Tipp ease past Tyrone to set up must-win Armagh clash

LADIES FOOTBALL: Lidl National Football League Division 2 Round 6

Tipperary 2-15

Tyrone 1-7

Report: Michael Heverin in Fethard Town Park

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Emma Morrissey (Tipperary).

SCORERS – Tipperary: Aisling Moloney 1-6 (0-2 frees); Emma Morrissey 0-4 (1 free); Neassa Towey 1-1; Cliona O’Dwyer 0-2; Anna Rose Kennedy, Clara English 0-1 each.

Tyrone: Grainne Rafferty 0-4 frees; Chloe McCaffrey 1-1 (0-1 free); Aoife McGahan 0-2.

Tipperary proved much too strong for Tyrone in their National Ladies Football League Division 2 clash on Sunday.

The home side were not flattered by their eleven-point winning margin and will progress to the final if they beat another Ulster side, Armagh, who make the long journey to Fethard on Sunday next for the final game in the league section.

Goals in either half, from Neassa Towey and Aisling Moloney, proved vital but Tipp had stars all over the pitch. The defence was rock solid, with Cliona O’Dwyer, Emma Cronin and Sarah English thwarting many Tyrone attacks. Brian Borus’ O’Dwyer was not slow either in contributing to attack at the other end, popping up to hit two superb points.

Upfront, Aisling Moloney hit 1-6, but Emma Morrissey was also hugely influential throughout, with her sublime football skills that tormented the Tyrone defence from start to finish.

Of concern to the Tipp management will be the likely loss of Aherlow’s Anna Rose Kennedy for the Armagh game who suffered a hand injury. Kennedy played a key role in the game’s outstanding score that finally sealed the win over Tyrone. It came midway through the second half when Tipp led 1-13 to 1-5. Tyrone had struggled to make an impact on the game but a brilliant goal from Chloe McCaffrey six minutes into the second half had given them hope.

But that was extinguished when Kennedy lobbed a high ball goalwards and Aisling Moloney – with her back to goal – jumped highest to fist to the net for a superb goal.

The Cahir player was also heavily involved in the early salvo of Tipp scores. Anna Rose Kennedy pointed within twenty seconds of the throw-in, Moloney and Neasa Towey involved in the lightning-fast break. Moloney added a second within a minute followed by three more over the next two minutes from Towey, Moloney again and Cliona O’Dwyer raiding from the back.

The Ulster side had their first score in the ninth minute when Chloe McCaffrey pointed a free after she was fouled herself. Emma Morrissey replied following a great pass from Ava Fennessy, but Tyrone responded immediately when Aoife McGahan saw her shot tipped over the bar by Tipp ‘keeper Lauren Fitzpatrick – it was Fitzpatrick’s second important intervention in the space of two minutes and another great save in the second half capped a wonderful game as the last line of defence.

The second quarter belonged to Tipperary, outscoring Tyrone 1-6 to 0-2. A foul on Emma Morrissey prevented what looked a certain Tipp goal and Moloney pointed the free to make it 0-6 to 0-2. The Cahir player added another before she and Niamh Martin combined in the build-up for Tipp’s first goal, finished to the net by Towey after the defence was torn open.

When Emma Morrissey made it 1-9 to 0-2, Tipp were pulling out of sight. Tyrone kept their slim hopes alive with scores from Aoife McGahan and a Rafferty free, but further Tipp points from Clara English, Moloney and O’Dwyer had the home side eleven clear at the interval, 1-12 to 0-4.

If Tyrone were to make a game of it in the second half, then they needed a good start – and they got it. After withstanding early Tipperary pressure, Rafferty from a free had the first point of the half and they followed up with a superb goal from McCaffrey after the Tipp defence had been cut open for the only time in the game.

That brought the margin down to seven points, 1-12 to 1-5, but the visitors failed to build on their early momentum and added just two further points, both from Rafferty frees, over the next twenty-five minutes.

Moloney had Tipperary’s opening point of the half from a free, and following a super save from Fitzpatrick to deny Tyrone a second goal, Kennedy and Moloney teamed up to produce the moment of magic for Tipp’s second. That put Tipp 2-13 to 1-5 ahead, and as both teams emptied their bench in the final quarter, they shared four points between them – Emma Morrissey getting both for Tipp, one from a free, and Rafferty pointing two frees for Tyrone.

Tipperary go into their final game against Armagh needing at least a point to join the Ulster side in the league final. Tipperary will need to get a positive result as a defeat, coupled with a Laois win over Roscommon, will mean the premier girls will miss out as Laois will pip them on the head-to-head rule after the Leinster side won the round 4 clash between the sides.

TEAMS – Tipperary: Lauren Fitzpatrick (Ballymacarbry); Cliona O’Dwyer (Brian Borus), Maria Curley (Templemore), Emma Cronin (Moyle Rovers); Sarah English (Ardfinnan), Lucy Spillane (Fethard), Neassa Towey (Templemore); Anna Rose Kennedy (Aherlow), Niamh Martin (Sliabh na mBan); Emma Morrissey (Aherlow), Nora Martin (Sliabh na mBan), Aisling Moloney (Cahir); Ava Fennessy (Clonmel Commercials), Clara English (Ardfinnan), Rosanna Kiely (Cahir).

Subs: Angela McGuigan (Eadestown) for Fennessy; Aine Delaney (Templemore) for English; Niamh Mackey (Clonmel Commercials) for Nora Martin; Elaine Kelly (Cappawhite) for Niamh Martin; Sarah Ryan (Arravale Rovers) for Kiely; Laura Morrissey (Brian Borus) for Kennedy (inj), Katelyn Downey (Boherlahan-Dualla) for Cronin.

Tyrone: Sinead McVey; Eimear Quinn, Caoimhe Magee, Caitlin Campbell; Jayne Lyons, Emma Hegarty, Emma Jane Gervin; Aoibhinn McHugh, Emma Loane; Grainne Rafferty, Aoife McGahan, Mary Traynor; Meabh Corrigan, Chloe McCaffrey, Meabh Mallon.

Subs used: Sasha Byrne, Nicole Murphy, Niamh McElduff, Orla Mulgrew, Aimee Daly, Michaela Moore.

Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow).