Experimental Tipperary team beaten by Tyrone in final round of league

Tipperary 5-5 Tyrone 5-10

A much-changed Tipperary team were beaten in a high-scoring encounter with Tyrone in the final round of the Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 2 at Clonmel Sportsfield. The control that was so evident a week earlier against Donegal was absent, as a 16-points turnaround between the 28th and 48th minutes proved crucial.

Three Tyrone goals in a six-minutes spell early in the second half, when the Ulster side were down to 14 players, ended any chance of Tipperary finishing the campaign with a win. They needed to beat the Red Hand County to maintain any hope of promotion, but wins for Donegal and Mayo on the final day also put paid to that aspiration.

Tipperary ended the campaign fifth out of the eight teams, with three wins, three defeats and one draw – particularly disappointing was the home form, with only one win and one draw from their four games in Clonmel. For team manager David Power and his team, thoughts now turn to the Munster championship, starting with a game away to Cork on April 26.

Seeing an eight-points lead two minutes before the interval become an eight-points deficit midway through the second half was the source of Tipp’s defeat.

An impressive opening saw them lead 3-4 to 1-2 after 28 minutes. But they then conceded three points in a row to Tyrone before half- time, and another 4-2 to a single point response in the third quarter to put the Ulster side 5-7 to 3-5 ahead.
Tipperary added two further goals to the three from the first half as they battled to the end, but an impressive Tyrone side saw out the win with five points to spare.

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One of the Tyrone stars was wing back Claire Canavan, daughter of the legendary Peter Canavan, but making an even greater impact at full forward was Sorcha Gormley, daughter of another former Tyrone great, Brian Gormley, who hit 1-5 in a player of the match display. Aoife Horisk hit 3-2, with 2-1 from play, as the Tyrone attack tore through the home defence with alarming ease at times.

Manager David Power made six changes to his starting line-up, and introduced another eight players from the bench, and as a result the cohesion that had been evident in many of the earlier rounds was absent.

Five goals from Lily Maher, Anna-Rose Kennedy, Niamh Martin, Clara English and Anna Carey were all well- taken, but of more concern were the five conceded, including three in a six- minutes period in the second half when Tyrone were down to 14 players, with substitute Emer McCanny on a yellow card.

Playing into the stiff breeze, Tipperary equalised through Emma Morrissey to an opening Tyrone score from Sorcha Gormley, before they hit their first goal in the 10th minute, Lily Maher outjumping the Tyrone ‘keeper to tap a lofted ball from Morrissey to the net. Morrissey followed up with a pointed free as the home side dominated possession.

But then totally against the run of play, Tyrone struck for their first goal. An Aoife Horisk free dipped low rather than over the bar and deceived ‘keeper Lauren Fitzpatrick and defenders on the line to nestle in the net.

Tipperary responded in style and scored their second goal in the 20th minute when team captain Anna-Rose Kennedy ran onto a crossfield ball from Sarah English to volley low to the net. After Morrissey and Horisk swapped points from frees, Tipp had their third goal when Niamh Martin finished a great move through the centre with a superb shot to the net. When Kirsty Crotty Ryan pointed a minute later, it put Tipp 3-4 to 1-2 ahead two minutes before the interval.

But then in an indication of what was to follow in the second half, the home defence switched off and allowed Tyrone through for three points in two minutes from Gormley, team captain Aoibhinn McHugh and Horisk for a 3-4 to 1-5 half- time score.

Less than twenty seconds into the second half it was 3-4 to 2-5 when Tyrone won the throw-in and Horisk raced through the centre for a brilliant goal. Dearbhla Morrissey had replaced Lauren Fitzpatrick in goal for the second half and it proved to be a daunting introduction for the St Patrick’s player. Tyrone extended the lead with a pointed free from Niamh O’Neill.

Tipperary appeared to steady the ship when Emma Morrissey hit a great point soon after Tyrone had been reduced to 14 players with McCanny’s yellow card, but the numerical disadvantage didn’t impact the Red Hand girls.

New ‘keeper Morrissey was left exposed as the defence was cut open for three goals in a row from Chloe McCaffrey, Sorcha Gormley and Aoife Horisk, followed by another Gormely point, for a 5-7 to 3-5 lead for the visitors, with twelve minutes left to play.

Substitutes Clara English and Anna Carey gave Tipp hope with late goals, but points from the outstanding Gormley kept distance between the teams, as Tyrone and Tipperary finished fourth and fifth respectively in the league.

Scorers: Tipperary: Emma Morrissey 0-4 (0-2 frees), Anna-Rose Kennedy, Niamh Martin, Lily Maher, Clara English, Anna Carey (1-0 each), Kirsty Crotty Ryan 0-1.Tyrone: Aoife Horisk 3-2 (1-1 frees), Sorcha Gormley 1-5, Chloe McCaffrey 1-0, Aoibhinn McHugh, Elle McNamee, Niamh O’Neill 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Lauren Fitzpatrick (Ballymacarbry); Ellen Moore (Moyne/Templetuohy), Maria Curley (Templemore), Lucy Spillane (Fethard); Emma Buckley (Cahir), Kate Cashman (Templemore), Sarah English (Ardfinnan); Nicole Shelly (Mullinahone), Niamh Martin (Sliabh na mBan); Ava Ryan (Moyne/Templetuohy), Anna-Rose Kennedy (Aherlow), Aoibhe O’Shea (Mullinahone); Kirsty Crotty Ryan (Moyle Rovers), Lily Maher (Arravale Rovers), Emma Morrissey (Aherlow).
Subs: Dearbhla Morrissey (St Patrick’s) for Fitzpatrick (HT), Katelyn Downey (Boherlahan/Dualla) for Cashman (36), Shona Lang (Brian Borus) for Moore (36), Laura Morrissey (Brian Borus) for Shelly (43), Angela McGuigan (St Sylvester’s Dublin) for O’Shea (47), Anna Carey (Clonmel Commercials) for Crotty Ryan (47), Clara English (Ardfinnan) for Ryan (47), Nora Martin (Sliabh na mBan) for Buckley (59).

Tyrone: Laura Kane; Jayne Lyons, Ciara Colton, Eimear Quinn; Claire Canavan, Meabh Corrigan, Caitlin Campbell; Meabh Mallon, Aoibhinn McHugh; Aoife Quinn, Aoife Horisk, Maeve Maxwell; Joanne Barrett, Sorcha Gormley, Cara McNamee.
Subs: Niamh O’Neill for McNamee (29), Slaine McCarroll for A Quinn (HT), Emer McCanny for Campbell (HT), Chloe McCaffrey for Maxwell (37), Emma McCrossan for Barrett (43), Elle McNamee for McHugh (47), Katie Rose Muldoon for E Quinn (47), Cara McCoubrey for Canavan (52), Emma Conroy for Mallon (57), Shauna Teague for Horisk (59), Caitlin Donnelly for Kane (62).

Referee: Conor McCarthy (Cork).

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