2018 Ladies' National Football League

The 2018 Ladies' National Football League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Lidl Ladies' National Football League,^[1] is a ladies' Gaelic football competition taking place in early 2018.^[2][3]

2018 Ladies' National Football League

League details
Dates	28 January – 7 May 2018
Teams	32
League champions
Winners	Dublin (1st win)
Captain	Sinéad Aherne
Manager	Mick Bohan
League runners-up
Runners-up	Mayo
Captain	Sarah Tierney
Manager	Peter Leahy
Other division winners
Division 2	Tipperary
Division 3	Wexford
Division 4	Wicklow
← 2017 2019 →

For the first time, LNFL games were broadcast live on Eir Sport.^[4][5]

Dublin were the winners, defeating Mayo in the final.^[6][7]

Format

League structure

The 2018 Ladies' National Football League consists of four divisions of eight teams. Each team plays every other team in its division once. 3 points are awarded for a win and 1 for a draw.

Teams by Province
Province	Division 1	Division 2	Division 3	Division 4
Connacht	2	1	2	0
Leinster	2	1	5	4
Munster	2	3	0	1
Ulster	2	3	1	3

If two teams are level on points, the tie-break is:

• winners of the head-to-head game are ranked ahead
• if the head-to-head match was a draw, then whichever team scored more points in the game is ranked ahead (e.g. 1-15 beats 2-12)
• if the head-to-head match was an exact draw, ranking is determined by the points difference (i.e. total scored minus total conceded in all games)
• if the points difference is equal, ranking is determined by the total scored

If three or more teams are level on league points, rankings are determined solely by points difference.

Finals, promotions and relegations

The top four teams in Division 1 contest the Ladies' National Football League semi-finals (first plays fourth and second plays third).

The top four teams in divisions 2, 3 and 4 contest the semi-finals of their respective divisions. The division champions are promoted.

The last-placed teams in divisions 1, 2 and 3 are relegated.

Division 1

Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Dublin	7	6	0	1	126	92	+34	18	Advance to Semi-Finals
2	Cork	7	5	0	2	130	97	+33	15
3	Mayo	7	5	0	2	120	102	+18	15
4	Galway	7	4	1	2	111	97	+14	13
5	Donegal	7	4	1	2	153	89	+64	13
6	Monaghan	7	2	0	5	89	47	+42	6
7	Westmeath	7	1	0	6	18	27	−9	3
8	Kerry	7	0	0	7	75	130	−55	0	Relegation to Division 2

Updated to match(es) played on 8 April 2018. Source: ladiesgaelic.ie

• Kerry defeated Mayo, but Mayo were awarded the points as Kerry had fielded an ineligible player.^[8]
• Galway are ranked ahead of Donegal because, although the head-to-head game was a draw, Galway scored more points (0-16 to 1-13).^[9]

Finals

Semi-finals

Dublin v Galway

22 April 2018 (2018-04) 3 p.m. Semi-Final 1

Report

Dublin	2-8 (14) – (13) 2-7	Galway
Pts: Niamh McEvoy 1-1 Sinéad Aherne 0-3 (all frees) Nicole Owens 1-0 Noëlle Healy 0-2 Sinéad Goldrick 0-1 Lauren Magee 0-1		Pts: Tracey Leonard 0-5 (four frees) Leanne Coen 1-1 Mairead Seoighe 1-0 Olivia Divilly 0-1

Coralstown/Kinnegad GAA, Kinnegad Referee: Séamus Mulvihill (Kerry)

Cork v Mayo

22 April 2018 (2018-04) 3 p.m. Semi-Final 2

Report

Cork	3-12 (21) – (23) 1-20	Mayo
Pts: O Finn 1-9 (5f) L Coppinger 2-0 C O’Sullivan 0-2 E Scally 0-1		Pts: Sarah Rowe 0-9 (4f) G Kelly 0-7 (3f) S Cafferky 1-1 N Kelly 0-1 A Gilroy 0-1 F McHale 0-1

St. Brendan's Park, Birr Referee: Brendan Rice (Down)

Final

Dublin v Mayo

TG4

6 May 2018 (2018-05-06) 16:00 IST (UTC+1) Final

[10]

Dublin	3-15 (24) – (13) 1-10	Mayo
(HT: 2-10 – 1-05)
Gls: Sinéad Aherne (pen), Noëlle Healy, Laura McGinley Pts: Sinéad Aherne (9, 5f), Nicole Owens (2), Noëlle Healy, Olwen Carey, Niamh McEvoy, Lyndsey Davey		Gls: Sarah Rowe (pen) Pts: Sarah Rowe (5, 2f), Grace Kelly (2, 2f), Fiona Doherty, Sinead Cafferky, Niamh Kelly

Parnell Park, Dublin Referee: Brendan Rice (Down)

Division 2

Table

Team	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	Diff	Pts	Notes
Waterford	7	6	0	1	137	87	+50	18	Advance to Division 2 semi-finals
Tipperary (P)	7	6	0	1	136	91	+45	18
Armagh	7	4	1	2	168	97	+71	13
Cavan	7	4	1	2	142	95	+47	13
Tyrone	7	4	0	3	132	126	+6	12
Laois	7	2	0	5	97	151	–54	6
Clare	7	1	0	6	97	141	–44	3
Sligo	7	0	0	7	78	199	–121	0	Relegated to Division 3 for 2019

• Armagh v. Cavan was a draw (2-14 each); the teams are ranked by score difference.

Finals

Semi-finals

Waterford v Cavan

22 April 2018 (2018-04) 1 p.m. Semi-Final 1

Waterford	0-8 – 1-8	Cavan

Coralstown/Kinnegad GAA, Kinnegad Referee: Garryown McMahon (Mayo)

Tipperary v Armagh

22 April 2018 (2018-04) Semi-Final 2

Tipperary	3-10 – 4-6	Armagh

St. Brendan's Park, Birr

Final

6 May 2018 14:00 Final	Cavan	3-11 – 0-21	Tipperary	Parnell Park Referee: Stephen McNulty (Wicklow) Man of the Match: Aisling Moloney (Cahir)
	Aisling Sheridan 2-0, Roisin O'Keeffe 1-2, Bronagh Sheridan 0-4 (0-1f), Aisling Maguire 0-3f, Sinéad Greene and Donna English 0-1 each	Report	Aishling McCarthy 0-10 (0-6f), Aisling Moloney 0-5, Mairead Morrissey 0-2, Jenny Grant, Gillian O'Brien, Niamh Lonergan, Roisin Howard 0-1 each

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Division 3

Table

Team	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	Diff	Pts	Notes
Wexford (P)	7	6	0	1	114	88	+26	18	Advance to Division 3 semi-finals
Meath	7	5	0	2	173	82	+91	15
Down	7	5	0	2	84	99	–15	15
Kildare	7	4	0	3	116	94	+22	12
Roscommon	7	4	0	3	103	83	+20	12
Offaly	7	2	1	4	126	131	–5	7
Longford	7	1	1	5	47	125	–78	4
Leitrim	7	0	0	7	22	83	–61	0	Relegated to Division 4 for 2019

• Meath are ranked ahead of Down as they won the head-to-head game between the teams.^[11]
• Kildare are ranked ahead of Roscommon as they won the head-to-head game between the teams.^[12]

Finals

Semi-finals

Wexford v Kildare

22 April 2018 (2018-04) 2 p.m. Semi-Final 1

Wexford	2-14 – 0-11	Kildare

Bill Delaney Park, Stradbally, County Laois Referee: John Gallagher

Meath v Down

22 April 2018 (2018-04) 1 p.m. Semi-Final 2

Meath	6-17 – 0-3	Down

Inniskeen Grattans GAC, Inniskeen Referee: Jonathan Murphy

Final

7 May 2018 16:00 Final	Wexford	3-10 – 1-12	Meath	St. Brendan's Park, Birr Referee: Maggie Farrelly (Cavan) Man of the Match: Catriona Murray (Clonee)
	Catriona Murray 3-5 (0-3f), Bernie Breen 0-2, Niamh Butler, Clara Donnelly, Fiona Rochford 0-1 each	Report	Stacey Grimes 1-3 (1-0 pen, 0-1f), Niamh Gallogly and Vikki Wall 0-2 each, Katie Byrne, Aoibhin Cleary, Marion Farrelly, Niamh O'Sullivan, Fiona O'Neill 0-1 each

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Division 4

Team	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	Diff	Pts	Notes
Wicklow (P)	7	7	0	0	113	49	+64	21	Advance to Division 4 semi-finals
Louth	7	5	0	2	120	69	+51	15
Limerick	7	4	1	2	113	53	+60	13
Antrim	7	4	0	3	90	79	+11	12
Fermanagh	7	4	0	3	84	85	–1	12
Carlow	7	2	1	4	115	94	+21	7
Derry	7	1	0	6	41	110	–69	3
Kilkenny	7	0	0	7	16	153	–137	0

• Antrim are ranked ahead of Fermanagh as they won the head-to-head game between the teams.^[13]

Finals

Semi-finals

Wicklow v Antrim

22 April 2018 (2018-04) 3 p.m. Semi-Final 1

Wicklow	7-13 – 0-9	Antrim

Inniskeen Grattans GAC, Inniskeen Referee: Declan Carolan

Louth v Limerick

22 April 2018 (2018-04) 2 p.m. Semi-Final 2

Louth	1-15 – 0-9	Limerick

McCann Park, Portarlington Referee: Yvonne Duffy

Final

7 May 2018 14:00 Final	Wicklow	4-17 – 2-8	Louth	St. Brendan's Park, Birr Referee: Gerry Carmody (Mayo) Man of the Match: Marie Kealy (Baltinglass)
	Marie Kealy 3-3 (0-1f), Jackie Kinch 0-5, Meadhbh Deeney 1-3 (0-1f), Amy Murphy 0-2, Lorna Fusciardi, Laura Hogan, Clodagh Fox, Naoise Baker 0-1 each	Report	Kate Flood 1-3 (0-1f), Lauren Boyle 1-2 (0-1f), Paula Murray, Susan Byrne, Catherine McGlew 0-1 each

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