Tipp survive with 7 goal salvo

Aisling McCarthy finished with 1-7 as Tipperary secured senior status for 2022 after an epic TG4 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship relegation play-off with Tyrone on Saturday.

LADIES FOOTBALL: TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship Relegation Final

Tipperary 7-10

Tyrone 3-16

Report: Aisling Clery in Kinnegad

MATCH DIGEST

Scorers - Tipperary: Aisling McCarthy 1-7 (0-2 frees); Marie Creedon 2-1, Roisin Daly 2-0; Aine Delaney, Angela McGuigan 1-0 each; Aoibhe O’Shea, Emma Kelly 0-1 each.

Tyrone: Niamh O’Neill 1-9 (0-2 frees), Grainne Rafferty 1-2 (0-2 frees), Nichola Rafferty 1-0; Aoibhinn McHugh 0-2, Niamh McGirr, Emma Brennan 0-1, Sasha Byrne 0-1 each.

Five goals in the opening half handed Tipperary a lead Tyrone could not overcome. Marie Creedon (2), Áine Delaney, Roisin Daly and McCarthy all got goals in the opening half for Declan Carr’s team. And while Niamh O’Neill contributed 1-9 to the scoreboard, Tyrone were unable to get through a resolute Tipperary defence and they will play in the intermediate championship in 2022.

The game opened at frantic pace with Tyrone initially enjoying more of the possession and they hit three unanswered scores with Aiobhinn McHugh, Niamh O’Neill and Grainne Rafferty all pointing, the latter from a free.

However, Tipperary responded well with Aoibhe O’Shea and Aisling McCarthy reducing the deficit to two. A brace of Niamh O’Neill points re-established Tyrone’s lead but the game turned when Creedon got her first goal.

An O’Neill free pushed Tyrone briefly back in front but Tipperary struck for two goals in as many minutes with Áine Delaney and Creedon hitting the target just before the water break.

Emma Brennan got Tyrone back to within three points but McCarthy increased Tipperary’s lead to four. The introduction of Roisin Daly proved immediately fruitful as she found the net with just her second touch. Tipperary were unlucky to not go further ahead as Delaney’s effort came back off the crossbar.

While Tyrone pointed through Sasha Byrne and Niamh O’Neill, it was Tipperary who were the happier at the break as a McCarthy goal just before half time put them eight points ahead at the break.

The second half opened end to end with an O’Neill goal sandwiched between two McCarthy points. Points from McHugh, O’Neill and Grainne Rafferty reduced the deficit to four, however Tipperary steadied the ship and a McCarthy free and an Angela McGuigan goal put Tipperary back in control and they again led by eight at the second water break.

As Tyrone tried to get back into contention, the Tipperary defence responded admirably and a double save from keeper Lauren Fitzpatrick denied Tyrone the goals they needed.

Roisin Daly got Tipperary’s sixth goal when Angela McGuigan rescued the ball off the end line and while Tyrone pulled back a couple of points from Nichola Rafferty and Grainne Rafferty, Tipperary held on with McCarthy splitting the posts with a final score to ensure senior status for 2022.

TEAMS – Tipperary: Lauren Fitzpatrick, Laura Nagle, Maria Curley, Emma Cronin, Elaine Kelly, Lucy Spillane, Laura Dillon, Elaine Fitzpatrick, Aoibhe O’Shea, Aine Delaney, Katie Cunningham, Cliona O’Dwyer, Marie Creedon, Aisling McCarthy, Ava Fennessy.

Subs: Roisin Daly for Cunningham (20), Ellen Moore for Dillon (26), Angela McGuigan for Delaney (29), Sarah English for Nagle (HT), Niamh Hayes for O’Shea (46).

Tyrone: K Byrne, M Kerr, T McLaughlin (C), J Barrett, J Lyons, N Woods, N Hughes, R Fay, EJ Gervin, N McGirr, E Brennan, A McHugh, N O’Neill, G Rafferty, S Byrne.

Subs: E Mulgrew for Barrett (23), D Gallagher for Fay (HT), N Rafferty for Gervin (38), C Kelly for Lyons (42), S McCarroll for G Rafferty (45).

Referee: Garryowen McMahon (Mayo)