Tipp fail to raid the Orchard

Armagh made the long trip to Grangemockler on Sunday last to
take on Tipperary in Round 2 of the Tesco Homegrown National Football
League.  These teams are no strangers to
each other as they met twice last year in the League, the Round 6 game in
Silverbridge, Armagh and the Semi Final in St. Loman’s, Mullingar. 

Armagh claimed both those victories by one
point and two points, respectively.  As
Tipperary had home advantage on this occasion, a great game of football was
expected.

                                                     

Tipperary were first to register on the scoreboard with a
Mairead Morrissey free within the opening minute of the game. Armagh had the
advantage of the strong breeze blowing straight down the field and managed to
place the next two balls over the bar. 
The scoring had started at a quick pace and in the eighth minute Mairead
Morrissey took charge of another free and this time netted the ball to put
Tipperary ahead by a two points.  By the
tenth minute both teams were level again. 
Fionnuala McKenna pointed a free in the fourteenth minute to give Armagh
back the lead. 

Tipperary undeterred by
this saw Gillian O’Brien place the ball in the back of the net after a good
move before Mairead Morrissey pointed another free. Armagh responded soon
afterwards when Kelly Mallon raised a green flag to bring the sides level.
Lorraine O’Shea quickly responded with a point to give Tipperary back the
lead.  Both counties added another point
each to their score lines in the lead-up to half-time.

The last action of the
first half saw Armagh’s Marian McGuinness being sent to the sin-bin following a
yellow card for a tackle on Tipperary’s Lorraine O’Shea, Tipperary 2-4 Armagh
1-6.

 

The second half was a very different affair as the breeze
had died down and no longer impacted the game. 
Armagh entered onto the field with fourteen players due to the carrying
forward of Marian McGuinness’s sinbin. 
Tipperary however, did not utilise the advantage of this and were
outscored two points to one before McGuinness resumed her position on the
field.  The teams were now back to a full
complement and level. Both defences were now on top and scores were hard to
come by for the remainder of the game. Armagh went in to a one point lead
heading in to the last five minutes before Mairead Morrissey converted a long
range free to bring the sides level again.

Armagh were playing the better
football at this stage and the pressure on the Tipperary defence ended up with
a yellow card being issued to Tipperary centre-back Claire Carroll. As the game
entered the final stages, the Armagh pressure eventually saw them hit the front
when a goalbound shot was tipped over the bar by Tipperary goalie Aisling
O’Connor. Armagh pointed a free soon afterwards before the final whistle blew
with Armagh in front by 1-12 to 2-7.

 

Tipperary Team

Aisling O’Connor (Cahir), Sinead Delahunty
(Foxrock/Cabinteely), Samantha Lambert (Ardfinnan), Rachel Kenneally (Aherlow),
Siobhan Condon (Aherlow), Claire Carroll (Galtee Rovers), Barbara Ryan (Moyle
Rovers – Captain), Jennifer Grant (Brian Borus), Emer Myles (Brian Borus),
Niamh Lonergan (Moyle Rovers), Lorraine O’Shea (Mullinahone), Gillian O’Brien
(Moyle Rovers), Kelly Hackett (Moycarkey Borris), Mairead Morrissey (Brian
Borus), Edith Carroll (Galtee Rovers)

Subs used – Brid Condon (Aherlow) for Rachel Kenneally,
Rachel Kenneally for Emer Myles and Catriona Walsh (Moycarkey Borris) for Kelly
Hackett

Scorers – Mairead Morrissey 1-5 (1-4 frees), Gillian O’Brien
1-1, Lorraine O’Shea 0-1

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