Third win secures Tipp’s Division 2 status

Tipperary secured Division 2 status for 2025 in the Lidl Football League following a nine point victory over Monaghan on Saturday afternoon.

LADIES FOOTBALL: Lidl National League Division 2 Round 6

Tipperary 2-10

Monaghan 0-7

Report: John O’Shea at Fethard Town Park

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Angela McGuigan (Tipperary).

SCORERS – Tipperary: Aishling Moloney 0-4 (2 frees); Angela McGuigan 1-1; Maria Curley 1-0; Neassa Towey 0-2; Niamh Martin, Clara English, Marie Creedon 0-1 each.

Monaghan: Leanne Maguire 0-5 (2 frees); Chloe McBride, Sarah Tierney 0-1 each.

The home side won the toss and elected to play against the elements for the first half, a decision justified at the finish. The Farney ladies, who had the benefit of wind and rain, were slow to get off the mark, on a day not conducive for entertaining football. In that regard, both teams are to be complemented on their energy and overall play throughout.

Having missed a couple of placed balls early on, Monaghan got the scoreboard ticking over with a good point from full forward Leanne Maguire after twelve minutes, who finished a move that had originated in their full back line. The Magheracloone player doubled their advantage from a placed ball three minutes later, before splitting the posts, this time off her left foot, to move into a three point advantage.

The home side, who had done a lot of attacking during the opening quarter, with nothing to show, eventually got off the mark and had drawn level eight minutes before the interval. The Tipp girls capitalised on a poor kick-out, four minutes later to crash home the opening goal, giving then a two point advantage at the break. Tipp, now aided by the elements, pushed on for the second half and outscored the visitors by 1-7 to 0-3.

Following an opening twelve minutes, in which both teams were guilty of wayward shooting, passes going astray and attacks breaking down, Monaghan’s most dangerous player, Leanne Maguire got the scoreboard moving with a point off her right foot following a slow build up from the back. This score brought the game to life and three minutes later Maguire doubled the advantage from a forty metre free.

Tipperary were finding it difficult to break down the Farney defence, due mainly to good defending but also from some indecision in attack. A piercing run from Anna- Rose Kennedy, ended with a 45, when her goal-bound shot took a deflection. The resulting 45 came to nothing. Maguire made it 0-3 to 0-0 with a really well-taken point, when she switched to her left foot, before splitting the posts.

Marie Creedon finished off an individual run from the far side to register the home side’s opening score and this lifted their game. Clara English finished a move involving Aishling Moloney and Angela McGuigan to cut the deficit to the minimum. Tipp continued to up their game and a converted free from Moloney had the sides on level terms by the 22nd minute.

Four minutes later, Tipp got their first break when following a bad wide, a Monaghan defender dropped the ball in front of goals following a short kick-out and Angela McGuigan took full advantage to steer a ground shot to the bottom corner of the net. This was the break that the home side needed.

Monaghan cut the deficit to two in injury time when Chloe McBride put over, having been put through by Eabha Sherry. Half time score: Tipperary 1-3 Monaghan 0-4

Neassa Towey replaced Clara English at the break and was quickly into the game, feeding Aishling Moloney, who split the posts, forty seconds after the restart. Monaghan had a couple of frees which dropped short before Angela McGuigan put four between the sides six minutes later. Marie Curley then came to the rescue when a piledriver from Eabha Sherry was blocked at the expense of a 45.

Neassa Towey and Leanne Maguire traded points before a fisted effort from Sarah Tierney reduced the deficit to three with twenty minutes of normal time remaining.

The final quarter plus seven minutes of added time was dominated by the home side. One had only to wonder where these seven minutes came from as there were no stoppages during the second period and certainly no delay with the substitutions.

Aishling Moloney (free) and Neassa Towey chipped in with two points before Leanne Maguire kicked her fifth from a placed ball as Tipp went into a four point advantage. With four minutes of normal time remaining, Maria Curley wrapped up the game with a green flag before Aishling Maloney and Niamh Martin finished the scoring in added time.

Tipperary will be happy to have secured Division 2 status for the next season ahead of their final game, which is against Donegal. After a slow first quarter they were the dominant team with a sound defence and a dominant midfield. The forwards moved well and took their scores, on a day where the elements didn’t help matters.

TEAMS - Tipperary: Lauren Fitzpatrick (Ballymacarbry); Nora Martin (Sliabh na mBan), Lucy Spillane (Fethard), Emma Cronin (Moyle Rovers); Cliona O’Dwyer (Brian Borus), Maria Curley (Templemore, Capt), Niamh Martin (Sliabh na mBan); Laura Morrissey (Brian Borus), Anna-Rose Kennedy (Aherlow); Clara English (Ardfinnan), Marie Creedon (Thurles Sarsfields), Katelyn Downey (Boherlahan-Dualla); Emma Morrissey (Aherlow), Angela McGuigan (Sliabh na mBan), Aishling Moloney, (Cahir).

Subs: Neassa Towey (Templemore) for English (HT); Sarah English (Ardfinnan) for E Morrissey (47), Emer McCarthy (Galtee Rovers) for McGuigan (55), Kate Delaney (Templemore) for Downey (57).

Monaghan: Katie Sherlock; Emma Clerkin, Naomi Cogan, Kerry Nolan; Amy Garland, Celine Nally, Maeve Monaghan (Capt); Jennifer Duffy, Aine Loughman; Chloe McBride, Eabha Sherry, Casey Treanor; Lauren Garland, Leanne Maguire, Sarah Tierney.

Subs: Ella Carolan for Nolan (35); Katie McCaffrey for Clerkin (47); Eva Woods for Nally (52); Megan Boylan for McBride (57); Mia O’Reilly for Garland (57); Holly McQuaid for Treanor (58).

Referee: Patrick Smith (Waterford).

Table P W D L +/- Pts

Kildare 6 5 1 0 +40 16

Tyrone 6 4 2 0 +18 14

Donegal 6 3 1 2 +28 10

Westmeath 6 3 0 3 +5 9

Tipperary 6 3 0 3 +20 9

Cavan 6 2 0 4 -50 6

Monaghan 6 1 1 4 -20 4

Laois 6 0 1 5 -42 1

Round 6 Results: Cavan 0-5 4-20 Donegal; Laois 0-9 3-13 Westmeath; Tyrone 3-5 2-8 Kildare

Round 7 Fixtures: Sunday, 24th March @ 2.00pm – Cavan v Tyrone; Kildare v Westmeath; Monaghan v Laois; Tipperary v Donegal