McHale rings changes for Mayo's crucial league tie with Armagh
Aoife McCoy of Armagh in action against Saoirse Lally of Mayo during last year's TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Football Senior Championship quarter-final match between Armagh and Mayo at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds in Armagh. Both are set to start in this weekend's league encounter. Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Mayo ladies manager Liam McHale has rang the changes for their crucial Division 1 league clash with Armagh at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds tomorrow evening.
The sides met twice last year, in the league in Ballina and in the All-Ireland championship quarter-final in Armagh back in July, and Armagh were victorious on both occasions.
The Green and Red lost to Tyrone last time out in this year’s league, a big setback for McHale’s charges, and there are six changes to the team that lined out against the Red Hands.
Julia Gawalkiewicz replaces Charlie Reilly Benson in goal, while there are starts outfield for Ella Brennan, Jenna Mortimer, Bree Hession, Maria Cannon and Kayla Doherty, as Sherin El Massry, Erin Murray, Saoirse Delaney, Ciara Whyte and Ciara Durkin also drop out of the line-up.
Armagh, the holders, are on course for a second successive Lidl NFL Division 1 final appearance.
The Orchard County have three wins from three outings to date and will aim to maintain their 100 per cent record against basement team Mayo.
The Westerners need points, and fast, as they’ve lost all three of their previous games but a couple of wins could pull the green and red out of the mire.
Four teams above them – Tyrone, Kildare, Dublin and Waterford – are all just three points ahead of Mayo ahead of the weekend.
Following victory over Dublin, Armagh make two changes for this one. Brianna Mathers replaces Anna Carr between the sticks, as Eve Lavery comes in for Maeve Lennon.
The game throws-in at 7.30pm, as part of a double-header. The men's teams play each in the Allianz NFL at 5pm.
