Sports DNA

Tyrone 1-12 Down 2-10 Dungannon Clarke’s 4.5.25

Down Captain Clara Mulvenna admitted that relief was her overwhelming emotion as the Mourne Ladies left it late to edge past Tyrone with the last kick of extra time in this pulsating Intermediate Ulster Championship semi-final at Dungannon.

Mulvenna went on to praise Down and Burren forward Eimear Fitzpatrick for being the most composed person in the ground by getting the vital score with time almost up in extra time.

“Fitzy has been unbelievable for us this year, so it was fitting that she got the score to put us in the final”

This was such a tight game between two evenly matched sides that it was nearly impossible to call a winner at any point in this cracker of a match.

Glorious sunshine allowed for near perfect conditions for the game, with a slight breeze favouring the Red Hand County in the first half. A powerful left foot drive by Emma Conroy opened the scoring for Tyrone, but Down quickly replied when Fitzpatrick converted a free. Errigal Claran forward Aoife Horisk restored Tyrone’s lead with a free of her own but then Eva Hicks levelled the scores with a sharp turn and shot that cleared the bar for Down. Another Fitzpatrick free gave the Mourne Ladies the lead.

Tyrone’s no.11 Sorcha Gormley caused Down’s defence all sort of problems. The pacy Carrickmore forward beat two Down defenders before slipping in a lovely, well-timed pass, to release Cara McCrossan in space and through on goal. McCrossan gave Down keeper Catherine Byrne no chance with a nice finish into the bottom corner of the net.

Down response was just what manager Colm Donnelly would have wanted. Laoise Duffy so nearly got a vital goal with the next attack. Picking the ball up in midfield the Bredagh forward raced past several Tyrone defenders and as the goal chance opened, she unleashed a powerful drive that just went over the bar for a point instead of a maximum.

Down continued to press and Duffy turned provider when she turned over the resulting Tyrone kickout and released Fitzpatrick, who buried the ball past keeper Amelia Coyle from the tightest of angles for a Down goal that seen them take the lead once more.

But Tyrone started to wrestle back control of the game and used the wind to good effect.

A point apiece from midfielders Meabh Mallon and Aoibhinn McHugh drew Tyrone level. Niamh O Neill had two quick scores to give the Red Hand County a little cushion. Aoife Horisk converted a great score on the stroke of half-time to give Tyrone a deserved three-point lead going into the break with Tyrone 1-7 to Down 1-4

Down’s Niamh King got a beautiful score to start the second half from the men’s 2-point line, but alas this only counted as one. This was cancelled out when Claire Canavan cleverly fisted the ball over for Tyrone as the Down defence converged on her.

Fitzpatrick took a lovely point after cutting inside and onto her left foot to clear the bar from distance. Aimee Green was having an exceptional game for Down and capped this off with a nice score from distance leaving Down only one point behind.

Down got their second goal with a little bit of luck, Niamh King’s powerful shot was well blocked by Grainne McKenna but the ball fell in the path of Kilcoo’s Shanna Fettes who reacted quickest and stroked the ball past Coyle.

Powerful forward Niamh O Neill pulled a point back for the home side to leave the score 2-7 (13) for Down and 1-9 (12) for Tyrone.

With time almost up Down won a big free from a long way out, but the usually deadly Fitzpatrick’s shot cannoned off the upright and away.

Tyrone then missed a free of their own as time was slipping away. However, a loose pass coming out of defence was intercepted by Tyrone, and Gormley was fouled as she raced though. Gormley got up and dusted herself off, converting the free to set up extra time as the two teams couldn’t be spilt during regulation time.

Down won the toss and attacked with the wind in the first period of extra time. Vivienne McCormack converted when Down won a Tyrone kickout to give the visitors a one-point lead. Every kick and pass were now pressurised as the stakes were so high.

Sperrin Og’s Niamh O’ Neill, was excellent throughout this match, and has a wand of a left foot levelled the scores again for Tyrone.

Saul’s Catherine Byrne then pulled off a great save to keep Down in the game and to the heartbreak of Tyrone this was punished as Fitzpatrick cleared the bar when Down turned over a Tyrone sideline ball in a dangerous area seconds later.

Tyrone pushed forward and Aoife Horisk levelled the scores for the eighth time in this clash when she converted a free.

With time running out in the second period of extra time, it looked that these two sides couldn’t be spilt, and the prospect of penalties was looming. But with players from both sides going down with cramp it was surprising that Down could deliver a beautiful section of play to win it. The ever-impressive Meghan Doherty drove the Mourne ladies on and found Niamh Rice wide on the left. Rice cut inside and beat two Tyrone defenders and looked like she was about to pull the trigger and shoot. As the Tyrone defence desperately converged to block the shot the Rostrevor forward cooly slipped a hand pass into Eimear Fitzpatrick who was in space in front of the goal and Fitzpatrick made no mistake and put the ball over. Referee David Hurson blew up almost immediately. Such a tough loss for Tyrone as neither side deserved to lose this match, but it is the Mourne Ladies that progress onto the Ulster final.

Final Score Tyrone 1-12 (15) v Down 2-10 (16)

Teams

Down: Byrne: Greene (0-1): McCreanor: McClory: Mulvenna ©️: Brogan: Sands: Doherty: Laverty: Fitzpatrick (1-5): Duffy (0-1): Smyth: King (0-1): Rice: Hicks (0-1): McCormack (0-1): Fettes(1-0) O’Higgins: Kelly

Tyrone: Coyle: Lyons: McKenna: Quinn: Canavan (0-1): Campbell: McCarroll: Mallon (0-1): McHugh©️ (0-1): Moore: Conroy (0-1): Horisk (0-5): McGahan: McCrossan (1-1): O’Neill (0-3): McCarroll: Mccaffrey: McNamee: 

Match Report: Paul Devlin