TG4 All-Ireland Ladies’ IFC semi-final
Down 1-11 Tyrone 2-11
TYRONE have an All-Ireland intermediate final date with Leitrim in Croke Park in three weeks’ time after digging deep to overcome Ulster champions Down in yesterday’s semi-final at St Tiernach’s Park, Clones.
The Red Hands’ experience – particularly that of captain Aoibhinn McHugh, Maria Canavan and Chloe McCaffrey – was probably the difference between the sides in this game and they will be hugely relieved to have come through an epic tussle.
Down, having come up from junior last year, will be extremely disappointed as they were more than a match for their fellow Ulster opposition.
They have had a successful season, especially their championship campaign, that saw them win Ulster, and in reaching the All-Ireland semi-final they had wins over Cavan, Westmeath and Monaghan. The key for the Mourne county will be to build on this for next season.
It was a nervy opening quarter for both sides with two points apiece, a Chloe McCaffrey brace, including one from a free, putting Tyrone two up, only for Natasha Ferris (free) and Niamh McClory to level the game up
Tyrone then got the game’s opening goal, Aoife Horisk with a cool finish after a wonderful pass in from Maria Canavan.
McCaffrey (free) stretched the lead to four but Down kept in touch through Ferris (free) and Niamh King.
Three without reply – McCaffrey, Aine Grimes and Canavan (free) – opened up a 1-6 to 0-4 lead for the Red Hands, but a Laoise Duffy point for Down left just four between them at the break, 1-6 to 0-5.
Three points for the Ulster champions had them back to within one 10 minutes into the second half – McClory and a King brace –but the next score went the way of Tyrone, with Canavan pointing from a free.
The Errigal Ciaran player then grabbed the game’s crucial next goal when she was played in by the lively Sorcha Gormley, who had been introduced shortly before, and her finish put Tyrone five ahead, 2-7 to 0-8, with the game heading into the final quarter.
She made it a six-point gap soon after, but Down’s response was emphatic, substitute Eimear Fitzpatrick, only on the field, powering her way through and striking past Amelia Coyle low into the bottom corner. Suddenly the gap was back to three.
Horisk replied for Tyrone but Fitzpatrick (free) and Aine Smyth brought Down back to two once more.
They could not close it any more than that, though, as McCaffrey and Canavan pointed either side of another Fitzpatrick point.
Down needed a goal and were awarded a free with Fitzpatrick deciding to go for goal as time ran out but her effort went wide of the post.
There was one final chance for the Mourne side, a dangerous high ball in, but it was collected by Tyrone and they held out for the win.
Tyrone manager Sean O’Kane said he was delighted to reach the final knowing how difficult an opposition Down would be.
“Going to Croke Park for the second time this year, it’s not bad. I’m delighted for the girls, for the management team. Down came here today and I knew it was going to be a tall order, he said.
“They beat Monaghan by two points and Monaghan beat us. I know you can’t equate that in the ladies’ games but they were always going to be a threat and I think our first half stood to us.’’
Leitrim, meanwhile, survived a late onslaught from Wexford at Parnell Park to win 3-8 to 2-10.
Down A McGivern; A Greene, C Byrne,E Sands; C Mulvenna, N McKibbin,O Duffy; M Doherty (capt.), A Laverty;A McAlea, N McClory (0-2), L Duffy(0-1); S Dougherty, N Ferris (0-3, 0-1f), N King (0-2, 0-1f)
Subs V McCormack for S Dougherty (40), E Fitzpatrick (1-2, 0-1f) for N Ferris (49), P Smyth for C Mulvenna (49),A Smyth (0-1) for N King (55)
Tyrone A Coyle; J Lyons, J Barrett,E Quinn; C Campbell, M Corrigan,C Daly; Á Grimes (0-1), A McHugh (capt.); E.J. Gervin, A Horisk,E McNamee; M Canavan (1-4, 0-2f),E Conroy, C McCaffrey (0-5, 0-2f)
Subs S Gormley for E Conroy (35),M Mallon for E McNamee (38), E Mulgrew for C Daly (41), K R Muldoon for J Lyons (59), S Byrne for A Horisk (59)
Referee Gus Chapman (Sligo)