a high scoring 4-16 to 5-11 encounter.
2017 Division Three Table
Team Pld W D L Diff Pts Notes
Tipperary (P) 7 7 0 0 +93 21
Wexford 7 6 0 1 +48 18
Roscommon 7 4 1 2 +23 13
Offaly 7 4 0 3 –15 12
Leitrim 7 3 0 4 +1 9
Meath 7 2 1 4 –12 7
Down 7 1 0 6 –59 3
Limerick 7 0 0 7 –79 0
Division Three semi-finals: Tipperary 7-17 Offaly 2-6, Wexford 5-8 Roscommon 0-9
Division Three final: Tipperary 0-12 Wexford 2-6; Replay: Tipperary 0-15 Wexford 1-10
DIVISION FOUR
FERMANAGH were relegated to the bottom tier in 2016 and as another of Ulster’s counties currently rebuilding, how they would fair in Division Four in 2017 remained to be seem.
However, Emmett Curry's side couldn't complain, reaching the semi-finals and although the scoreline against Wicklow in that knockout game might suggest otherwise, losing 0-12 to 2-3, they were not far off making the decider.
They finished the league with five wins from seven losing to the two teams who finished above them champions Longford and Wicklow, while enjoying wins over fellow Ulster sides Antrim and Derry.
ANTRIM have been trying to get out of Division Four now for too many years.
They came closest in 2016 and 2014 but lost both those finals. Normally the Saffrons are good for a semi-final place in this division but they missed out on the knockout stages in 2017 after an uninspiring league campaign.
Like the two other Ulster counties, Fermanagh and Derry, in this league, Antrim have brought on a lot of younger players, and that inexperience perhaps showed in last year's league.
They won two of their seven games those against the two teams who finished below them in the final league standings Derry and Kilkenny.
Finishing sixth out of eight meant they were not even in the running for a semi-final berth, far from where they were 12 months previous.
DERRY'S 2017 league campaign certainly did not reflect what the Oak Leaf County would go on to achieve last season. They won one game that against Kilkenny, to finish second from bottom that coming just over the half way stage.
With no relegation from the bottom tier, that pressure was absent, but being the bottom tier, there is always the pressure of not wanting to finish bottom of the entire pack and their victory over Kilkenny, who were winless, ensured that.
For Derry, the league was very much about building for the season ahead and there is no doubt they did that although the league table did not make for positive reading.
2017 Division Four Table
Team Pld W D L Diff Pts Notes
Longford (P) 7 7 0 0 +149 21
Wicklow 7 6 0 1 +125 18
Fermanagh 7 5 0 2 +24 15
Carlow 7 4 0 3 –44 12
Louth 7 3 0 4 –32 9
Antrim 7 2 0 5 –43 6
Derry 7 1 0 6 –76 3
Kilkenny 7 0 0 7 –103 0
Division Four semi-finals: Longford 5-19 Carlow 2-4, Wicklow 0-12 Fermanagh 2-3
Division Four final: Longford 2-10 Wicklow 1-8
